John C. Brandes
Lockheed Martin Undersea Systems, Florida, United States
Keywords: spark ignited diesel, electric power generation, buoy, submersible, power density, watt-hours/liter, hydrogen fuel cell, polymer, battery, batteries
DOD has directed phase-out of gasoline engines from all shipboard operations to improve safety and simplify logistics. Small submersible diesel generator buoy sustains undersea operations required for enhanced Seabed Effectivity, recharging for sustained UUV/AUV vehicle performance, and extended operations for Forward Deployed Energy & Comms Outpost (FDECO), providing marked improvement in energy storage and/or replenishment to vehicles and sensors. Novel packaging and spark ignited combustion allow the conversion efficiency and raw fuel energy density of diesel to prevail, where the fuel storage system occupies a significant allocation of the overall volume. Optimal energy density results from efficient value engineered design, allowing the Micro-Generator Buoy to achieve ~2 kWh/L. while producing 1kW continuous power output with autonomous wet mate undersea refueling access for sustained operations in theater.