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Novel Thermal Powered Technology for UUV Persistent SurveillanceBuoyancy Generation: Various technology attempts include melting a wax, which pushes directly against a piston (U.S. Patent 5,291,847) or against a bladder (Webb Research), using ammonia or Freon 21 (U.S. Patent 5,303,552), and using solar heat to expand an oil (www.space.com, April, 10, 2002). All these heat-activated buoyancy control designs have thus far proved impractical and have ultimately failed during repeated cycling in ocean testing. JPL has demonstrated fully reversible 10 C encapsulated wax phase change, which can be used to change buoyancy without electrical hydraulic pumps. This technique has greatly improved heat transfer and much better reversibility than previous designs. Power Generation: Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) systems have been designed that transfer deep, cold sea water to the surface to generate electricity using turbine cycles with ammonia or water as the working fluid. JPL has designed several UUV systems: 1) Using a propeller water turbine to generate power on a gliding submersible; 2) Employing a compact CO2 turbine cycle powered by moving through thermoclines; and 3) Using melted wax to directly produce power through a piston-geared generator.
Document ID
20070032678
Acquisition Source
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Document Type
Conference Paper
External Source(s)
Authors
Jones, Jack A.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Chao, Yi
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 23, 2013
Publication Date
February 10, 2006
Subject Category
Fluid Mechanics And Thermodynamics
Meeting Information
Meeting: ONR Joint Review of Unmanned Systems Technology Development
Location: Panama City, FL
Country: United States
Start Date: February 10, 2006
Sponsors: Office of Naval Research
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
submersible
Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV)
phased change material (PCM)
phase change thermal compressor

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