Sodium Amalgam-Oxygen Fuel Cell Power Plant for Submarine Application: A Design Feasibility Study

摘要

A study was undertaken to investigate the feasibility of designing a sodium amalgam-oxygen fuel cell power plant for a small, two-man, deep diving submarine. The scope of the report covers preliminary design studies only which did not include experimental work, design details, or establishment of detailed component specifications. The general specifications included a maximum rated net power output of 1000 kw at 300 volts, a stored energy capacity of 1500 kwh, and the requirement that the plant operate in a flooded compartment. It was concluded that the sodium amalgam-oxygen fuel cell can be designed as a very compact power plant, suitable for operation at depth in a flooded compartment.