How can machinery spaces survive underwater damage?

Can machinery spaces be protected from hull breaches, and does turbo-electric drive improve compartmentalization?

Designers can add buffers and subdivision, while turbo-electric drive can separate functions, but survivability still depends on redundant generation and power distribution that remains usable after damage.

Machinery spaces sit low in the ship and remain inherently exposed to flooding from underwater damage. Some designs place compartments or protective structure between the hull and vital spaces, reducing rather than eliminating the risk. Turbo-electric drive can offer more freedom to separate generation from propulsion motors, yet that advantage only matters if multiple generators and power routes survive. A ship also needs enough ring-main or equivalent distribution paths to carry electricity around damaged sections. Redundancy and layout form the real damage-control system, with propulsion technology only one part of it.