It also mentions electrode corrosion and erosion problems due to contact with seawater. These require advancements in superconducting materials and cryogenic systems while ensuring neutral buoyancy to avoid interference with the submarine’s operational capabilities.ĭespite that, the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) reported in May 2023 that it had initiated the 42-month Principles of Undersea Magnetohydrodynamic Pumps (PUMP) program to advance MHD technology.Īs with China’s laser propulsion technology, DARPA says that MHD propulsion has been successful on a small scale yet remains impractical due to the inability to generate powerful magnetic fields for high-efficiency pumps. However, they also highlighted significant design challenges, such as developing appropriate superconducting magnets and structural support for MHD thrusters. They also proposed a segmented, annular thruster optimized for performance in generic attack submarines. They used mathematical modeling to evaluate various neutrally buoyant configurations of MHD thrusters that could seamlessly integrate with existing submarine power plants. Swallom and others also outlined the optimal design for MHD thrusters. In a May 1991 article for the peer-reviewed Naval Engineers Journal, Daniel Swallom and other writers note that MHD offers increased stealth, maneuverability and survivability, eliminates detectable noise from mechanical components and enables higher payload capabilities due to efficient use of space.

MHD technology uses magnetic fields and electrically conducting fluids to generate thrust, potentially offering several advantages over traditional propeller-driven systems. In contrast to China, the US has researched magnetohydrodynamic drive (MHD) technology since the 1960s as an alternative to mechanical propulsion. While SCMP says that a submarine nuclear reactor produces over 150 megawatts, which is enough for the laser propulsion system, it notes various design challenges such as heat dissipation by the optical fibers, resilience in high power and high salinity environments, and the alignment of optical fiber emission apertures with the submarine’s anechoic panels. They also added designed protruding structures inside the barrel to minimize interaction and internal friction between shock waves. They modified the fibers by adding a gun barrel-like device with a U-shaped interface and used a pair of barrels to bombard particles in the working medium.

However, the SCMP report says Chinese scientists from Harbin Engineering University have designed a laser engine that improves the efficiency of converting lasers into thrust by three to four orders of magnitude.Ĭhinese takeover in Solomon Islands was preventable Still, the current efficiency is too low to be practical, with 1 watt of laser power generating only one-millionth of a newton of thrust. However, the idea didn’t progress as the scientists found it challenging to generate a directional driving force as the detonation wave expands in all directions from a single point.ĭespite that setback, China and several other countries have funded research on using tiny spherical metal particles to create a force on submarines.ĭetonation waves can propel particles in a specific direction, exerting an opposite force on the submarine. Twenty years ago, Japanese scientists introduced the concept of using lasers to create plasma in water and harness the detonation wave produced by plasma expansion for propulsion. To be sure, laser propulsion technology is not new. It claims that the “underwater fiber laser-induced plasma detonation wave propulsion” eliminates detectable mechanical noise, enabling greater stealth. The SCMP report notes that the technology works by leveraging supercavitation generated by laser pulses vaporizing seawater, which can significantly reduce water resistance. The report says the new technology can produce nearly 70,000 newtons of thrust, using 2 megawatts of laser power emitted through the submarine’s coating of optical fibers, each thinner than a human hair. The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Chinese scientists have found a way to significantly improve the efficiency of laser propulsions, which could one day drive submarines. Such technology would eliminate all detectable vibrations, allowing for unprecedented underwater stealth capabilities. China may be moving closer to the holy grail of submarine stealth technology – a propulsion system with no mechanical moving parts.

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