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Originally Posted by Deathblow
That sounds similar to the modern day "pumpjet propulsors" used on the latest attack submarines like the Astute, Virgiania, Seawolf, and later models of the Tralagar. (Scroll down toward the bottom: http://zone.sousmarins.free.fr/zone%...%20helices.htm ) Basically a series of stators and rotars to optimize the water flow through the propulsor. Of course it isn't the length of the ship, because such a structure would probably be unneccesary and with flow resistence drawbacks, not to mention that at slow speeds the props are only one of several noise sources (reactor coolant pumps, hull vibration, reduction gearing, etc), that would be as/more important to quiet as well. |
No, the "caterpillar" was a magnetic drive that didn't have any moving parts as I recall - pulled water in one end and pushed it out the other in some sort of perstaltic movement. A pumpjet is basically either a really fancy propeller or very simple jet engine, depending how you look at it. They are very heavy (note the trim of that Kilo with the pumpjet), relatively complicated, and don't provide much of an advantage over a good conventional propeller.
Last year some defense contractor put out a press release about a new kind of propulsor they were developing - basically and advanced shrouded prop driven by an electric motor, so that none of the propulsion machinery penetrates the sub's hull. It sounded pretty neat.