CLOSED-CYCLE SUBMERSIBLE POWER SYSTEMS

HIGH PERFORMANCE COMBUSTION POWER SYSTEMS FOR SMALL UNTETHERED SUBMERSIBLE VEHICLES WILL BE SOUGHT BY COMPARING PROVEN METHODS WITH MODERN ALTERNATIVES, INCLUDING ADVANCED CRYOGENICS AND SOLID-STATE STORAGE OF HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN. A LARGE LIST OF POTENTIALLY ATTRACTIVE COMBINATIONS OF REACTANTS, CONVERTERS, AND EXHAUST COLLECTION PROCESSES WILL BE EXAMINED FROM TWO VIEWPOINTS. FIRST, THE CHEMICAL ISSUES WILL BE CONSIDERED, CALCULATING GRAVIMETRIC AND VOLUMETRIC ENERGY DENSITIES FOR THE AGGREGATE OF FUEL, OXIDIZER AND ANY CHEMICAL SPECIES REQUIRED TO PROCESS THE EXHAUST STREAM. CONTAINERS FOR REACTANTS AND PRODUCTS WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE WEIGHT AND VOLUME ESTIMATES SO THAT THE EFFECTS OF CRYOGENIC DEWARS, PRESSURE VESSELS, HYDRIDES, OXIDES, ETC., ARE ACCOUNTED FOR. THE SECOND ISSUE IN THE SELECTION PROCESS WILL BE MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT EVALUATION INCLUDING A VARIETY OF ENGINES, AND EXHAUST PROCESSING EQUIPMENT.EACH SYSTEM WILL BE CHARACTERIZED BY ITS NET EFFICIENCY, WEIGHT AND ENVELOPE VOLUME. THE BEST CHEMICAL OPTIONS WILL BE PAIRED UP WITH APPROPRIATE MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT AND AT LEAST THREE SYSTEMS WILL BE COMPARED IN DETAIL TO FORM THE FINAL CONCLUSIONS OF THE STUDY. THE BEST ALTERNATIVE WILL BE BUILT AND TESTED IN PHASE II AND DEMONSTRATED AT FULL-SCALE IN THE REYNOLDS ALUMINAUT IN PHASE III.