UC3- Nautilus update: Electric propulsion added

[Onkel Neal]

Peter Langkjaer Madsen

March 28 at 9:35am

Dear Nautilus group members,

Every year since the Nautilus project started has had is special moments and highlights. Best remembered is the launch in 2008, her first voyage one own power and first dive in that same year.

During 2009 she made longer voyages and got her control room and snorkel online. She dived - with no propulsion - to 25 meters. Her dive planes were tested at snorkel depth - but Nautilus always missed one essential thing - electric propulsion.

Being a conventional diesel electric submarine with no electric motor is being very incomplete.

In the original configuration Nautilus was designed to use a 40 kW 400 volt DC electric motor. However - constructing from the bottom up a 400 volt DC motor controller - or even handling a 400 volts battery pack is not easy. By autumn 2009 the decision was made the change the design to a low voltage system with a much safer and simple electric design.

A 24 volt DC motor of 6.7 kW power has now been installed, and her 1.5 tonnes of batteries connected. This DC motor can spin her 1.2 meter five bladed propeller at about 100 rpm, giving her a submerged speed of some 3 knots. This speed - excellent for underwater surveys can be maintained for almost six hours.

Analysing the needs of a civilian submarine makes it clear that high underwater speed is not usefull - while long endurance low speed is exactly what fits our needs. I will not miss the 40 kW motor or playing with 400 volts - with this low voltage system working the batteries is safe and easy.

The design is very simple and dependeble - there are no advanced high power high voltage electronics involved and we finely get our submarine under nuclear power.

Just as we I write this the big battery is charging - and in a few days time the system can be tested.

Nautilus electronics officer - S. Winstrup - has a lot of upgrades on the schedule for this year - including a GPS / INS navigation display. With initial navigation Nautilus takes a big leap into becoming a very functional underwater vessel.

On april 10 the Nautilus will be craned on land for a short inspection and window cleaning - and a week later a Nautilus clean and paint weekend is planned.

2010 will be spent in local waters first, but by midsummer Nautilus will operate in the Baltic off the island Bornholm.

In late august 2010 she will become the world first amateur ballistic missile submarine as she takes part in the launch of Copenhagen suborbitals first rocket - the HEAT 1X.

All the best to you from the engineer...

Peter Madsen

[Chad]

I got this message too.

It would be great to visit Peter and co. in a few years and take another ride with full functioning electric motors

[CCIP]

Well, if Subsim Meet schedules continue to alternate, I guess this might well be the thing to do for 2011?

The rocket launch thing sounds really amazing too.

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

In late august 2010 she will become the world first amateur ballistic missile submarine as she takes part in the launch of Copenhagen suborbitals first rocket - the HEAT 1X.

I know a guy in Bandar Abbas who would be realy intrested in buying a dozen of these boats...

[mcarlsonus]

This is very cool. I'm reminded by TLAM's comment, though, that no so many years ago, the UK's government was concerned that certain IRA members had joined the US's, "Tripoli Rocketry Association." The, "TRA" is a model rocketry organization, but their members, after having met certain requirements, have access to some of the biggest rocket motors this side of Russia, France, or NASA! The English were concerned the IRA would use the knowledge gained to home-build rockets capable of carrying warheads for the primary purpose of knocking down its military helicopters.

[moose1am]

I am not so keen on seeing private individuals having submarines with missile launch capabilities. What if someone affiliated with Al Queda steals or buys one of these things and starts WWIII? Not such a good thing then.

Drug cartels are already using mini subs to transport large quantities of illegal drugs from South America to California. Several have been captured by the US and South American Governments.

These things can be towed long distances without being detected and then set lose right outside the US coast line . From there they travel underwater to the shoreline and unload their drugs. Not good.

Just imagine a terrorist group sneaking in a nuclear weapon in one of these private submarines.

These things need to be under the control of governments and responsible people.

Originally Posted by mcarlsonus

This is very cool. I'm reminded by TLAM's comment, though, that no so many years ago, the UK's government was concerned that certain IRA members had joined the US's, "Tripoli Rocketry Association." The, "TRA" is a model rocketry organization, but their members, after having met certain requirements, have access to some of the biggest rocket motors this side of Russia, France, or NASA! The English were concerned the IRA would use the knowledge gained to home-build rockets capable of carrying warheads for the primary purpose of knocking down its military helicopters.

[Carotio]

Old news...
(I got that message too...)

[Von Hinten]

I didn't get it (I knew I shouldn't have stalled his sub ) so it's good to read that he's got another thing from his wish-list.

Nice work Peter!

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by mcarlsonus

This is very cool. I'm reminded by TLAM's comment, though, that no so many years ago, the UK's government was concerned that certain IRA members had joined the US's, "Tripoli Rocketry Association." The, "TRA" is a model rocketry organization, but their members, after having met certain requirements, have access to some of the biggest rocket motors this side of Russia, France, or NASA! The English were concerned the IRA would use the knowledge gained to home-build rockets capable of carrying warheads for the primary purpose of knocking down its military helicopters.

Around 110 years ago the a group of Irishmen hired a eccentric Irish immigrant to the US named John P. Holland to build them a sub to fight the Royal Navy. They ran out of money and stole the sub from him. They wrecked it and he went looking for another buyer for his next sub, that buyer was Uncle Sam and the sub was named the USS Holland SS-1.