Chief Hill and the Portsmouth Nickels

As I have mentioned in past blogs, after graduating from the US Merchant Marine Academy I activated my commission in the US Navy and applied for the US Naval Nuclear Power program. Shortly thereafter, I was interviewed by Admiral Rickover and his team and was directed to attend the US Naval Nuclear Power Training program. 

The second six months of our yearlong training program was to qualify as an Engineering Watch Officer on a nuclear power plant.  The training occurred in an operational prototype or engine room located in the middle of a desert one hour from Idaho Falls, ID.   The training was intensive with 12 hrs. per day attending classes and seminars, standing training watches, getting our qualification cards completed, and participating in the ever present “emergency” drills. 

The prototype staff that trained us “baby nukes” consisted of officers and enlisted men qualified as nuclear watch personnel.  The majority of the training staff had multiple duty assignments on Navy nuclear-powered vessels.  Machinist Mate First Class Steve Hill was one of the training instructors on my training shift.  He had unbelievable knowledge of the equipment, the total system, plant operation, and was an excellent trainer to boot.  As we would say in the Navy, he was “one squared away sailor.” 

After my six months at the prototype I qualified as a Nuclear Watch Officer and was sent to the USS Jack SSN 605, a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine.   I was assigned as the M Division Officer and Main Prolusion Assistant.  I had 20 chiefs and sailors reporting to me and our division was responsible for all the mechanical equipment associated with the nuclear reactor, steam system, and turbine.  After reporting to a ship, you must get qualified on your new ship and get checked out on all the systems and operating procedures.  During my first training watch in the Engine Room Lower Level, I made a comment to the enlisted Watch Stander that it sounded like the condensate pumps were cavitating.  He said that they were designed to cavitate because of the unique nature of our steam plant and condenser. 

After finishing any engineering watch the off going Watch Officer would brief the Engineering Office on what occurred on the watch.  I mentioned that I thought the condensate pumps were cavitating.  He said they were designed to cavitate based on the unique design of our steam plant.  Following standing orders I then gave the Commanding Officer of the submarine a post watch report, again mentioning the cavitating pump.  I was given the same response by the Captain. 

Another ongoing problem with my systems was intermittent tripping of the feed water pumps.  When increasing the ship's speed, an operating feed water pump would vocationally trip on low suction pressure.  The Watch Standers immediate action was to acknowledge the alarm, check the feed water pressure and surge tank level, and if everything checked out ok start another feed water pump.  This happened on an infrequent basis, however it was an aggravating problem that was difficult to troubleshoot. 

After being on the boat for about 8 months I got word that Steven Hill, now a Chief Petty Officer, was being transferred to the Jack as my new Chief of the M division.  I was looking forward to working with Chief Hill again. 

Upon his arrival, he hit the decks running.  During his qualification watch he too noticed the cavitating condensate pumps and asked why these pumps were cavitating.  I gave him the reason that I was told and he said that was a bunch of “bull s**t, no pumps in a submarine were designed to cavitate.”  So the first thing he did was order a work order to disassemble the pump and research the problem. 

During the next refit, we found a handful of metal disks about the size of a nickel with a 1/16 inch hole drilled in the center.  No one knew where they came from or why they were there.  We then checked the suction strainers on the remaining condensate pumps and discovered they had similar disks.  Once removed the condensate pump no longer cavitated. 

The next thing Chief Hill wanted to do was find out what the disks were, where they came from, and how they ended up in the pumps in the first place. After research, it was discovered that they were part of a de-aeration spray header from the submarines condenser used to remove dissolved oxygen from the condensate. The orifice plates (the disks) were pressed into the spray header and over time, they worked out and collected in the condensate pump suction strainers.  This work was originally done in the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in New Hampshire and from then on, the disks were referred to as “Portsmouth nickels.”

After the cavitation problem on the condensate pump was fixed, the feed water pumps never again tripped on low suction pressure.  It appears that when responding to an increase in speed, the increased flow rate through the feed and condensate pumps, as well as the system must have caused a pressure transit in the feed pump suction piping causing the pump to trip.  There was nothing we could prove, but there was a definite cause-and-effect relationship.

What I learned from this early life experience is that we should never give up on a problem if it doesn’t sound right and to trust our instincts.  I would say the operators in the Naval Nuclear Power program are some of the best in the world.  Regardless of the standard of excellence taught by the Naval Nuclear Power program we still accepted the “it-always-has-been-operating-this-way” approach with this particular problem with our condensate pumps. We were fortunate to have someone like Chief Hill to remind us to never stop looking for the real problem.

 

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