Breakthrough in Japan
for Stirling AIP-- Air Independent Propulsion
Submarines equipped with Stirling AIP systems can expand the
submerged endurance, thus avoiding to expose its position. This
enables the Stirling AIP submarine to counter the threat scenario
much more effectively compared to a conventional diesel-electric
submarine.
---2005-07-11
2.Details of
AIP
The principle of the Stirling AIP system.
The systems offers an alternative to battery power, which in
turn means less frequent requirements for noisy battery recharging,
with the diesel generators.
Instead of a number of days, a Stirling AIP submarine can extend
the time submerged to weeks and thus outperform any other
conventional submarine with regard to that key capability -
submerged endurance.
Outstanding advantages
The main feature of the Kockums air independent propulsion (AIP)
system is the use of Stirling engines burning pure oxygen and
diesel fuel in a pressurized combustion chamber.
The combustion pressure is higher than the surrounding seawater
pressure, thereby allowing the exhaust products, dissolved in
seawater, to be discharged overboard without using a
compressor.
Oxygen is stored in liquid form (LOX) in cryogenic tanks. Submerged
endurance is primarily determined by the amount of stored LOX.
A Stirling unit being moved into the open hull of a Gotland class
submarine.
