Propulsion Alternatives for an Undersea Autonomous Vehicle.

Abstract

A study was conducted to determine suitable energy systems for small undersea autonomous vehicles. The two main goals of this study were: (1) to evaluate energy systems which would be able to provide 16 kW-hr for a vehicle of specified dimensions, and; (2) to evaluate energy systems which may be used in the future for longer duration, higher speed missions. It was concluded that silver-zinc secondary batteries are satisfactory for the low energy requirement. There is some uncertainty about the most suitable energy source for the higher energy mission. There are no fully developed systems which are completely safe, reliable, and readily available for use. Lithium thionyl chloride batteries, and lithium sulfurhexafluoride thermal power plants are the main contenders and have comparable energy densities. There are concerns, however, about the safety and availability of each of these systems.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 1987
Accession Number
ADA190257

Entities

People

  • John L. Braun

Organizations

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Chemical Synthesis
  • Chemistry
  • Energy
  • Energy Harvesting
  • Energy Storage
  • Engineering
  • Fuel Cells
  • Glass Fibers
  • Hydrogen
  • Manufacturing
  • Material Degradation Processes
  • Materials
  • Materials Laboratories
  • Materials Processing
  • Materials Science
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Storage Batteries

Readers

  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Battery Technology and Engineering
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Technology Areas

  • Autonomy