“Navanti Achieves Major Milestone in AIP BEST System Testing for S-80 Submarines”
Navanti has successfully completed the factory acceptance tests of the AIP (Air-Independent Propulsion) BEST (Bioreactor-Ethanol Steam Turbine) system for the S-80 submarines at a cutting-edge facility within the world. This milestone, crucial for the S-80 program, has allowed Navanti to firmly verify the performance and operational capabilities of the AIP in a simulated operational environment, specifically under high degrees of fidelity to the demanding conditions that the system will have to withstand during a real mission. This achievement has been more complex than previous tanks for testing the S-80 submarines, constructed at the Cartagena Shipyard for this purpose.
The facilities have unique capabilities in the defense market, such as the simulation of the ship’s operational level and speed of advance, in addition to advanced underwater terrain, to recreate a range of environmental conditions, including submarine cavitation. Conventional, non-nuclear submarines are forced to surface to recharge their batteries after a certain number of hours to recharge their batteries to regain their underwater agility. AIP-equipped submarines can avoid this risk by being able to recharge their batteries while submerged, significantly extending their underwater range.
The innovative technology used in the AIP BEST system is based on fuel cells and is part of the so-called third-generation systems, i.e., those that use hydrogen produced on board from a fuel – bioethanol, in this case. This evolution allows Spanish submarines to have a greater amount of on-board energy, benefiting from the reliability of power supplied by fuel cells compared to traditional diesel-electric submarines that are more vulnerable to battery discharge. The development of this revolutionary technology has been an outstanding achievement for Navanti, after years of intense work and the placement of the company in a preferential position for the international marketing of S-80 submarines.
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