[AR] Re: Torpedo battery
- From: Peter Fairbrother <peter@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: arocket@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2023 22:05:50 +0100
On 07/04/2023 06:05, Keith Henson wrote:
Years ago in the context of reading about the sinking of the /Scorpion/
I ran into a description of the Mark 46 torpedo batteries.
Perhaps somewhat confusingly, the Mk 46 battery was the main propulsion
primary battery used in the Mk 37 torpedo (and not in the Mk 46 torpedo,
which runs on Otto II fuel). Auxiliary power was supplied by a smaller
but similar but rechargeable Mk 53 battery.
The Mk 46 battery was a silver/zinc battery with self-contained alkaline
electrolyte, but I doubt there are any operable ones left as the Mk 37
torpedoes were withdrawn and/or repurposed or re-engined without Mk 46
batteries in the '70s and 80's.
Mk 46 batteries had a reputation for tending to overheat or explode.
Just to add to the confusion, the Mk 46 batteries of Mk 37 torpedoes
were often replaced with Mk 46 engines, as later used in the Mk 46
torpedo, to produce a Mk 37c torpedo.
There are still a few mostly lightweight ASW electric torpedoes in
service, eg the British Stingray which runs on Mg/AgCl batteries.
However they need externally-sourced sea water electrolyte to operate
and so would not be of use in rocketry. The Russians and the Germans
also have electric torpedoes in service which afaik also need sea water.
Lithium/thionyl chloride primary batteries would be good power and
energy wise for rocketry (and especially good for torpedoes), but
difficult to source, potentially dangerous and expensive.
Rocket Lab use lithium polymer rechargeable batteries which are easy to
source and which I would expect to have a better power-to-weight than
any existing torpedo battery.
Peter F
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