Thanks to Anonymous for providing much of the following information on October 4, 2018.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) in Kobe, Japan on October 4th, 2018 launched the world's first large (full sized) submarine that utilises Lithium-ion Batteries (LIBs). LIBs are an advance on the traditional lead-acid batteries (that have powered conventional submarines world wide for over 100 years).
This new Japanese submarine has been given the name Auspicious Dragon (translatable as Oryū) [1].
More Detail
In this conventional "diesel-electric" submarine its diesel engines charge the batteries. Once the submarine is fully submerged these new Lithium-ion batteries can turn the electrical motor (then propeller) [for 8 days?] before recharging by diesels is required again.
This new Japanese submarine is of the Soryu class and carries submarine number 27SS (see TABLE below). Its pennant number which will be on its fin/sail when in port is SS-511. It began being built ("Laid Down") in 2015 and may be commissioned into the Japanese Navy in 2020. It weighs 2,900 tonnes (surfaced) and about 4,200 tonnes (submerged) and is 84m long.
Unlike previous Soryu submarines it carriers no Stirling Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) equipment. Hence it does not suffer the weight/volume disadvantages of carrying two large AIP [40 tonne?] liquid oxygen (LOx) tanks and does not use dangerously explosive hydrogen gas in its AIP process. Instead it carries a greater tonnage of more efficient Lithium-ion Batteries for improved range (in nautical miles) and "endurance" measured in days fully submerged.
While AIP may be the best solution for short range missions (eg. Baltic nations in the Baltic Sea) AIP is not the most efficient solution for Japan with the mid-range (4,000 nautical mile round trip) missions that Japanese submarines often travel.
TABLE for SORYU & Oyashio Program as at October 5, 2018
Technical Details
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) in Kobe, Japan on October 4th, 2018 launched the world's first large (full sized) submarine that utilises Lithium-ion Batteries (LIBs). LIBs are an advance on the traditional lead-acid batteries (that have powered conventional submarines world wide for over 100 years).
This new Japanese submarine has been given the name Auspicious Dragon (translatable as Oryū) [1].
More Detail
In this conventional "diesel-electric" submarine its diesel engines charge the batteries. Once the submarine is fully submerged these new Lithium-ion batteries can turn the electrical motor (then propeller) [for 8 days?] before recharging by diesels is required again.
This new Japanese submarine is of the Soryu class and carries submarine number 27SS (see TABLE below). Its pennant number which will be on its fin/sail when in port is SS-511. It began being built ("Laid Down") in 2015 and may be commissioned into the Japanese Navy in 2020. It weighs 2,900 tonnes (surfaced) and about 4,200 tonnes (submerged) and is 84m long.
Unlike previous Soryu submarines it carriers no Stirling Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) equipment. Hence it does not suffer the weight/volume disadvantages of carrying two large AIP [40 tonne?] liquid oxygen (LOx) tanks and does not use dangerously explosive hydrogen gas in its AIP process. Instead it carries a greater tonnage of more efficient Lithium-ion Batteries for improved range (in nautical miles) and "endurance" measured in days fully submerged.
While AIP may be the best solution for short range missions (eg. Baltic nations in the Baltic Sea) AIP is not the most efficient solution for Japan with the mid-range (4,000 nautical mile round trip) missions that Japanese submarines often travel.
Other nations, like South Korea, China, France and Germany are experimenting with LIBs for full sized submarines and may launch such submarines within 3 to 15 years. These and other countries are very interested (China using covert methods) in how this new Japanese LIB submarine performs.
Some very small mini-submarines (called Diver [or SEAL] Delivery Vehicles of around 5 - 10 tonnes) in some navies are already using LIBs. These mini-submarines are housed in dry deck shelters on much larger nuclear or conventional submarines.
On a related matter - Japan's Ministry of Defense is planning to appoint woman submariners [2] in 2023 to travel in this new submarine [and perhaps older submarines?]. New equipment on the new submarine (such as a womens' sleeping room and a toilet) is needed by law [3]. This overall increase in accommodation weight/space will partly impact the improvement in range/endurance achieved by LIBs in 27SS.
[1]http://www.sankei.com/west/news/181004/wst1810040017-n1.html
[right click mouse to Translate from Japanese]
[right click mouse to Translate from Japanese]
[right click mouse to Translate from Japanese]
[3] Japanese Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health Part III Chapter IIV Cleanliness (Article 628)
The employer shall install lavatories as provided by the following. “To be constructed separately
for men and women."...“To provide one or more toilets for every 20 women or less working at the
same time.”
SS No. Diesel Type Motor | Build No Name | Pennant No. | MoF approved amount ¥ Billions FY | LABs, LIBs, AIP | Laid Down | Laun -ched | Commi ssioned | Built By |
8105 Oyashio | SS-590/ TS3608 | ¥52.2B FY1993 | LABs only | Jan 1994 | Oct 1996 | Mar 1998 | KHI | |
6SS-15SS | 8106 -8115 various | SS-591-600 | ¥52.2B per sub FY1994-FY2003 | LABs only | 15SS Feb 2004 | 15SS Nov 2006 | 15SS Mar 2008 | MHI & KHI |
16SS | 8116 Sōryū | SS-501 | ¥60B FY2004 | LABs + AIP | Mar 2005 | Dec 2007 | Mar 2009 | MHI |
17SS | 8117 Unryū | SS-502 | ¥58.7B FY2005 | LABs + AIP | Mar 2006 | Oct 2008 | Mar 2010 | KHI |
18SS | 8118 Hakuryū | SS-503 | ¥56.2 FY2006 | LABs + AIP | Feb 2007 | Oct 2009 | Mar 2011 | MHI |
19SS | 8119 Kenryū | SS-504 | ¥53B FY2007 | LABs + AIP | Mar 2008 | Nov 2010 | Mar 2012 | KHI |
20SS | 8120 Zuiryū | SS-505 | ¥51B FY2008 | LABs + AIP | Mar 2009 | Oct 2011 | Mar 2013 | MHI |
No 21SS | No 21SS built | |||||||
22SS | 8121 Kokuryū | SS-506 | ¥52.8B FY2010 | LABs + AIP | Jan 2011 | Oct 2013 | Mar 2015 | KHI |
23SS | 8122 Jinryu | SS-507 | ¥54.6B FY2011 | LABs + AIP | Feb 2012 | Oct 2014 | 7 Mar 2016 | MHI |
24SS | 8123 Sekiryū | SS-508 | ¥54.7B FY2012 | LABs + AIP | KHI | |||
25SS | 8124 | SS-509 | ¥53.1B FY2013 | LABs + AIP | 22 Oct 2013 | 12 Oct 2016 | MHI | |
26SS end of SMC-8s | SS-510 | LABs + AIP | 2014 | 6 Nov 2017 | Mar 2019? | KHI | ||
27SS First | SS-511 | LIBs only | 2015 | 4 Oct 2018 | Mar 2020? | MHI | ||
28SS Second | 8127 | SS-512 | ¥63.6B FY2016 | LIBs only | 2016? | 2018? | Mar 2021? | KHI |
29SS First Soryu Mk 3 SMC-9? | 8128 | ? | ¥76B FY2017 | LIBs only | ? | ? | 2023? | MHI? |
8029? | ? | ¥71.5B FY2018 | LIBs only | ? | ? | 2024? | KHI? |
Table from information exclusively provided to Submarine Matters. LABs = lead-acid batteries, AIP = air independent propulsion, LIBs = Lithium-ion Batteries. ¥***B = Billion Yen. MHI = Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, KHI = Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation of Kawasaki Heavy Industries.
---Technical Details
Drawing from advice from Anonymous on February 13, 2018
The Lithium-ion Batteries (LIBs) provide various benefits such as:
- a low indiscretion ratio (IR) [the lower the ratio of time spent at periscope depth snorting to time
completely submerged]
- due to faster charging of LIBs by the diesel engines
- providing greater operational flexibility for the submarine
- silent [4 knots?] speed performance over a longer medium distance [?? nautical miles for 8
days?] fully submerged
- slightly longer period [probably less than 3 hours?] at the maximum speed (around 20 knots).
LIBs have a greater average charge and discharge efficiency within 80% - 90% (see LIB sidebar) compared to lead-acid batteries which have a lower average of around 70% (see lead-acid battery sidebar).
Anonymous and Pete