Sub invisibility
sharkey
Posted 2014-01-02 8:19 PM (#68874)


Senior Crew

Posts: 179

Location: carlsbad, CA
Subject: Sub invisibility

I have been reading a lot of research about stealth on the boats. The latest possibility seems to entail development of new metallic wrappings (not coating) which can be made to capture incoming noise (active sonar) and channel it through hollow, aluminum/alloy spaces within the wrap and away from the source of the incoming noise. Other possibilities use Buckyballs, a form of carbon which is hollow also. In a way it is similar to using temperature gradients to deflect active sonar. It won't be far into the future when these materials and composite/ceramic will be used to build stronger hulls. The biggest obstacle to the wraps is weight. Composites are coming but are currently unreliable for use in environments which vary the pressures to which they are subjected. A deep dive requires the composite' resistance to pressure which steel hulls can adapt to. Ceramics are brittle, especially at low temperatures. Perhaps some future "alloying" of ceramics, composites and steels are the answer? Comments?