Lithium-ion Batteries May Make Australia's Attack-class Submarines Superior

Australia's Derek Woolner and David Glynne Jones have written an excellent article for The Strategist. 

That is "Future-proofing the Attack class (part 1): propulsion and endurance" June 14, 2019 - at

 https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/future-proofing-the-attack-class-part-1-propulsion-and-endurance/

Which begins:

"A major challenge in the decades-long program to build the Royal Australian Navy’s new submarines, the Attack class, will be ensuring that they incorporate emerging transformational advances in propulsion technology.

Between 2025 and 2030, the continuing rapid evolution of lithium-ion battery [LIBs] technology will enable the Attack-class boats to stay fully submerged on low-speed patrols for up to 40 days without recharging. By 2035, that could increase to up to 60 days. And by 2050, it’s conceivable that the next generation of light-metal batteries will enable the boats to go on an 80-day long-transit mission without the need to resurface and recharge..."

Please read the WHOLE ARTICLE 

PETE POINTS INSPIRED BY THE ARTICLE

All this depends on Australia choosing LIBs rather than older style lead-acid batteries for the Attack class... 

The oft criticised slow rollout of the future Attack class may be beneficial in being able to encompass and fully exploit mature LIB technology. This is especially true if total battery size could be around 1,200 tonnes within the very large 4,500 tonne size of the Attack class. This is noting the Collins total lead-acid battery size is 400 tonnes.

1,200 tonnes is also possible due to much less need for full loads of diesel fuel. If an Attack class sub can complete its whole mission on battery far less diesel fuel will be required. Diesels will primarily become return-to-port emergency propulsion - similar to the emergency diesels on all nuclear propelled submarines.

For example the future French Barracuda SSNs, on which the future Attack class are based, carry two emergency diesels. Also lower range 600 kW MTU 12V 4000s may already serve as emergency backup/return-to-port diesels on nuclear powered UK Astute class SSNs (see right sidebar).

Australia's economy and naval budget will remain too small for the alternative option of  nuclear propulsion. Even with much higher GDPs India's indigenous Arihant class SSBNs and Brazil's  indigenous future SN-BR SSN have experienced severe delays/problems in building and/or proper maintenance.  

US-Australian advances in large land based power grid-LIB technology will accelerate development of Attack class LIBs.