Supercavitation reduces drag for submarines and torpedoes by vaporizing water to create an air bubble around the vehicle. This technology is noisy but could transform submarine warfare. Supercavitation was originally developed by the Germans and is being developed by the US for national security.
Supercavitation is an amazing technology that most people have never heard of. By reducing the drag of submarines and torpedoes by a factor of 60-70%, supercavitation could transform the stealthy world of submarine warfare into something more akin to aerial combat, with objects flying back and forth at speeds far faster than submarines flying. we know.
Supercavitation exploits the phenomenon of cavitation, something submarine designers usually try to avoid. It would work as follows. When the nose of a torpedo or submarine is shaped a certain way, usually flat with sharp edges, it creates an excessive amount of drag in the water. But the design of the nose accelerates the water it passes through to high speeds, causing it to lose pressure and vaporize into bubbles. This follows from the well-known Bernoulli’s principle, which states that fluid velocity and pressure/density are related. As the speed increases, the density decreases. As the density drops below the vapor pressure of water, the water evaporates until it slows down enough to recondense.
By intentionally vaporizing as much water as possible, a supercavitating submarine or torpedo can create an air bubble so large that it encompasses the entire vehicle. This is a positive feedback process: the more water vaporized by the specially designed nose, the less drag on the vehicle, the easier it becomes to move even faster and vaporize more water. The main disadvantage is that a supercavitating object is extremely noisy. It slams water with such abandon that a shock wave would emanate from the vehicle wherever it went. This, coupled with the technological challenges, is why supercavitating submarines have not yet been developed, although they are in the works. Supercavitating torpedoes have had limited use.
As with many exciting technological advances, supercavitation torpedoes were originally developed by the Germans during World War II. They were later abandoned and taken over by the Russians. In recent years, the United States has shown great interest in the technology, working on an “Underwater Express” program to create a supercavitating submarine battleship. The development of powerful submarine military capabilities is essential for national security due to the threat of nuclear submarines.
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