Apex Predators: AIP Submarines Explained by Covert Shores (Air Independent Propulsion) 

Your 'free' style of speaking is more akin to a uni lecture and a very easy on the ears.

If you didn't mention the lack of a script, we wouldn't have even thought about it. Plus, you know so much about the subjects, your organic presentation is, for me anyway, easier to process because it's conversational.

It is wonderful to have a factual source of information from a recognized authority on the subject of underwater technology. Thank you. Please keep up the great work.

When I was on the USS PUFFER SSN 652, we sank the USS KITTY HAWK CV 63 three times during exercises in 1975.

I liked the expertise, the calm lack of hype, especially there was no anxious sound track music

The German Type212A traversed from Germany to Spain submerged for 14 days straight without surfacing or snorkeling. Given what you said about the need to ventilate the boat, I wonder whether that was just clever wording (as in we didn't snorkel to recharge the batteries) or whether they have a work around.

The original "AIP" submarine was the Ictineo II built by a Spanish engineer around the time of the American Civil War. The Ictineo's power system was based on s chemical process that produced oxygen as a by-product providing air for the crew as well. The vessel was also the first double hull dsesign, amazingly built of wood, and capable of powered operation to a depth 90 feet.

My father, Jesse J. Bryant, chief electrician, submarines Atlantic 1946-67(U.S.S. Skipjack etc.) would have liked this channel.

That jolly gentleman from The Sub Brief sent me, great work Mr Sutton.

I want to echo Joel’s comments. Thought I knew a fair amount and realize how little I knew. That was very informative.

I took part in the construction of the first two U212 for the Italian Navy (classe Todaro).. according to what peeps told me those subs are virtually impossible to find when running on fuel cell, they did some testing and they found out they are quieter than nuclear powered subs.. sure, they are smaller and the amount of machinery is reduced, with amount in total noise reduction.. but they really are confident to be able to do their business and sneak away uncaught... thanks for the amazing video

Knew about AIP but never really understood it till I saw this video so thanks Mr Sutton looking forward to more both on ur website and this channel

A lot of good information here, calmly presented. I'm a submarine nerd, so there. A tip for recording audio, for recording training videos I use a mid-range gaming headset with a boom mic. Not too expensive, and it eliminates the room echo which helps people who have English as a second language. Looking forward to more videos!

Love this content! Keep it coming. Great to have good content like this from such a knowledgeable source. Seen lots of reports on your stuff from Sub Brief. I never knew about the hydrogen peroxide step and the energy density of lithium batteries

Not mentioned are radioisotope power systems. The General Purpose Heat Source module, or GPHS, is the essential building block for the radioisotope generators used by NASA. These modules contain and protect the plutonium-238 (or Pu-238) fuel that gives off heat for producing electricity. The fuel is fabricated into ceramic pellets of plutonium-238 oxide (238PuO2) and encapsulated in a protective casing of iridium, forming a fueled clad. Fueled clads are encased within nested layers of carbon-based material and placed within an aeroshell housing to comprise the complete GPHS module. There are proposals out there to use these as an AIP power source. The GPHS modules would have to be carried outside of the pressure hull where seawater becomes their radiation shield just as seawater was used to shield the reactor on the NR-1 nuclear mini-sub.

I really like the ‘unscripted’ nature of your presentations because you retain a fact-filled, cogent, and coherent narrative that does not wander aimlessly and yet retains a conversational tone, very listenable and easily ‘digested’. Please do not slick the channel up with scripting. Its not needed. Your graphics and cutaways are great, and are the only ‘icing’ this rewarding cake of a channel needed to be a satisfying treat at every offering. Bravo sir, well done! I have learned a lot here and it has kindled a renewed interest in a subject i thought i had learned enough about. I am happy to to say that i was mistaken! 👍🏼

In the late 80s, I read about research into Stirling engines for powering submarines. It took a while, but it's fun to see it finally taking off.

Thank you for explaining AIP pros and cons in an understandable manner!

Thanks for the explanation on how the modern AIP is used! It makes a lot more sense now.

Very good. Very organized. Concise. Comprehensive. Thank you.

I love your expertise as well as how you present your material. I've learned a lot from you and your biggest fan, Aaron. Please, please keep up your videos, they are very informative

This is Good Stuff . The Jive Turkey brought me here . Hope you don't mind.

Very impressive! I had no real concept how AIP worked. I really appreciate the information. Thanks

The best style and content version of any military hardware videos on utube. Wish we had more of this . Keep it up I’m so sure you will be top of your group.

I dig your videos. They're informative and not over the top. Really works for me.

Very interesting and informative, as expected. Actually learned lots of new things, appreciate it!

Great video! Informative and well done.

Greece actually build 3 AIP subs (Type 214) with german AIP like others and troubleshoot and modify/repaired the first one of the class build in kiel. (it had ballast balance problems because of an inadequate pumps) also retrofitted a 209 with the german AIP. (Skaramanga Shipyard at athens) As far as i currently know the shipyard at skaramanga, athens still has the capability for building/service/repair/modify them (209s,212s,214s) but not the management, clients or funds.

Your videos are like a great movie: I need to see them a few times and then I'm rewinding to catch what I missed the first time. The fact that You're "winging it" is remarkable. Thanks

It's refreshing to have a real person do it & not cold, & often things are said wrong AI .. Thumbs up from me..

Very nicely explained with accuracy.

Very clear explanations and still relevant in 2024. Thank you for this presentation.

Hello Mr Sutton, please do keep them coming. There's definitely an audience for this!

Love this stuff man keep it up!

When one is as knowledgeable and passionate about their content, such as yourself. Writing a script would take away from your enthusiasm and passion, explaining things you love! Thank you for sharing your passion with us!!

Your cut-aways are beautiful by the way. Thank you for adding them in your talks.

Very informative and interesting , thank you for posting !

Finally somebody who can explain a topic ... Thank you we are NoT engineers... Thank you again

Thanks for making this. A suggestion: Please move the mic closer to your mouth, as when it is not close, the room acoustics quickly muddy your voice, and it becomes necessary for some of us to turn on subtitles. Thanks again.

Great info, I really enjoy your coverage of the material

You are a very good speaker and educator, Mr Sutton. Thank you.

Enjoyable and informative video. Thanks Mr Sutton.

Thanks for the comprehensive presentation

Just found your channel and I am fairly impressed. Great job on these videos. They information you put in these is great. Thank you. Can't wait to see your other vids.

I’ve watched one video of yours and have subscribed, this was a very good presentation. Speaking as someone who does a fair amount of public speaking, I like your “semi-scripted” approach. Granted it’s how I usually do it, so perhaps I am not fully impartial! Whenever speaking on a topic that you have a solid command of (like you do here) making an outline to organize, and if necessary remind you of your key points, helps keep a relaxed and conversational tone. For instance, I was very engaged the entire and the video felt much shorter than 23 minutes. Of course, everyone is different, and if you would feel more comfortable scripting it all out, I’d say go for it. Cheers!

Very well narrated

Nice video, I love your website as well!

I also thought I knew more! Thanks for all the info!

Love the video format by the way!👌

Just subscribed; the amount of technical information in your video’s is both impressive and captivating

Ms Paint?! You have to be the best Ms Paint artist I've seen.

Really well done.

Great information, great graphics, easy to understand. Thank you sir

H I Sutton is a true legend. Like all your content.

The chapter list you incorporate is really a great feature !!!

Great video. Appreciated.

Good review, thanks!

Great videos, thank you.

I appreciate your videos very much. Thank you.

Thank you very much for making this video. I value your videos & website very much.

Great video!! Lots of good information.

Great job!!

Very interesting topic. Thanks.

Loving the content! Keep em' coming. Consider investing in a more quality microphone as well. Will make it easier to listen. Thanks

Excellent analysis.

Very nice presentation. I hope to see more about uncrewed submarines soon.

Thanks for the overview!

Great stuff!

Love your videos man, cheers!

Good stuff. Your material is very interesting.

Very nice information. Then you for sharing your knowledge.

Hi, I wondered over here from Sub Brief. Keep it up, I’m enjoying your content.

Very much enjoyed the video. Might I suggest some sound dampening on the walls / hard surfaces for that wee echo, and those page turns. Everything else was perfect! Great presentation.

Great video keep it up!

WOW really interesting. Thank you so much.

Very good work sir! I think you are one of the very few wonk/geek influencers that doesn’t require a script. I’m so influenced I’m going to start using MS Paint and get my high end art career going!

Thank you for your professionel presentation and awesom graphics. Very good! :-) Greetings from Norway.

Greets from Scandinavia! Nice!

Canada's recent Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP) is expected to have an AIP requirement with fisrt 'off-the-shelf" or MOTS submarine to be delivered around 2035.

Thank you for the video. I loved the narco sub vid as well. Any strange or lesser know sub or sub type would be my suggestion but I think I'll watch anything you make.

It is exactly the other way round. The AIP system is not used to power the motor directly. In case of the fuel cell system you need to power the batteri. Specialy because the output of the fuell cell can not be changed. You need to run it on the same output to have full efficency. So you couldn't adjust the power output to the demand of the motor. That is why you use the battteri as a buffer.

Very good effort for a non-scripted effort. Also not rattling off ten to the dozen, (fast speech) is a very good and viewer-appreciated choice. You should consider monetising your videos if you want more exposure by RU-vid. Just have one advert and RU-vid might simply just match it. I think you qualify for monetisation with your viewers count. All the best and good luck .. again good video .. although needs more meat to fully satisfy Engineers!

Great video! 👍👊😎

very well done ,thank you.

Sub Brief brought me here. Thank you for the fascinating content.

Just found you!!! Liked and subbed immediately!!! Keep the content coming

With all the heat generated around the boats from electronics and atmosphere controls (CO-H2 burners, CO2 scrubbers O2 generators, heaters for ventilation) it would seem putting small sterling engines around the boat would be effecient. The O2 generators currently discharge hydrogen overboard but could be stored in external tanks to use. Lots of possibilities for different AIP on subs. Good video, thanks for making.

Very interesting. Thank you.

Great video

"air" trips some people up -- atmospheric independent power is a better fit.

There's a very old tech called a tromp. Originally used to generate compressed air for use in early blast furnaces... Column of water flowing down a vertical pipe at sufficent speed that water bubbles are pulled down the water column. As the bubbles descend they are compressed to the pressure of water at that depth. Somewhat akin to cavitation, but the bubbles don't collapse, only shrink.. If the pipe then goes horizontal, or into a separator tank, the air wants to rise to be at top of tank/pipe. I'm thinking a snorkel through which a mix of water and air bubbles was sucked down to a submerged sub, would work as an air compressor. The compressed air could be fed to an oxygen concentrator and then into compressed gas tanks.

Great work! I’d be keen on even more depth, eg comparing the pros and cons of the different systems. If MESMA isn’t really going anywhere, why not? Also would love to hear more about lithium batteries. Is the density really high enough to dispense with AIP? I thought it was only very substantially higher at higher discharge/recharge rates, where the internal resistance of lead-acid batteries leads to very poor efficiency.

Good stuff

This is the first public "AIP explainers" I've heard that accurately outlines the considerations around using AIP to charge batteries: It's an inefficient way to operate at low speed and therefore not often done, but may be necessary in a pinch if the batteries are depleted and the sub commander recognizes a need to go fast before they have an opportunity to snorkel again. So for example if a sub ran its batteries down while disengaging at high speed after an attack, but wanted to be able to reengage in the future (again at high speed) without first giving its position away by snorkeling, then it might make tactical sense to charge the batteries from AIP in the interim.

My dream was to be a submariner. However, I’m 6’5”. To tall. Went army. Still love the technology and like channels like this that clearly explain it.

So, basically, use your batteries as less as possible to conserve battery power, so that if high speed maneuvers, chasing warships is reqd, batteries are there. Meanwhile you lurk around the region with AIP because AIP provides just enough power to loiter around. As soon as you require power, switch to batteries.

In its newest submarines Japan stopped using AIP because the modern batteries have a lot more endurance so AIP wasn't needed anymore.

Just a bit of trivia I have read: The peroxide (Walther) power plants were really good but as you said they tended to explode when mixed with seawater. They also had issues with range as they use a lot of Peroxide and the Peroxide was rather corrosive and tended to eat through the tanks (return to the first sentence). The German Type 21 was the most advanced submarine in the world at the end of WW2 and was originally designed to run on Walther engines but the design was converted to diesel electric due to the delays in developing the Walther units. Even so, the Type 21 was so good that for years after the war, foreign powers were going around salvaging scuttled 21s and reconditioning them for use or evaluation. Most immediate post-war submarine designs were based on the Type 21 German design. Had it not been for the delays in developing the Walther units the Type 21 may have entered the war much earlier and that would have been really bad for the Allies. BTW: If China can steal the technology they you can bet they are 'working on it'.

can you discuss the differences between Stirling engines and fuel cells as far as power, cost, efficiency, et.. How much power is generated by each. Have there been advances in the AIP systems such that they are becoming smaller & more efficient and more powerful to the extent where they can recharge the batteries. Lithium ion batteries can be recharged more quickly. Does that mean they could possibly be recharged by the AIP system? How long can Japan's lithium ion batteries go without being recharged?

A low powered glider mode has always interested me. By moving a cylinder in the bow forward and back requires little power. By taking in water then push it out allows the sub to accend and dive . The sub would be silent as it rises and dives . By doing this the sub would move forward through the water. Rise over run . I made a glider sub model in school that would stop and charge it's batteries by solar energy. It may not be practical in a military environment but one could travel the world in a diy personal sub. I have always wondered why no one has ever done this? Just a thought.