[PSUBS-MAILIST] Re: AIP [air independant propulsion]

["Michael B. Holt" <mholt@richmond.edu>]

Dewey Mason wrote:
> 
> Using a high temp, pressurized vessel, one would fill
> it, via fuel pellets stacked into racks, with perhaps
> an Aluminum and Phosphorous powder. 

Aluminum and sea water will work alone as a fuel for 
s submarine.  In 1966, a paper was published about
just this.  The application was torpedoes, but that
doesn't change the engineering too much.  See "A Sea 
Water-Aluminum Torpedo Propulsion System," by Leonard
Greiner and F. A. hasen Jr, in "Underwater Missile 
Propulsion," Leaornd Greiner, ed; Compass  Publications,
1966.

>  This is similar to
> what the shuttle uses as solid fuel, MINUS the
> oxidizer. For oxidation, one would use a high pressure
> inert gas, and an oxygen injection system. Control
> could be maintained by allowing the O2 level to drop
> below the level need to sustain the reaction.

This is similar to another system proposed in "Underwater
Missile Propulsion."  In the other system, solid fuel
from a rocket was used to fire a boiler; the torpedo
application did not have to be throttled or started
and stopped, of course, but the capability could have
been built in.

> Otherwise, it would be used like a standard boiler. I
> also do not know how much total power could be
> harnessed with such a system. It would need to be as
> efficient as possible in the generator stage. Further,
> thermal conservation would be a priority. The temp.
> would need to loose very little when not being used
> for recharging batteries. One would just bring it
> online when it was needed, allowing for heat-up time
> for the first run, then it would (theoretically) stay
> fairly close to the same temp. as when the stream
> generation and heat reaction stopped.

This is how the caustic soda reactor in Resurgam
worked, wasn't it?  or am I thinking of the Nordenfelt
boats?  As I recall them, the problem was temperature
in the hull ... but the insulation they had was 
asbestos and cotten batting, and the best metal 
was iron.

> This is a rough explanation of a rather complicated
> system. Due to a desire not to write war and peace
> here, I have paired it down, and skipped the footnotes
> on lots of detail stuff. Anyway, it is a thought to
> maybe chew upon for later.

I'd kinda like to hear the details.  If you've written
it up, send it to me off the list.
 
> If anyone can see why it would melt, explode, or
> likewise do a BAD thing, please point the possibility
> out. Devils Advocate and all that.

So far, the biggest problem I see is that it would be 
beyond the capacity most of us have.  The research 
alone would require a huge investment.  But maybe
it's already been done somewhere.



Mike