China may be bringing its engine structure with no structural moving parts closer to the holy grail of submarine cunning systems. For technology would eliminate all visible waves, allowing for extraordinary underwater stealth capabilities.
According to The South China Morning Post (SCMP), Chinese scientists have discovered a way to drastically increase the efficiency of light propulsion, which could one day propel ships.
According to the review, the new technology uses 2 mw of laser energy produced by the submarine’s layer of optical materials, each thinner than a human hair, to generate nearly 70,000 newtons of force.
The SCMP report cites the use of supercavitation, which drastically lowers water resistance, produced by light pulses vaporizing the water. It claims that the “underwater fibre laser-induced blood detonation wave propulsion ” eliminates visible electrical noise, enabling greater secrecy.
To be sure, light engine technology is no novel. Chinese scientists developed the idea of using laser to create plasma in liquid and funnel the detonation wave created by blood expansion for propellant twenty years ago.
The concept did n’t develop, though, because the scientists had to create a directional driving force from a single point as the detonation wave expanded in all directions.
China and a number of other nations have funded research on using small globular metallic particles to exert pressure on submarines despite that loss.
A certain direction can be propelled by detonation waves, which have an impact on the submarine. However, the current efficiency is very small to be sensible, with 1 watt of laser power generating single one-millionth of a newton of thrust.
According to the SCMP statement, Chinese researchers from Harbin Engineering University have created a light engine that increases the power of light thrust by three to four orders of magnitude.
They altered the fibers by adding a firearm barrel-like system with a U-shaped interface and by using two barrels to attack particles in the working moderate. Additionally, they added specially designed protruding structures inside the cylinder to lessen interactions and internal friction between impact tides.
SCMP notes that a submarine nuclear reactor produces more than 150 megawatts, which is sufficient for the light engine system, as well as the need for a design challenge in great power and salinity environments, as well as the proper alignment of visual fiber emission apertures with the submarine’s anechoic panels.
The US has been studying magnetohydrodynamic drive ( MHD ) technology since the 1960s as an alternative to mechanical propulsion, in contrast to China. To produce thrust, MHD technology uses electrical fields and electric conducting fluids, which has a number of advantages over conventional propeller-driven systems.
Daniel Swallom and other authors note in a May 1991 content for the peer-reviewed Naval Engineers Journal that MHD increases cunning, agility, and endurance, eliminates electrical component sound, and allows higher cargo capabilities as a result of space use efficiency.
The ideal design for MHD thrusters was also outlined by Wallom and others. They compared various MHD thrusters with neutral buoyancy to evaluate their various neutrally buoyant configurations that would seamlessly integrate with existing submarine power plants using mathematical modeling. They also proposed a segmented, annular thruster optimized for performance in generic attack submarines.
They also raised important design issues, such as designing appropriate superconducting magnets and structural support for MHD thrusters. These require advancements in cryogenic systems and superconducting materials to keep the submarine neutral buoyant, avoiding any interference with the submarine’s operational capabilities.
The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency ( DARPA ) announced in May 2023 that it had started the 42-month Principles of Undersea Magnetohydrodynamic Pumps ( PUMP ) program to advance MHD technology.
DARPA claims that MHD propulsion has been successful on a small scale but is still impractical because it is unable to create powerful magnetic fields for high-efficiency pumps, as with China’s laser propulsion technology. Additionally, it mentions problems with electrode corrosion and erosion brought on by contact with seawater.
DARPA claims that recent developments in the nuclear fusion sector have allowed the production of rare-earth barium copper oxide ( REBCO ) magnets capable of producing magnetic fields up to 20 Tesla and achieving 90 % MHD efficiency. This advancement would address the issue with pumping with powerful magnetic fields, leaving electrode longevity as the main issue.
In order to reduce the formation of gas bubbles on electrode surfaces, which lower efficiency and erode electrode surfaces, DARPA claims to use material science advances in fuel cell and battery technology to reduce the formation of gas bubbles.
However, since MHD operates on the principle of magnetism, it may become more detectable by magnetic anomaly detection ( MAD ) systems.
These advancements could lead to the creation of the upcoming all-electric submarines, which may have no moving parts in the near future. The development of all-electric military submarines is becoming more and more feasible with the development of battery technologies and air-independent propulsion ( AIP ).
In October 2022, Asia Times noted that lithium-ion batteries can significantly enhance submarines ’ underwater endurance, acceleration and speed due to their higher energy density than traditional lead-acid batteries, faster charging rate, greater discharge speed and longer lifespan.
However, lithium-ion batteries have a significant drawback: they are prone to thermal runaway and fire hazards. This danger is high in submarines, where a single overheating cell can start a thermal runaway that burns the entire battery bank, igniting devastating fires.
In order to solve the lithium battery thermal runaway problem, iron and phosphate are used instead of nickel and cobalt, giving a safer and comparable-performing alternative. Hard carbon and ceramic coatings for battery packaging can make submarine lithium-ion batteries safer.
Lithium-ion submarines are also possibly quieter than nuclear-powered ones. Although nuclear submarines have an unbroken range, their constantly operating coolant pumps can produce audible noise. Additionally, they leave radiation traces that can be analyzed using specialized sensors.
Navies can pair lithium-ion batteries with fuel cells, which offsets the former’s limitations. However, fuel cells pose design challenges, primarily due to their means of storing hydrogen fuel and unproven technology.
Next-gen lithium-ion fuel cell submarines, equipped with propulsion technologies such as laser propulsions and MHD, may have extreme endurance, incredibly quiet operation, fast acceleration and high dash speeds. However, cost and complexity are still issues for mainstreaming such designs.