SMALL SUBMERSIBLE FUEL SUBSYSTEM AND ENERGY CONVERTER SYSTEM INTEGRATION ANALYSIS

AEL WILL EVALUATE VARIOUS CARNOT CYCLE HEAT ENGINES (DYNAMIC CONVERTERS) AS WELL AS ELECTROCHEMICAL ENERGY CONVERTERS APPLICABLE TO SMALL SUBMERSIBLES OR AUV'S OVER THE POWER RANGE OF 20 TO 50 KW, WITH SYSTEM ENDURANCES OF 2 TO 10 MWH. THE SUCCESSFUL INTEGRATION OF THE ENERGY CONVERTERS, FUEL AND EXHAUST SUBSYSTEMS STARTS WITH PRECISE REQUIREMENTS DEFINITION, WHICH IS DERIVED FROM MISSION ANALYSES. FOR EXAMPLE, ONE-SHOT HIGH SPEED TORPEDOS HAVE A DIFFERENT MISSION THAN SLOWER SUBMERSIBLE VEHICLES DESIGNED FOR REPEATED RENDEZVOUS, REFUELING AND REDEPLOYMENT FROM THE SUPPORT SYSTEM. PARTICULARLY IN THE CASE OF SUBMARINE SUPPORT, THE SUBMERSIBLE VEHICLE'S INTEGRATION MUST BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE SUBMARINE'S CAPABILITIES, OR LIMITATIONS, AS A SUPPORT SYSTEM. BASED ON NUMEROUS PREVIOUS SURFACE AS WELL AS UNDERSEA VEHICLE AND SUBMARINE SYSTEM INTEGRATION ANALYSES, AEL BELIEVES THAT FUEL CELL PROPULSION FOR SUBMERSIBLES WILL BE SHOWN TO BE VERY MISSION RESPONSIVE. FURTHER, BECAUSE PRESSURE BALANCING THE ENERGY CONVERTER TO THE AMBIENT SEA PRESSURE WILL LIKELY BE SHOWN TO BE MOST APPROPRIATE, WE HAVE ENLISTED THE SUPPORT, AS A SUBCONTRACTOR, OF A FIRM INVOLVED IN APPROPRIATE ELECTROCHEMICAL ENERGY SOURCE DEVELOPMENTS, ENERGY RESEARCH CORP. (ERC). AEL AND ERC PREVIOUSLY EXAMINED FUEL CELL PROPELLED SUBMARINE ISSUES. IN PHASE II A SUBSCALE DEMONSTRATION OF A PRESSURIZED FUEL CELL SYSTEM COULD BE DONE, USING A DTNSRDCA TEST TANK.