Italian U-212
Posted on 02/22/2011 9:31:36 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
Super-stealth sub powered by fuel cell
From Frederik Pleitgen, CNN
CNN's global series i-List takes you to a different country each month. In February, we visit Germany and look at changes shaping the country's economy, culture and social fabric.
Eckernfoerde, Germany (CNN) -- It is almost totally silent, radiates virtually no heat and is constructed entirely from non-magnetic metals.
Meet the U212A -- an ultra-advanced non-nuclear sub developed by German naval shipyard Howaldtswerke Deutsche Werft, who claim it to be "the peak of German submarine technology."
And few would argue. The super-stealth vessel is the first of its kind to be powered by a revolutionary hydrogen fuel cell that lets it cruise the deep blue without giving off noise or exhaust heat.
That's important, because according to Bernd Arjes, a captain in the German Navy, silence keeps submariners alive.
"We operate in coastal waters around Europe and this submarine is specially designed for finding submarines. If you want to find other submarines of course you have to be quiet," he said.
With this latest technology, he added, "the boat is virtually undetectable."
But being indistinguishable is not the only thing that sets the U212A apart. Unlike conventional subs, which need air to combust diesel, the fuel cell doesn't require oxygen to operate.
This means it can remain submerged for many weeks -- holding its breath many times longer than its gas-guzzling cousins.
You'd expect a boat like this to pack a punch, and you'd be right.
The 212A is armed with 12 heavyweight wire guided torpedoes, each capable of destroying
(Excerpt) Read more at edition.cnn.com ...
Italian U-212
This kind of tech in the wrong hands, will turn this world upside down. Sadly, the governments of the West act as if the need for national or global security were a thing of the past.
I sure hope the good ‘ole USN is looking into non-nuclear subs...much more inexpensive and much more quiet. Not as a replacement for nucs, but there are a lot of things these boats would be good for.
And I am sure the Krauts will sell one to anybody that will pony up to the bar with a fat checkbook.
Ah-Oog-Ah! Ah-Oog-Ah!
Moronic media depth charges coming our way.
Hydrogen fuel cells combine hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) to produce water (H20) and electricity.
I don't believe that is true.
Wow. A fuel cell that doesn’t need oxygen!
You would be wrong. The Navy is wedded to nukes. That isn't going to change.
Well at least Germans did not elect Muslims to destroy their country. They elected an Austrian who was bad enough. What was the common theme western banks including - JP Morgan.
The limited range of such subs makes them good choices for coastal defense. I’m not sure how much use they would be to the USN which had global force projection in it’s mandate.
Interesting, during WWII the best German sub tech was from the Dutch engineers.
The fuel cell has to have oxygen to make water.
They must have liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen as the energy source.
Interesting, during WWII the best German sub tech was from the Dutch engineers.
Nice-but I wouldn’t want to be stuck a hundred meters down in a metal tube with a power source that radiates heat like a blast furnace.
The fuel cell might use half the oxygen required by combustion due to the efficiency, but it is far from a true statement.
Clearly, it is operating from stored oxygen. ICEs could use stored compressed (oxygen-enriched) air to operate. In fact, diesel subs go one better — the diesel operates from air drawn in through the snorkel. When submerged, conventional subs operate from battery power. If the author had said that the fuel cells provide more range than storage batteries; he'd have a point, and he'd have been right.
You are correct .. matter of fact it produces so much water that it has to be dumped overboard..
It is said that they can be tracked by measuring the salinity or lack of it .....
The Israelis will be glad of that. They're first in the queue whenever the Germans bring out new kit.
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