US-12620602-B2 - Submarine power supply system and power supply method using seawater battery

US12620602B2US 12620602 B2US12620602 B2US 12620602B2US-12620602-B2

Abstract

Proposed are a submarine power supply system and power supply method using a seawater battery, the system having a chargeable/dischargeable battery that is arranged on the outside of a pressure hull, so as to use, as a cathode, sodium ions dissolved in seawater, and thus produce electric power, which is then used as electric power required for operating a submarine.

Inventors

Hee Jin Kang
Young Shik KIM
Yun Ho Kim
Jang Pyo Hong

Assignees

KOREA INSTITUTE OF OCEAN SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20200909
Priority Date: 20200903

Claims (4)

1 . A submarine power supply system using a seawater battery, the system comprising: an anode array formed of at least one anode line comprising a plurality of anodes disposed at a predetermined interval along a longitudinal direction of an outer side surface of a pressure hull between an outer hull and the pressure hull of a submarine; a cleaning means configured to move along a longitudinal direction of the anode array between the outer hull and the pressure hull, thereby cleaning foreign substances attached to the anode array; and a pair of guide rails provided along both side end portions of the anode array, the pair of guide rails guiding the cleaning means to be capable of being moved along the longitudinal direction of the anode array, wherein, as the anode array is formed such that seawater introduced through a space between the outer hull and the pressure hull is in contact with the anode array, electric power generated by sodium ions accumulated according to a contact between the seawater and the at least one anode line is gathered, thereby providing the electric power as electric power required for propelling the submarine.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning means comprises: at least one anode cleaning hole formed such that the at least one anode cleaning hole corresponds to a position of each anode provided on the at least one anode line; a cleaning apparatus disposed at each anode cleaning hole; a foreign substance suction portion configured to suction and store foreign substances removed by the cleaning apparatus; at least one wheel engaged with the pair of guide rails and configured to be rotated so as to move the cleaning means forward or backward; a rotation motor configured to rotate the at least one wheel; a camera configured to capture the anode array in real time; a lighting device configured to shine light to the anode array; an electromagnet applying electromagnetic force so that the cleaning means is capable of being attached to the pressure hull; and a battery configured to supply electric power to the cleaning apparatus, the foreign substance suction portion, the rotation motor, the camera, and the lighting device.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the anode array is electrically connected to an emergency battery provided inside the pressure hull, and the emergency battery is charged by using electric power generated and gathered through the anode array.
4 . A submarine power supply method of a submarine power supply system using a seawater battery, the method comprising: a contacting process in which seawater introduced through a space between an outer hull and a pressure hull of a submarine is in contact with an anode array that is formed of at least one anode line disposed at a predetermined interval along a longitudinal direction of an outer side surface of the pressure hull between the outer hull and the pressure hull; and a supplying process in which electric power is generated as the seawater and the at least one anode line are in contact with each other and sodium ions are accumulated, and a generated electric power is gathered and then is provided as electric power required for propelling the submarine, wherein the system comprises: the anode array; a cleaning means configured to move along a longitudinal direction of the anode array between the outer hull and the pressure hull, thereby cleaning foreign substances attached to the anode array; and a pair of guide rails provided along both side end portions of the anode array, the pair of guide rails guiding the cleaning means to be capable of being moved along the longitudinal direction of the anode array.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a submarine power supply system and a submarine power supply method, the system and the method using a seawater battery. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a submarine power supply system and a submarine power supply method, the system and the method using a seawater battery, and the system and the method having a chargeable/dischargeable battery that is arranged on the outside of a pressure hull so as to use sodium ions dissolved in seawater as a cathode, thereby producing electric power which is then used as electric power required for operating a submarine. BACKGROUND ART In a submarine, a battery or a fuel cell is mounted and used so as to reduce noise in water and to perform air-independent propulsion. The battery or the fuel cell mounted and used in the submarine is mounted inside a pressure hull for performing an operation or a work in deep water having a depth equal to or more than 300 m. Accordingly, a crew member bedroom, a living space, an operation space, a device mounting space for an armament, and so on disposed inside the pressure hull of the submarine are significantly restricted. In addition, a battery and a fuel cell system mounted in the submarine is constantly exposed to the risk of fire and explosion due to defects of the system, operational errors of the system, and damage from a torpedo and so on. A lithium-ion battery generates oxygen in the event of a fire, so that the fire is difficult to be extinguished. Furthermore, when a fire occurs, harmful gas is emitted, so that a crew member's life is seriously endangered. In addition, in a fuel cell, the fuel cell uses fuels such as hydrogen and so on that are explosive, and there is a problem that the fuel cell is sensitive to temperature conditions during operating the fuel cell. DISCLOSURE Technical Problem An objective of the present disclosure is to provide a submarine power supply system and a submarine power supply method, the system and the method using a seawater battery, and the system and the method having a chargeable/dischargeable battery that is arranged on the outside of a pressure hull so as to use sodium ions dissolved in seawater as a cathode, thereby producing electric power which is then used as electric power required for operating a submarine. In addition, another objective of the present disclosure is to provide a submarine power supply system and a submarine power supply method, the system and the method using a seawater battery, and the system and the method being capable of replacing a battery system or a fuel cell system which has a risk of fire or explosion and which occupies a large space since the battery system or the fuel cell system is mounted inside a pressure hull so as to perform an underwater movement, an operation, and a work of a submarine. In addition, still another objective of the present disclosure is to provide a submarine power supply system and a submarine power supply method, the system and the method using a seawater battery, the system and the method being configured such that the seawater battery is mounted outside a pressure hull and electric power is supplied from the seawater battery so that a space used for mounting a battery and a fuel cell inside the pressure hull is capable of being sufficiently utilized as a space for a crew member's living space and a device arrangement for an armament, and the system and the method being capable of fundamentally resolving the risk or fire, explosion, and toxic/harmful gas generation that may occur during operating the battery and the fuel cell. Technical Solution According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a submarine power supply system using a seawater battery, the system including: an anode array formed of at least one anode line disposed at a predetermined interval along a longitudinal direction of an outer side surface of a pressure hull between an outer hull and the pressure hull of a submarine, and wherein, as the anode array is formed such that seawater introduced through a space between the outer hull and the pressure hull is in contact with the anode array, electric power generated by sodium ions accumulated according to a contact between the seawater and the anode line may be gathered, t thereby providing the electric power as electric power required for propelling the submarine. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the system may further include: a cleaning means configured to move along a longitudinal direction of the anode array between the outer hull and the pressure hull, thereby cleaning foreign substances attached to the anode array; and a pair of guide rails provided along both side end portions of the anode array, the pair of guide rails guiding the cleaning means to be capable of being moved along the longitudinal direction of the anode array. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the cleaning means