Reactant Delivery System for Underwater Vehicles

Advanced underwater vehicles (unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), torpedoes, etc.) are key to achieving long-term objectives for undersea force projection and surveillance. Existing battery-based power systems for these vehicles do not meet mission requirements due to low energy density, prohibitive cost, and/or time-consuming maintenance. Power systems based on liquid fuels and oxidizers (collectively reactants) can provide very high energy density for air-independent power systems. However, managing the liquid reactants presents significant challenges. Simple tanks are inadequate in many cases due to a wide variety of constraints and issues. Creare proposes a reactant delivery system (RDS) that utilizes a novel bladder system that can safely store a range of reactants for extended periods of time. The bladder system has a high fuel volume fraction; is safe, reusable, easy to fill and refill; and has very low residual fuel volume when emptied. Compatibility with a wide range of reactant and power conversion system topologies is also possible. In Phase I, we demonstrated the feasibility and versatility of Creare's RDS for various reactant and power conversion system combinations through design and testing. In Phase II, an RDS prototype will be developed and integrated with a UUV energy subsystem provided by our industrial collaborators.