Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 88.djvu/682

 Doing Away with the Submarine's Storage Battery

��TERRIBLE as the submarine seems, it could be made still more terrible if it were propelled by a system simpler than that at present employed. Although no perfect engine has yet been found which is suitable for both surface and underwater propulsion, naval en- gineers are agreed that were it not for the storage battery the submarine might be made big enough and fast enough to

��battery, is installed on every submarine for underwater propulsion. The weight of that battery is about three hundred and seventy pounds per horsepower per hour. Hydrogen gas, which is in itself not poisonous, but which is highly ex- plosive when mixed with air, is generated as the bat- teries discharge. Hence a ventilating system

���Protective hood

���take its place in the battle-line of a high-sea fleet. Some day we may see squadrons going into battle accompanied by submersi- ble vessels of huge dimensions, which will have armored decks and which will be capable of mak- ing speeds of twenty-five knots and more. Compared with the battle possibilities of these future craft even the largest of present German U-boats will seem puny and toy-like in comparison. But before we shall see them the present type of surface propelling-engine must be vastly improved, and above all the storage bat- tery must be abandoned.

An oil or any other internal-combus- tion engine cannot be employed to drive a submarine under water because of the poisonous gases generated and because it breathes air more voraciously than any human being. Hence an electric motor, deriving its current from a storage-

���Eliminating the Storage Battery from the Submarine — the Neff System These drawings are a longitudinal vertical section and a sectional plan oj the Neff system. The two small cross- sections at the bottom are takejt through the points marked A and B below the two larger drawings. Both the forward and aft compartments con- tain steel bottles in ivhich air is compressed at 2,500 pounds pressure; other air bottles are placed beneath the floors. The engines drive propellers near the bow of the boat. Protecting fins guard the propellers from injury.

The engine-room is supplied with air hi two distinct ways; one for surface running and the other for submerged running. The super- structure is open to the sea and serves to hold a considerable amount of air after the submarine has begun to submerge. This trapped air is automatically fed to the engines for the first few

��must be provided. In the lead-type of battery, which is in use side by side with the Edison nickel-iron cell, the greatest care has to be exercised to exclude salt

��654

�� �