Posted on 05/02/2006 6:21:54 PM PDT by george76
One of Germany's crack new fuel-cell-powered submarines has set a world record with a two-week-long dive, the German Navy said Wednesday.
The trip by the U212A-class sub with a crew of 27 from Eckernfoerde in Germany to Rota in Spain involved the longest period that any non-nuclear vessel had ever spent under water.
The navy did not say what the previous record had been.
US and Russian nuclear submarines can stay under water for longer.
Germany, which has no nuclear weapons and no nuclear-powered ships, developed the high-tech hybrid-powered submarines to replace diesel-electric vessels that need to surface more often to obtain air for the engines.
The U212A vessels have a hybrid propulsion system made up of an electric motor which is fed power from fuel cells that burn hydrogen. They must also keep air in their tanks, but need less than diesels do.
The vessel, the U 32, made the trip April 11-25 and had proved the capability of the propulsion system, a naval spokesman said in Gluecksburg, northern Germany.
The U 32 is to protect the Straits of Gibraltar and Mediterranean as part of the war against terrorism.
The stealthy hybrid-powered vessels are almost noiseless and do not release any exhaust gases when under water.
While it's pretty cramped by Nuke boat standards,it's far more comfortable than traditional SSKs with a crew of just 27 men.
You sure it was 24 days by a Kilo???Modern Kilos can't do anything more than 2 days at most.
Unless we are talking about snorkeling.
South Korea,Italy & Israel are all due to recieve the same system either in brand new subs (U-212/214) or adaptations of the older Type-209 class.Other HDW users like India have been offered the fuel cell system for mid-life upgrades to their boats.
Wouldn't a hydrogen-powered boat be essentially tethered to the [few] shore refueling facilities? Are there any hydrogen-carrying tankers to refuel at sea?
"These boats, and newer Diesel Boats, are great for coastal defense and patrolling smaller seas, but if you're going to prowl the planet, you need a reactor."
Yeah, but they're ideal for, say, the mediterranean, and that's also the reason why Israel is going to get at least another two of those boats. They have no use for big nuclear powered subs, but two weeks submerged is plenty of time to enhance Israels second-strike-capacity and to make to make Iran think twice about pissing off the Israelis.
The first three for the Israeli navy were conventional diesel-powered subs, the new ones already have the fuel cell AIP-enhancements. For more information, also see:
http://www.dolphin.org.il/
Das Boot?
I am sure. They did it.
Naval tech ping.
Any idea what the propulsion source was???I ask because the AIP system that Russia offers for Kilo upgrades & it's new Amur class subs,the 'Krystal-E'(??) is considered inferior to the Siemens system.
Yawn...YEAH LET'S ALL GO GREEN!!!
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That is one tiny submarine.
"I'm still trying to figure out why the door is facing forward. So it can sink faster?
I'm sure they had a good reason. They're German."
It is so when going head on against a different submarine they can stick their headsa out and go "booga booga booga"
The exercises are monitored by the real ASW system.
"Swedish submarine stays hidden to Americans Despite two months of searching, the American navy still have problems locating the Swedish submarine 'Gotland' in a series of cat-and-mouse games in American waters. "
A dive to the sea floor isn't that impressive. Coming back up, now THAT's impressive.
It. We call our ships after animals, cities and states. But our subs just have the name "U 31" or so.
Danke, FReund.
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