Advanced Submarine Control (ASC) - A Technology Upgrade for Secondary Propulsion Providing New Capabilities and Tactical Advantages

摘要

The U.S. Navy submarine's Secondary Propulsion System (SPS) is a critical backup during a primary submarine propulsion casualty by providing a low speed mode to get home and enhanced low speed maneuverability. However, reliability of the current system is a life cycle cost and maintenance issue since it is comprised of electrical and mechanical moving parts exposed to sea water and operated by the submarine's external hydraulic system. Additionally, the system is expensive to integrate into the submarine's pressure hull during construction. Other limitations are low operating speeds due to induced hydrodynamic loads and it requires several minutes to deploy or retract. Advanced Submarine Control (ASC) technology will employ two Precision Propulsion Modules (PPMs), each consisting of a high power density oil-filled and pressure-compensated Permanent Magnet Alternating Current (PMAC) motor which drives a compact, reliable Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) azimuthal pump jet thruster modified for submerged operation. The ASC PPMs will be mounted in the forward and aft ballast tanks and must perform at submarine operational depths. The pump jet provides full thrust on-demand in 360 degrees of azimuth and when applied in a dual thruster configuration, one forward and one aft, provides complete control of the submarine in the horizontal plane. ASC is being designed for potential inclusion into future submarine classes. ASC will potentially lower submarine total ownership, construction and maintenance costs through lower unit cost, no external hydraulics, and lower maintenance cost. ASC will support SPS requirements for emergency thrust and low speed maneuvering, but also has the potential to provide new capabilities including dynamic positioning, significant turning radius reduction, enhanced ice piloting, elimination of tugboat dependency for harbor ingress and egress, and potential for automated pier side mooring/unmooring.