India developed Air Independent Propulsion technology
Recently the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has succeeded in developing the technology of Air Independent Propulsion.
After this test, Indian submarines at sea will prove to be more deadly for the enemy and they will also be out of reach of the enemy.
Earlier, this technology was with the United States, France, China, Britain and Russia. Achieving success in this technology by India is a major step towards self-reliant India campaign.
Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) technology enables the submarine to operate for a long time under water. This makes the sub-surface platform more dangerous than a nuclear submarine, keeping it quiet.
With the success of this technology, all the Kalvari class non-nuclear submarines will be equipped with Air Independent Propulsion technology by the year 2023.
It is to be noted that the Kalwari class submarines weighing 1615 tones are being manufactured by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited in collaboration with the French Naval Group, which is based on the Scorpenedesign.
Air Independent Propulsion (AIP)
- There are mainly two types of submarines, the first being conventional and second equipped with nuclear capability.
- Diesel-electric locomotives are used in conventional submarines, thus requiring atmospheric oxygen for fuel combustion and coming to the sea surface daily to collect oxygen.
- Whereas the submarine equipped with ‘Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system’ needs to take oxygen only once a week.
- This technique is also based on phosphoric acid fuel cell. Due to which the AIP equipped submarine does not even need to come to the surface to charge its battery and thus it can remain under water for a longer period of time.
Benefits from Fuel Cell Based AIP
- Because an electrolytic fuel cell releases energy by combining hydrogen and oxygen and the fuel cell-based AIP technology generates waste products with only water, which also reduces marine pollution.
- This fuel cell is highly fuel efficient and emits very little sound in the submarine.
Source – Indian Express
