Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences

The paper considers a possibility of increasing the autonomous underwater vehicle power resource using the marine environment sources (water-soluble gases and gas hydrates) and resulting in the hydrogen production for the electric batteries. It proposes a design for the autonomous underwater vehicle based on the cavitation effects, where Laval nozzle, membranes and gas photochemical decomposition (for example, hydrogen sulfide) are used to produce hydrogen. Estimates of increase in the cruising range of an autonomous underwater vehicle are provided with the hydrogen extracted from water. Increase in the cruising range could reach several hundred kilometers (hundreds of nautical miles). In addition to the mobile autonomous underwater vehicles, the paper proposes to create stationary power plants at depth; they would be functioning on the similar operation principles. In case of the stationary power plants, introduction of the rising water flows from the sea depth is proposed to rotate the impeller blades. The stationary power plants could be able to provide recharging of drones such as the autonomous underwater vehicles with hydrogen or directly with electricity. Combination of underwater drones and power plants at depth would make it possible to comprehensively study the seabed and protect the important underwater objects.
EDN: WRHGYQ, https://elibrary/wrhgyq

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