The aspiration to improve submarine Power and Propulsion System (P&PS) performance without hazarding the platform’s safety continues to challenge the designers of the world’s SSKs. Technologies are reviewed in this paper which seek to...
moreThe aspiration to improve submarine Power and Propulsion System (P&PS) performance without hazarding
the platform’s safety continues to challenge the designers of the world’s SSKs.
Technologies are reviewed in this paper which seek to improve performance in the context of the use of more
commercially-based type equipment. Recent technological developments and improvements have created the
potential to improve overall power and propulsion performance and therefore overall submarine capability.
To bring to maturity, prove and ultimately integrate such technology into a submarine design requires a firm
understanding of the actual technology in terms of the benefit it offers and its limitations, complemented by
knowledge of integrating such technology within the host submarine and its operations.
This paper will begin by defining the future challenge for SSK designers and then consider how this could be
translated into P&PS requirements. The technologies that may allow such a requirements set to be met and
the anticipated performance that may be achieved, are demonstrated in an indicative SSK 3,600 tonne design
from BMT Defence Services Limited, known as the Vidar-36.
