The Chinese are reportedly working on submarine that would ‘fly’ in an ‘air bubble’

originally posted by: Psynic

originally posted by: AngryCymraeg

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: AngryCymraeg

The hull would probably split into at last two pieces from the force of the impact.

I'd hate to imagine what might happen to the crew from the impact. Interesting idea, but I can imagine that sonar would hear it coming a mile away. Hmmmm. If it was incredibly fast how well would it be able to see what was in front of it?

True, true and true.

Let the Chinese spend their money on supercavitating submarines.

Yes, we can add to the discovery of new seamounts in the Pacific by tracing the distress beacons from Chinese super-subs that tried to go through something that they couldn't detect in front of them!

a reply to: AngryCymraeg

The San Francisco already did that.

forums.wakeboarder.com...

a reply to: Indigent

Wondering how this would be used in a military application as it would be difficult to mask at those speeds...what would that sound like under water?

Sounds like you'd be able to see this thing coming pretty damn easily from above....all of that gas has got to dissipate to the surface eventually.

originally posted by: parad0x122
Sounds like you'd be able to see this thing coming pretty damn easily from above....all of that gas has got to dissipate to the surface eventually.

Sssssssh!

Let the Chinese figure it out for themselves.

Submarines work because they can hide. Period.

a reply to: Psynic

Dint seem to be a problem when darpa tried

www.popsci.com...

originally posted by: chrismarco
a reply to: Indigent

Wondering how this would be used in a military application as it would be difficult to mask at those speeds...what would that sound like under water?

If its faster than the speed of sound... think about it for a a second - and yes thats what they're aiming at.

a reply to: FraternitasSaturni

No, the speed of sound in water is 1,484 m/s

originally posted by: Indigent
a reply to: Psynic

Dint seem to be a problem when darpa tried

www.popsci.com...

This is from the article you posted:

"... but so far no one has succeeded in scaling the effect up to the size of a whole submarine."


So...you were saying??

originally posted by: Indigent

Source

Neat the Chinese want to make subs out of the shark skin swimsuits

Its good to see someone is trying to make new things, it seems the world stale after the cold war in many aspects, I dont think they will have anything functional anytime soon, if they ever get it but its time someone make the seaquest submarine already

Chinese source

Also in the original article from Washington Post that was cited as the English source in the OP:

Still, questions remain. Wang Guoyu, who leads the Fluid Mechanics Laboratory at Beijing Institute of Technology, expressed doubt at its success. “The size of the bubble is difficult to control, and the vessel is almost impossible to steer,” he told the South China Morning Post, adding that if any part of the ship breaches the bubble, it would snap off due to the density difference.

Was that last bit not quoted in the Chinese source? Probably not, and naturally it appears in the English source...politics and nationalism *sighs*

Still an interesting prospect and read all the same. Thanks for the post Indigent.

Update Edit: After actually clicking the Chinese source, its not that its in Mandarin, it is English just from a Chinese publication. And it does indeed mention the same bit by Wang Guoyu. However it alludes that there are protected state secrets as to how they are working to overcome these problems.

Professor Wang Guoyu, the head of the Fluid Mechanics Laboratory at Beijing Institute of Technology who is leading another state-funded research project on supercavitation, said the global research community had been troubled for decades by the lack of innovative ideas to address the huge scientific and engineering challenges.

...Despite many scientists worldwide working on similar projects, the latest progress remains unclear because they are regarded as military secrets.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Indigent

The problem with super cavitation is maneuvering. That's always been the drawback to torpedoes that use it. If the target can detect them early enough, and move, it can't turn fast enough to keep up. This will be much more of a problem for a sub that uses the technology.

That's why we abandoned our supercavitating torpedo program.

The noise factor and being detected is a moot point because they aren`t trying to be stealthy they are relying on speed to survive.
I have to wonder if a sub like that can outrun a torpedo?

again, since they are relying on speed navigation and crashing into things won`t really be a problem because they won`t have to be submerged at any great depth.They can travel relatively close to the surface and sail safely over any uncharted undersea mounds.

steering could be accomplished by having less of an air bubble,causing more drag,on the side that you want to turn towards.
even if they can`t use it for military applications it would be a great for commercial transportation.100 minutes from china to the U.S. that`s fast.

As someone else has already said, it`s great that this generation is trying to develop something for themselves instead of riding the coattails of previous generations inventions and accomplishments.

They are a little late to the party.

The largest advantage that a submarine has is stealth. Stealth in a submarine means quiet.
SuperCavitation put's out so much broadband noise, that the location of the submarine, even as fast as it is going, will be pinpointed and tracked easily by surface units , as well as sonobouy fields that it passes through. Sure, speed is a real tactical advantage, but the gig is up as far as surprise goes, once they put that machine into this mode.

Then, of course, there is the SuperCavitating torpedo that can chase it!

does is it always have to be used as a weapon?

who cares if its not stealth use the thing as transport.

a reply to: charlyv

So they might as well just make a fast jet then?

I did have a great idea though. Adapt this into a fishing vessel and strap a big razor to the front of it, net in the back, and then strip mine the ocean for sushi!

Judging by their aviation skills, I fear for our Navy guys when they try this,maybe when the NOKs complete their Missile boat they can practice RAMMING each other in exercises.

NRO room: OH! WHAT ..I see a LONG subsurface disturbance behind a fast moving ...WAIT,it just ..IMPACTED WITH THAT port!

I hear ya OP, I think it's an awesome idea and I'm still waiting for Seaquest and the UEO to form

I tend to think that there are higher tech answers to most of these problems which may already be secretly in service, and would explain the "Unidentified Submerged Object" phenomenon.

I assume we've all attracted a stream of running water with a statically charged comb at some point in our childhood right? It seems we'd eventually be able to use some complex configuration of electric fields to do the reverse- to polarize the water around a vessel and give the hull of the vessel the same charge, so that there is an electromagnetically maintained dead space around the vessel. It seems like this would also naturally include a "Red October" style means of propulsion.

It also wouldn't surprise me for a country that couldn't completely hide it's program to explain the program as being a foray into some similar but less effective technology that others have already tried and found to be a dead end.

Even if all of the maneuverability and stealth failings of such systems proved insurmountable, they could still be deployed within those constraints in ways that limit the enemy's options. I don't want to drop a huge post full of potential ideas that are all theory with little grounding, but suffice it to say that if up against these things, the enemy has to be able to counter them at any point where they have anything to lose on a moments notice at all times, and once a battle has begun and defenses are committed and or destroyed, this kind of system could exploit any opening that is created anywhere in a timely manner.

If I were running a Navy, I would want such things, if practical.

Thats just great Chinese people, now tell we why my "Wallyworld" skivvies only last a couple a months and then fall apart? Fix the damn underwear y'all are makin afore you make a flying submarine!