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China is going to upgrade its submarine fleet, transferring part of conventional submarines in lithium-ion batteries. This publication reports the South China Morning Post. According to the author of the publication, the Chinese submarine fleet will soon be powered by lithium-ion batteries, utilizing the advantages of technological developments in the field of electric vehicles.
Currently, China produces three quarters of the world's batteries for electric cars. This makes the country a leader in the field of battery technology that requires the Chinese government to apply their achievements in the military sphere.
Lithium-ion battery capable of doubling the capabilities of the submarine in terms of the time spent under water, speed of operations. This, in particular, say experts from the naval Academy of the submarine fleet in Qingdao, whose opinion is quoted by the Chinese scientific journal Marine Electric and Electronic Engineering.
For the past ten years the command of the people's liberation army of China had plans to replace lead-acid batteries to lithium-ion. But military leaders for a long time hesitated.
It is known that lead-acid batteries used in submarines since the Second world war. However, they have many flaws. Among them, experts say low capacity energy storage, slow charging, poor power, short life span, toxic fumes. In contrast, lithium-ion batteries have higher energy density, fast charging, long life.
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The world's first submarine with lithium-ion batteries SS 511 Oryu Maritime self-defense force Japan
However, this does not mean that Li-ion batteries do not have their disadvantages. For example, they are exposed to the risk of fire is very dangerous to submarines. One hot cell can cause fire on the submarine will lead to serious consequences. However, the Chinese expert Wang Fang said that there are already solutions to improve the safety of lithium-ion batteries, and these solutions have been obtained in the result of a long development of Chinese electric mobility industry.
As problems with the risks of using lithium-ion batteries are solved, the question of replacing their lead-acid batteries in the offing. For example, the use of iron and phosphate will replace the Nickel and cobalt in lithium-ion batteries, which will increase the safety of operation without sacrificing performance.
Claims to the South China Morning Post, the Chinese electric mobility is now on the market, the number of cars running on iron-phosphate batteries exceeds the number of electric vehicles that use Nickel-cobalt battery. In addition, as a solution to enhance the security of submarines that use lithium-ion batteries, is the creation of solid carbon and ceramic coating for batteries.
Edition South China Morning Post draws attention to the fact that the Navy of South Korea and the Maritime self-defense force Japan have been using lithium-ion batteries on its submarines in Korea in 2021 and Japan in 2018. Prototypes of lithium-ion batteries developed and France and Germany, who plan the modernization of the submarine fleet.