Skip to main content
European Commission logo print header
Inhalt archiviert am 2022-12-27

POWER PACKAGE FOR REMOTE OPERATED SUBMARINE VEHICLE WITH HIGH SPECIFIC ENERGY POWER R. 5 TO 10 KW

Ziel

The major problem in the use of deep sea (down to 1. 000 m, for example) remote operated submarine vehicles of a few kilowatts (for pipeline surveying, cartography, etc. ) is the short duration of possible missions (typically no more than 12 hours and 150 km) due to the low specific energy of existing energy sources. Increasing significantly the cruising radius, for example up to 300-450 km, needs to design a prime mover system with a high specific energy (approximately 200 Wh/kg) and a very high reliability as well.
The objective of the project is to develop a high specific energy system including a combustion chamber burning methyl alcohol and oxygen with condensation of the exhaust gas and an Organic Rankine Cycle.
The engines for remote operated submarine vehicules have a power range of 2 to 60 kW and most frequent power is 10 kW (electrical power). The main components of the test bench of the Rankine cycle are designed :
- the sealed turboalternator (22 000 rpm, permanent magnet)
- the feed pump (3 000 rpm, pitot type)
- the condenser
- the evaporator.
The tests of the sealed turboalternator show a good thermodynamic behaviour of the turbine. Initial difficulties with the thrust bearing have been overcome by the design of an hydrostatic bearing.
The proposed system is an external combustion engine made up of a combustion chamber with condensation of the exhaust gas and a Rankine cycle with expansion of an organic vapour in a turbine. The power is in the range of 5 to 10 kW.
The combustion chamber burns methyl alcohol and oxygen. The design pressure of 60 bars allows to condensate the exhaust gas and store it in a small tank. This avoids a gas compressor, heavy and powerful for outside rejection in deep sea, and the total mass of the system remains a constant.
The design of this kind of system, also for a submarine application but ten times more powerful is presently in progress with the support of EEC (EEC contract TH./15055/84).
The down scaling (40 to 80 kW instead of 400 kW) of the combustion chamber will take into account the results obtained on the test bench currently on construction.
The hot gas exhausting from the combustion chamber passes through the evaporator of the Rankine Cycle.
The organic vapour so producedexpands in a turbine driving a generator.
In order to meet the objectives of high reliability, high specific energy (200 Wh/kg), no material rejection outside the vehicule, adaptation to various depths, the main technical options of the system include :
- no intermediary loop between hot gas and working fluid circuit. Hot spots and thermal decomposition of the working fluid are presented by special design of the hot gas system
- a sealed turboalternator ensuring no leackage of the circuit and nearly no maintenance.
The present contract comprises two parts :
FIRST PART : a project of a 5-10 kW engine with the definition of the hot gas system (combustion chamber-heat exchanger-condenser) and the study of the Rankine Cycle (selection of the fluid and thermodynamic cycle. Definition of main components : turboalternator, feed pump, heat exchangers).
SECOND PART : design and experiment of a sealed turboalternator of 5-10 kW. For cost reasons the combustion chamber will be replaced, atthis stage, by a standard gas burner.
This does not entail any modification of the technology of the turboalternator.

Aufforderung zur Vorschlagseinreichung

Data not available

Koordinator

BERTIN & COMPAGNIE
EU-Beitrag
Keine Daten
Adresse
RUE PIERRE CURIE 59 ZI DES GATINES B.P. 3
78373 PLAISIR
Frankreich

Auf der Karte ansehen

Gesamtkosten
Keine Daten