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to the
International Clearinghouse for Hydrogen Commerce
BUILDING A WORLD THAT WORKSTM
CONTACT
"First they laugh at you,
then they ignore you, then they fight with you, then you win." -- Ghandi
"Mankind's future depends
on America's energy choices. Let's clean house and abandon the
phony solutions that result in war, environmental ruin,
poverty, hunger, hatred and disease.
We must lead. We must set the example and Build A World That
Works!"TM -- Richard D.
Masters
Hydrogen Ships & Subs
GUIDED BY THE STAGNANT, RAPACIOUS
AND ENTRENCHED NUCLEAR INDUSTRY, THE U.S. NAVY HAS RELINQUISHED AN
HISTORIC LEAD IN SUBMARINE DESIGN.
ARE THE SECRETS OF FUEL CELL POWER NOW HIDDEN IN STEALTHY TOP SECRET
GERMAN AIR-INDEPENDENT-POWER HUNTER-KILLERS?
The ZemShip (Zero Emission Ship), based in the port of Hamburg, Germany,
will run on a hybrid unit integrating two of Proton Motor's 48 kW fuel
cell systems and a lead gel battery. An intelligent energy management
system effectively co-ordinates the output of power between the fuel cells
and the battery to offer twice the fuel efficiency of a standard diesel
engine ship. The fuel cell hybrid system provides the ship with a
non-polluting and virtually silent drive. It uses up to 50 kg of gaseous
hydrogen stored in onboard tanks, sufficient to provide fuel for around
three days' use.
MUNICH - The technology company The Linde Group has
today officially opened the world's first hydrogen filling station for
fuel cell passenger ships in Hamburg. Wolfgang Tiefensee, Minister of
Transport, Building and Urban Affairs was in attendance for this "Zemship-related"
grand opening, an EU-sponsored project for the development of fuel cell
ships.
"As a pioneer in hydrogen technology, we want to make
environmentally-friendly, hydrogen-based locomotion a reality in all
areas. With this globally unique filling station, we are showing that
hydrogen is well-suited as an emissions-free fuel for passenger ships,"
said Dr. Aldo Belloni, Member of the Executive Board of Linde AG.
The Zemship filling station is located in the Hamburg city
park. It provides regular fill-ups of hydrogen gas for this "zero
emissions ship".
The first passenger ship for 100 people to be operated via a hydrogen fuel
cell will convey passengers on both the Alster as well as the Elbe rivers.
For fuelling, liquid hydrogen stored at a temperature of minus 253 °C is
transformed into hydrogen gas in an evaporator and then compressed up to
450 bar via a two-stage compressor system. The complete fuelling station
was designed and built by Linde.
As one of the world's largest manufacturer of hydrogen
systems, Linde offers a complete range of technologies that are required
for a functioning hydrogen value-added chain - from production to
fuelling.
With 120,000 hydrogen fill-ups by the end of last year, the
company has set a new fuelling record. This includes passenger cars with
an average 300 fill-ups per week as well as lorries, busses and forklifts.
Linde is the leading international equipment supplier for hydrogen
fuelling stations. The gas company is represented in 15 countries with
fuelling technology. The use of hydrogen as a fuel for motors does not
cause any damaging emissions. Electrical energy is created in the fuel
cell with the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen to water with an efficiency
of up to 70 per cent.
Zemships
To prove that hydrogen is well-suited as a fuel for ships,
the Hamburg Office of Urban Planning and Environmental Affairs has brought
together Germanische Lloyd AG, Proton Motor, Hamburger Hochbahn AG, The
Linde Group, Alster-Touristik GmbH, Hochschule für Angewandte
Wissenschaften Hamburg, hySolutions GmbH and The UJV Nuclear Research
Institute rez plc for this Zemship project. Zemship is a EU-sponsored
project.
Hydrogen Ship Soon to Set Sail Ice News
February 2, 2008
Ship owner Vignir Sigursveinsson said: “When we have
the hydrogen machine, the boat will be completely soundless, which will
make the experience of seeing the whales in their natural habitat even
more magical.”
Whale Watching Ship to be Powered by Hydrogen Iceland Review
May 9, 2007
Icelandic energy company Nýorka is
planning to install a hydrogen engine in the whale watching ship Elding by
summer 2008, which would be the first of its kind in the world.
...the future AIP-based Type 214 will be able to
stay immersed for over 1 month. This compares with the Type 212A record of
2 weeks submerged without snorting with fuel-cells between Germany and
Spain in April 2006. ...The fuel for many SOFC applications is still
natural gas but for marine applications the use of methanol is being
researched by Wartsila.... Methanol is flammable with a flash point of
11°C which is usually considered to be far too low for safe storage
inboard on a submarine. For this and other safety reasons, methanol could
be stored outboard as hydrogen is currently stored on the HDW SSK designs.
The Fuel Cell Passenger Boatetaing,
GmbH Germany
etaing GmbH realized a fuel cell system named "Europ 21" in
the 2nd quarter 2000 which is being used on a passenger boat as the first
propulsion system of its kind in Germany.
The Europ 21 has been developed for mobile applications.
Maritime requirements influenced the decision to use an AFC fuel cell. The
AFC (alcaline fuel cell) is an electrochemical device that transforms
hydrogen and aerial oxygen in a so called cold combustion into electricity
and heat, in this process water is produced. It is a low temperature cell
that works without pressure. The used electrolyte is potassium hydroxide
that is giving the AFC the name.
The Europ 21 has the following advantages: combined use of
energy and heat, permanent productivity, modular design, high efficiency,
no annoying noise or odor, absolutely no local emissions, the only
by-product is pure water.
The basic reaction that takes place in the AFC is a reverse
electrolysis (the production of hydrogen and oxygen from water by
introducing an electric current).
In the Europ 21 hydrogen and aerial oxygen react in the fuel
cell stack. This is a controlled chemical reaction of hydrogen and aerial
oxygen which are separated by an electrolyte, in this case potassium
hydroxide. At the anode hydrogen is oxidized using a catalyst and
electrons are produced; at the cathode aerial oxygen is reduced using a
catalyst and electrons are used. The resulting electric current is used to
power the boat (electric motor on Hydra).
The stack as the centrepiece of Europ 21 is a set of fuel
cells connected in series and parallel to form a module. Every module
produces about 465 Watt and 8 modules connected in series form a stack. To
produce the output of 6.9 kW, brutto etaing uses 2 stacks.
Fuel Cells to Help Clean Up Shipping Wojciech Moskwa
Scientific American
August 3, 2007
When powered by liquefied natural gas
(LNG), as the first full-scale test model will be, carbon dioxide emissions are
cut in half compared to diesel engines running on marine bunker fuel and sulphur
and nitrogen oxide exhausts are nearly eliminated.
Air Products said that the fuel cells
do not emit any noise or noticeable exhaust heat, making the submarine
virtually undetectable.
First Hydrogen Submarine Built in Greece The Engineer (UK)
July 18, 2007
The submarine was built by Hellenic
Shipyards, part of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. The shipyard plans to
build more fuel cell-powered submarines for the Hellenic Navy under a HDW
license, and conventionally-powered vessels will also be fitted with
hydrogen-powered fuel cells.
Air Products Fuels New Hydrogen Submarine for Hellenic Navy Air Products
July 12, 2007
“We are paving the way to the future hydrogen
economy, by already supplying liquid hydrogen from Central Europe, as
far as Ireland, Italy, Spain and Israel. By supplying liquid hydrogen as
well as fueling equipment, we are able to offer a complete and safe
package to our customers. We are proud to have already supplied hydrogen
fueling equipment, as well as liquid hydrogen, to fuel submarines from
the German Navy and now the Hellenic Navy, and we hope more will adopt
this revolutionary technology soon,” said Ian Williamson, general
manager-Future Energy Solutions, Air Products Europe.
Marine Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Association
celebrates first year. The main task of this non-profit organization is the active support of
the integration of hydrogen as an energy-carrier into marine systems and
the active support of the development of regulations, codes and standards
for marine hydrogen applications.
The Siemens Industrial Solutions and Services Group (I&S) is equipping two
new submarines of the type U 212A with the latest propulsion and control
system on behalf of the German navy. This increases the number of orders
received by Siemens from different navies for submarine equipment in the
last 50 years to 150. Handover of the two submarines to the German navy is
scheduled for 2012 and 2013. The volume of the order is around 55 million
euros.
The submarines are being built by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche
Werft GmbH (HDW) in Kiel and by Nordseewerken GmbH in Emden. Both
shipyards belong to ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. The order for Siemens
includes a Permasyn Motor (permanently excited synchronous propulsion
motor), PEM (Polymer Electrolyte Membrane) Fuel Cells as the main part of
the Air Independent Power Supply, DC- switchgears and the platform
management system. The solutions and systems used are part of the Sinavy
SUB product family, specially developed for submarines.
The electrical drives with the Permasyn Motor for
direct-current supply are characterized by their extremely low signature,
high availability, compact design and ease of operator control. A PEM fuel
cell system is responsible for supplying power, thus enabling
air-independent propulsion (AIP) when the submarines are submerged. The
AIP system, which is being supplied by HDW, will incorporate Siemens
fuel-cell modules as well as control and monitoring devices. The
integrated platform management system will control, monitor and coordinate
all the equipment and systems. Operator control and visualization will be
centralized at the engineering control console. This will relieve the
operator from having to perform routine tasks, facilitate operation of the
submarines, and increase their safety and reliability. The scope of supply
also includes DC- switchgears specific to submarines and documentation in
electronic form.
The equipment delivered by Siemens is the currently most
up-to-date technology that is available for non-nuclear submarines. In the
past, Siemens had already received orders from the navies of Germany,
Italy, Greece, Korea and Portugal. At the moment, 17 conventional
submarines with air-independent propulsion and Permasyn motors have been
ordered, are being built or have already been put into service. For the
German navy alone, four U 212A submarines fitted with Siemens technology
are in service or about to be handed over.
SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn., July 19, 2006 – UTC Power, a United Technologies
(NYSE: UTX) company, today announced that its UTC Fuel Cells unit will
design and develop a 300 kW proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell power
module for the Spanish shipbuilder NAVANTIA, S.A. for use in the Spanish
Navy’s S-80 submarine.
The 300 kW PEM fuel cell will be designed to operate on reformed
ethanol and pure oxygen. The Spanish Navy will install the new fuel cell
power modules on its S-80 model, 2,500-ton submarines as part of the
air-independent propulsion system. The S-80 submarines are designed to
protect the coastline.
UTC Power President Jan van Dokkum said, “We believe the cooperation
between NAVANTIA and UTC Power will lead to a technologically advanced,
world-class oceangoing/littoral water submarine and reinforce the leading
roles of NAVANTIA and UTC Power in their respective fields. This
application represents a whole new market for our fuel cell technology.”
NAVANTIA is a leading worldwide designer and supplier of military and
civil vessels. The company is based in Madrid with offices and shipyards
throughout Spain.
The submarines will be built at ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems shipyards in
Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH (HDW) and at Nordseewerken in Emden.
Siemens’ scope of supply includes provision of a Permasyn permanent-magnet
electric synchronous motors for supplying direct current, PEM (Proton
Exchange Membrane) fuel cells equipped with oxygen and hydrogen storage
for supplying power, switchgear, and the Nautos automation system. An
air-independent propulsion (AIP) system, used for silent slow cruising,
comes from HDW, while Siemens is providing the fuel cell modules as well
as the control and monitoring devices.
Disabled Canadian diesel-electric sub Chicoutimi, one of four purchased from
Britain, adrift off Ireland on Oct 7 after "major fire" killed a
crewman.
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO
BALLARD'S FUEL CELL SUBS?
Germany dedicates world's first fuel cell submarine in 2003.
"Air Independent
Propulsion technology is evolving rapidly, and some experts predict, for example, that the
power output of a typical fuel cell module could well double or triple in the next several
years, allowing an even more advantageous trade-off between underwater speed and
endurance." Edward C. Whitman Air
Independent Propulsion Undersea Warfare Fall 2001
CANADA BALLARD DEFENCE CANADA HDW
October 25, 2004
The navy paid a Canadian company more than $12 million to develop a
high-tech fuel-cell propulsion system for its submarines, then shelved the project when
the company lost interest. Briefing notes obtained under the Access to Information Act
show that the Defence Department invested the money through Ballard Power Systems, a
Vancouver fuel-cell company, between 1983 and 1996. ...The navy used the promise of such
technology when it was trying to convince the government of Jean Chretien to buy four used
subs from Britain in the 1990s, Defence Department briefing notes show. ...Canada is
watching as other countries, including Sweden and Germany, outfit their subs with AIP
technology. HDW, the company that provided Germany with its subs, acquired several
fuel-cell modules from Ballard in 1996 for $9.3 million.
WORLD WITNESSES BIRTH OF NEW
ERA OF SHIPPING AS
GERMAN MILITARY STRIVES FOR FREEDOM FROM OIL
HYDROGEN
CHALLENGER
Extraordinary German ship claims it will sail windy seas to electrolyze and store hydrogen
for commercial port delivery. Or is it a prototype fuel cell submarine tender?
GERMANY BEGINS PRODUCTION OF FUEL CELL
SUBMARINES
German Shipbuilder Unveils Fuel-cell Submarine AP April 7, 2003
Germany's biggest shipbuilder, Howaldtswerke Deutsche
Werft, on Monday unveiled what it described as the world's first submarine to be powered
by fuel-cell technology. The submarine, the first of four in the company's new 212A class
being built for the German navy, was launched from the company's shipyard in the northern
city of Kiel for testing in the Baltic Sea. The hydrogen-powered fuel-cell vessel is
expected to head for Norway in July for deep-water testing, before returning to Kiel next
March for final fitting and delivery. The technology is designed to cut out noise and
emissions. The shipbuilder HDW is a leading manufacturer of non-nuclear military
submarines.
Israel Plans to Buy Two German Fuel Cell Submarines, Bild
Zeitung Says Bloomberg May
26, 2004
The upgrade will comprise putting in the new technology 'Air
Independent Propulsion' fuel cells in the submarines, which confer several benefits to the
submarine's functioning, as regards noise, endurance and emissions. German electronics
major Siemens, which has developed the PEM (polymer electrolyte membrane) fuel cell
modules which generate energy by converting hydrogen and oxygen into electricity, has
offered to upgrade the Shishumar class with this new propulsion system. ...Siemens has
already carried out the upgrade of five 209 class submarines for the Greek navy. The
technology finds place in the 212 A and 214 classes of submarine, built by HDW, which are
or shortly will be in service of German, Italian, Greek and South Korean navies.
The world's first fuel cell-powered
submarine is currently undergoing deep-water trials and will enter service with the German
navy in August. The 56m long, 11.5m high class 212A submarine, manufactured at the Kiel
shipyard of German company Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werf, is powered by a hybrid propulsion
system consisting of a diesel generator with a lead acid battery, and an air-independent
propulsion system (AIP) based on nine Siemens proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells.
These produce electrical energy from oxygen and hydrogen and provide between 30 and 50kW
each. The hydrogen for the cells is stored in metal hydride cylinders where hydrogen
is chemically bound to the metal.
...HDW is currently building three more 212A-class U-boats for
the German navy, while two Italian boats of the same class, also built by HDW, are
expected to enter service in 2005. The company is also in the process of building four
214-type fuel cell submarines; one is being built in Kiel, one in Scaramanga, Greece and
two in Korea. The fuel cells can also be retrofitted to some existing U-boats, and HDW
recently received an order from the Greek navy to upgrade three of its 209-class
submarines. more
US NAVY
March 5, 2004
Hybrids on the High Seas: Fuel Cells for Future
Ships U.S. Navy - Office of Naval Research
As hybrid electric cars
become more commonplace on America's highways, the Navy is working to bring hybrid
electric ships to the high seas. The Office of Naval Research is developing innovative
propulsion systems based on new fuel-cell technology for efficient generation of
electrical power--and greater design flexibility--for future ships. To ensure a relatively
quick transition to this promising technology, ONR is funding development of a method to
extract hydrogen from diesel fuel.
Type 212: Metal hydride tanks for storing hydrogen
located outside the pressure hull
PEM Fuel Cell Systems
An attractive energy source for submarines Peter Hauschildt and Albert Hammerschmidt
Naval Forces, Mönch Publishing Group, Bonn, Germany, edition No. 5
October 2003
Since the size of the liquid oxygen storage facility is the limiting
factor of all AlP options, the fuel cell system with the lowest oxygen
consumption of all known systems offers the highest underwater endurance.
The hydrogen is stored in metal hydride cylinders, where it is bonded in
the metal lattice structure of a special alloy. This method of storing
hydrogen gives a higher volumetric density than liquid or especially high
pressure gas storage and is conceivably the safest method of hydrogen
storage. The metal hydride storage cylinders are completely
maintenance-free, so they can be accommodated in the outer hull of the
submarine. Due to their location outside the pressure hull, there is no
danger of fuel leaking into the boat' s atmosphere.
Start of trials for the worlds
most up-to-date, non-nuclear submarine.
"The Boat is back again" headlined the New York
Times with the news in 1994 that the German Navy would be getting a revolutionary new
submarine the 212 A class. "Conventional" does not really do justice to
it "non-nuclear" would be better. A submarine fitted out with a
production-stage air-independent fuel cell propulsion system, which has caught the
worlds imagination. A submarine that under normal operations can hardly be detected.
This is the German Navys submarine of tomorrow.
The christening at HDW in Kiel on 20 March 2002 was a milestone
on the path to commissioning the first U 31 submarine in March 2004.
Everything began on 6 July 1994 with the building contract for four boats between the
German Office for Defense Technologies & Procurement and ARGE U 212 which formed
Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft AG in Kiel as the lead shipyard and Nordseewerke in Emden for
building the submarines. The first boat was begun on 1 July 1998 and launched at the end
of April 2002. Extensive port and sea trials were then undertaken.
Actually, trials had started earlier in January 2002. The
requirements of the German Navy for air-independence, extremely low electronic codes and
highly developed weapon and sensor systems have resulted in a high degree of integration.
There is no longer any classic division into platform and payload the shipyard and
supplier system are now a unity. And, as a result, everything is checked to the core.
Particular attention was, of course, paid to the newly developed
components for the boat. It was not just enough to apply theoretical considerations to the
very many questions that arose. Thus, for instance, two fully integrated land test
facilities namely the fuel cell testing facility at HDW in Kiel and the Command and
Weapon Control System (CWCS) came up with practically-oriented replies even before
the submarine was afloat. Thus both time and money were saved.
Life began in earnest for the young submarine on 20 April 2002 as
it felt water under its keel for the first time and full practical trials began. A start
had been made within HDWs submarine production shop on the integration and startup
of the equipment at the beginning of 2002 something continued at HDWs own
pier. This was the place for the yard to furnish its "Port Operational
Certificate". This would show that all the equipment was operating in a proper
fashion both individually and interactively. And, of course, the equipment had to meet the
tough test specifications.
U 31 was in the port up to the beginning of 2003 and during this
time the initial crew familiarized itself with the boat during a 4-week stint at the HDW
Naval Training Center and in the submarine itself. After all, it is the German Navy that
provides the crew for the coming sea trials. 7 April 2003: Sea trials begin
From Kiel, U 31 will be engaged in shallow water trials in the
western half of the Baltic Sea beginning on 7 April 2003. The entire marine engineering
and operation will be looked into. The fact that, aside from the crew, shipyard and
supplier staff along with inspection personnel from the German Office for Defense
Technology & Procurement (BWB) are on board will certainly mean cramped working
conditions.
The other half of the trials mainly revolves around deep-water
trials. It is expected that U 31 will be leaving home waters for the first time at the end
of July 2003, heading for Norway. It will dock at Kristiansand, Stavanger and Bergen for
assistance to be given by the Norwegian Navy, with its facilities, to their German
comrades. Acoustics, sonar and the fire control system (FüWES) will all be tested during
the depth diving trials, preferably in the Skagerak. And the first practice torpedoes are
to be fired as well.
The boat will be returning to Kiel mid-March 2004 after
conclusion of all the trials. The submarine will again return to the yard for remaining
work and for any defects that have to be put right. Then HDW finally hands over U 31 to
the German Navy which will place it into service. From being christened by godmother
Bärbel Kaempf with champagne in line with good seafaring tradition on 20 March 2002, a
grown-up member of the German Navy has arisen one representing the worlds
most modern, non-nuclear submarine.
Greek Navy Class 209 Submarines to
be Equipped with Fuel Cell Propulsion Systems Seimens March 19, 2003
The Siemens Industrial Solutions and
Services Group (I&S) together with Howaldtswerke Deutsche Werft AG (HDW) of Kiel are
to equip three Greek class 209 submarines with a propulsion system that is independent of
an outside air supply. The project covers the supply of the PEM fuel-cell modules and the
electrical equipment for integration into their existing propulsion system. In addition,
an option has been agreed upon for a fourth installation.
Delivery is scheduled to be between mid-2004 and 2010. Modernization of
the roughly 25 years old class 209 submarines is intended to increase their submersed
range to that of new ships. Earlier orders placed with Siemens both from Greece and also
South Korea included the equipment for modern class 214 submarines. A PEM (polymer
electrolyte membrane) fuel cell system provides the power for the submarines when running
submerged and so provides air-independent propulsion (AIP). The AIP system is an HDW
development. Siemens is providing the fuel cell modules as well as the control and
monitoring systems.
The equipment to be supplied by Siemens is currently the most advanced
type to supply air-independent power for non-nuclear submarines. The company's scope of
supply also includes the control cubicles of the fuel cell system (FCS), the control gear
to integrate the FCS into the existing propulsion system, and material packages to
modernize the existing electrical equipment. Modernization of the submarines will be
undertaken by HDW, the FCS being incorporated as a new some seven meter long hull section.
A substantial part of the refurbishing and the commissioning will be carried out by HDW's
Greek subsidiary, Hellenic Shipyards Co. (HSY) of Skaramanga, Attica.
The propulsion
system combines a conventional system consisting of a diesel generator
with a lead acid battery, and an air-independent propulsion (AIP) system,
used for silent slow cruising, with a fuel cell equipped with oxygen and
hydrogen storage. The system consists of nine PEM (polymer electrolyte
membrane) fuel cells, providing between 30 and 50kW each. For higher
speeds, connection is made to the high-performance lead acid battery.
Air Products to Build Fuel Station
for First Hydrogen-powered Sub by Hang Nguyen - The Morning Call (NJ) July 9, 2002
The fueling station will
be built for four submarines that Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft AG, or HDW, is making for
the German navy. The submarines are slated to begin service as early as 2003. HDW, a
shipyard based in Kiel, Germany, on the Baltic Sea, calls the class 212A submarine ''the
most modern non-nuclear submarine in the world.'' It is known as the U-31.
...HDW also has orders for four U-31 submarines for the Greek navy,
three for the Korean navy and two for the Italian navy. Because of these orders, Air
Products has an option with HDW to build more fueling stations. This will be Air Products'
15th hydrogen fueling station. ...The new station will be placed at an unspecified
location in Europe in 10 months. The unit also can be moved. The hydrogen at the station
is stored in liquid form but is vaporized into its natural gas state as it is pumped into
the submarine.
First Fuel-Cell Submarine In
the World Is Christened Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft AG (HDW)
Kiel, Germany March 22, 2002
The new submarine class 212 developed
by HDW is characterised by an air-independent propulsion system using the hydrogen fuel
cell. HDW is thus the first shipyard in the world to offer a fuel cell propulsion system
ready for series production.
The fuel cell plant, which produces electrical energy from oxygen and
hydrogen, permits the new class of submarines to cruise under water for weeks without
surfacing. Conventional diesel-electric submarines have used up their battery power after
about two days cruising under water. In addition, the fuel cell makes no noise and
produces no giveaway exhaust heat. These factors help to make the submarine virtually
undetectable.
Pictured above is the German Walter Type XVIIB
U-1406, partially dismantled shortly
after the end of World War II. U-1406 was turned over to the U.S.
Navy as a war prize
and soon disposed of, but the Royal Navy later operated her sister
ship, U-1407, as
HMS Meteorite to gain experience in hydrogen-peroxide propulsion
technologies.
Air Independent Propulsion
AIP Technology Creates a New Undersea Threat Edward C. Whitman Undersea Warfare
Fall 2001
As interest mounts in
"Air-Independent Propulsion" (AIP) for enhancing the performance of small,
defensive submarines, a serious new underwater threat is developing in
littoral waters. Increasingly, smaller nations unwilling or unable to
accept the high cost of nuclear power to achieve greater underwater
endurance and longer range are turning to lower-priced and less ambitious
alternatives that still offer significant operational advantages over
conventional diesel-electric submarines. The best of the latter boats,
such as the German-designed Type 209 or the Russian KILO, can remain
submerged on battery at slow speed for periods on the order of three to
five days. But now, several AIP schemes in development or already in
operation can increase slow-speed endurance to as much as three weeks or a
month. While still dwarfed by the potential of nuclear power, AIP offers
diesel submarines a remarkable increase in capability.
First German Submarine with Hybrid Propulsion Plant
Now Being Built MTU/DaimlerChrysler February 24, 1999
The
56-metre Class 212 submarine will have a fuel cell, apart from the MTU
engine, battery and propulsion motor, integrated into the propulsion
system. Enough energy can be produced with the fuel cell, without
surfacing, to power the onboard electrical system when travelling at low
speeds. The battery is therefore always at capacity and its energy is
used, in contrast to conventional propulsion systems, only for peak speeds
upon special demand. The building of the U212 has introduced a new chapter
in submarine technology because, with a fuel cell, the submerged periods
are notably lengthened. Regarding noise signature, the new propulsion
technology offers advantages over conventional systems because of its
functional principle. In addition, the low-temperature fuel cell works at
an operating temperature of 70 to 80° Celsius and is therefore difficult
to detect by external heat sensors.
"It could well be that the first country to
seriously address the issues of creating a market for renewables would
become the central location for a major new international business
sector - with all the positive consequences that carries in terms of
economic activity and employment." ------------- Rodney Chase
CEO BP
--------------
"We all share the responsibility for carrying out this project, for the
assumption of responsibility is part of the dignity of human beings."
------------
Juergen Shrempp
Chairman
DaimlerChrysler
-----------
"Energy sources like coal and oil once overcame an economy based on
horsepower. So, I suspect, our carbon-based economy may itself pass from
the scene to be replaced, perhaps, by hydrogen."
-------------
Spencer Abraham
Secretary,
US Dept of Energy
-------------
"General Motors absolutely sees the long-term future of the world being
based on a hydrogen economy.” ------------
Larry Burns
Director of R&D
General Motors
-------------