Modern torpedo propulsion methods, what is the propagation of torpedoes

The power system energy of torpedoes is mainly gas (thermal power), electric (electric) and reserve chemical energy propulsion.

At present, the more famous torpedoes in service include the American MK48, MK50 (reserve chemical energy propulsion), and MK54 torpedoes; the British "Stingray" (electric) in the UK; German torpedoes of the DM2A4 type (electric); Italian "Black Shark" torpedo; Russian "Buran" torpedo (thermodynamic).

There are two main types.

One is electric propulsion, which is the difference between the battery and the motor.

The other is thermodynamic propulsion, which used an external combustion engine during World War II and used common fuels such as gasoline and provided oxygen to the engine by compressed air (the so-called steam-powered torpedo actually refers to the steam propulsion produced after the external combustion engine is heated, not that the power source is steam), and the Type 93 torpedo of the World War II devil used compressed pure oxygen to supply oxygen to the engine, so the range and speed were very amazing at that time.

The propellant used in modern thermodynamic torpedoes has changed greatly, and the use of hydrogen peroxide is more popular as an oxidant (the number one suspect in the Kursk accident at the beginning), and there are also single-component propellants that do not require oxidants (Alto propellant, the main component of which is said to be nitrate, propylene glycol dinitrate), diluent (dibutyl sebacate), diazepam (phosphate diphenylamine), etc. The engine structure is also similar to that of a Stirling engine, which uses a gaseous working fluid.

Large torpedoes can travel more than 50 kilometers at speeds of more than 40 knots, and small anti-submarine torpedoes can travel more than 65 kilometers at speeds of more than 10 knots... The supercavitating torpedo, which shows the research results of fluid mechanics in the former Soviet Union, has a similar engine and fuel to a rocket-assisted mine, and should be called a supercavitating underwater rocket.

Generally, there are two categories, either electric or thermal. Electric torpedoes are powered by battery packs. Thermodynamic torpedoes are generally powered by steam propelled steam from the combustion of kerosene and oxidizers, or by combustion standard OTTO solid fuel units propelled steam turbines.

There are two kinds: 1. Steam driven, the advantage is fast speed and long cruise, and the disadvantage is that you can see obvious wake on the water surface, which is easy to expose yourself;

2. Motor driven, the advantage is that the wake is not obvious and hidden enough, and the disadvantage is that the cruising speed is slow and the distance is short.

A rocket-propelled torpedo from the 13th century, which belongs to the world's earliest torpedoes.

The battery Russia has a rocket-booster torpedo with a high speed.

The torpedo is equipped with a power source and is driven by electricity.

The torpedo is launched into the water by the carrying platform, and can self-propel, self-control and self-guide in the water, and destroy the target in the water. It and torpedo launch (throwing) device, torpedo shooting command and control system, detection equipment, etc. constitute a torpedo system, which is equipped with ships, aircraft or shore-based launch pads to attack submarines, surface ships and other underwater targets; It can also be used as a warhead for anti-submarine missiles and the main body of automatic tracking mines.

Modern torpedoes are mainly used to attack submarines, but also to attack large and medium-sized surface ships; The current torpedo has high speed, long range, good concealment, high hit rate and great destructive power, and can control the direction and depth of navigation by itself after launching, and can be used as long as it touches a ship, and the speed of sailing in the water is 70 90 kilometers.

In World War II, German submarines sank a British destroyer in the Atlantic Ocean for the first time in September 1943 using acoustic homing torpedoes. The United States also used acoustic homing torpedoes to attack German ships. At that time, passive, single-plane acoustic self-guided torpedoes were mainly used to attack ships on the surface.

After the war, it was developed into a dual-plane acoustic homing torpedo with the function of attacking surface and underwater targets, an active acoustic homing torpedo, a passive combined acoustic homing torpedo and a wake homing torpedo. The self-guidance range is increased and the speed is increased. With the use of microcomputers, self-guided torpedoes are gradually developing in the direction of intelligence, so that they have the ability to identify real and false targets, classify and process multiple targets, select canopies and determine attack targets, and the speed, self-guidance range, guidance accuracy, anti-jamming ability and shallow water performance of self-guided torpedoes will also be further improved.