Chinese scientists close in on laser propulsion for superfast, silent submarines
- Breakthrough overcomes decades-old problem of how to harness the technology to propel underwater vessels, according to paper
- Design can produce almost as much thrust as a commercial jet engine, using optical fibres that coat the submarine
The researchers said the new technology can produce nearly 70,000 newtons of thrust – almost the force of a commercial jet engine – using 2 megawatts of laser power emitted through the submarine’s coating of optical fibres, each thinner than a human hair – an efficiency previously thought impossible to achieve.
Theoretically, the development could allow a submarine to travel faster than the speed of sound without producing the mechanical noise vibration that usually gives away its location, according to the researchers.
This science fiction-like technology – called “underwater fibre laser-induced plasma detonation wave propulsion” – could have “broad application prospects in areas such as stealth propulsion for submarines”, they said.
The project team is led by Ge Yang, associate professor with the school of mechanical and electronic engineering at Harbin Engineering University in Heilongjiang province, where China’s first submarine was developed.
