A Study of Underwater Power Systems

The advent of the underwater nuclear power system in the late 1950s lead to a general abatement of interest in developing other types of power generation equipment. However, in recent years, the increasing expense of such systems and the needs of an expanding offshore industry have resulted in a renewed interest in alternative power systems. Consequently, there are currently a number of naval and civil projects aimed at increasing the underwater endurance of non-nuclear powered manned and unmanned submersibles beyond that capable from existing battery powered vessels. This paper describes the results of a NATO funded project to investigate an advanced heat engine for autonomous under vehicle applications and to develop underwater power system selection aids.