Magnetic self-protection
Magnetic self-protection ( MES ), also known as “mine protection”, is an active measure to reduce the magnetic signature of a ship so that magnetic ignition mechanisms of sea mines or torpedoes do not trigger.
This is to be distinguished from the mere demagnetization , with which the permanent magnetic alignment of a metal hull can be canceled for some time in a strong magnetic field.
history
The first magnetic self-protection systems were developed at the beginning of the Second World War with the appearance of magnetically ignited mines. Initially, it was a matter of cables that were run along the entire length of the ship's hull and, when direct current was applied, generated a magnetic field that counteracted the magnetic field disturbance of the ship's steel mass.
During World War II, this method of mine protection became standard for all larger warships. With increasingly refined magneto ignition systems, a simple magnetic field coil was no longer able to adequately compensate for the uneven magnetic field of a ship and the different effects of the earth's magnetic field in different regions of the world.
present
Modern MES systems consist of several electromagnetic coils that suppress the magnetic signature in several directions. For this purpose, the signature of the ship is first measured precisely under various conditions so that the magnetic fields counteracting the signature can be generated in an adapted manner. For the majority of the ships of the German Navy, this takes place in the two “magnetic measurement and treatment centers” in Wilhelmshaven and Kiel.
Not only must the uneven distribution of magnetic interference in the hull and the different magnetic fields in different areas of the earth be taken into account, but also the magnetic effects caused by ship movements (speed, rolling movements) or units that are not constantly in use .
Accordingly, an MES system no longer generates a static magnetic field, but a magnetic field adapted to the location and movement as well as various internal processes of the ship.
In the case of so-called highly protected vehicles, such as anti-mine vehicles or submarines , which already have a low magnetic signature in terms of construction, this can be almost completely canceled with the help of MES systems. For this purpose, the German Navy maintains a geomagnetic field simulator in Borgstedter Enge ( position ) near Schirnau-Lehmbek, in which the entire ship is measured in different functional states and for different degrees of latitude and the MES system is adjusted accordingly.
See also
literature
- Jürgen Gebauer, Egon Krenz: Marine encyclopedia from A to Z . Unabridged license edition. Tosa, Vienna 2003, ISBN 3-85492-757-6 .
- Jörg Großmann: Mine defense. Technology and how it works . Wilhelmshaven 2000, ISBN 3-89811-877-0 , p. 39 f.
Web links
- Patent application on www.patent-de with a detailed functional description (found on June 4, 2014)