Pressure-Tolerant Electrochemical Fuel Cell and Cycle for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

In the field of underwater operations, maintaining buoyancy is one of the prominent challenges, especially when underwater systems perform tasks requiring stable, precise control, such as underwater exploration and maintenance of underwater equipment. Balancing the buoyancy to keep the equipment neutrally buoyant in the underwater environment is crucial to prevent the equipment from sinking or floating away. Current approaches to buoyancy control mainly involve the use of mechanical systems like ballast tanks or buoyant materials. These methods often struggle to provide precise buoyancy adjustments, especially during transient operations or in variable environmental conditions. Also, these mechanisms may not be well suited for long-duration autonomous underwater activities, posing a significant limitation.

Technology Description

The innovative underwater liquid supply unit consists of a trio of bladders, each containing unique liquids. Combined, the total volume of these liquids is neutrally buoyant with respect to a surrounding medium such as seawater. As these liquids are dispensed from the bladders, they shrink at least in one dimension. To maintain the neutral buoyancy, the dispensation of the liquids follows a prearranged volumetric proportion, decided by the densities of the liquids. This technology stands out because of its unprecedented mechanism of maintaining buoyancy by regulating the dispensation of liquids on the basis of their densities. The unit's incorporation of a built-in generator like a fuel cell and a propeller further differentiates it. The integrated generator can presumably power the unit, providing it with autonomous capabilities.