Sinking $ 50b into antiquity
AUSTRALIA’S first submarines were British designed and built E Class boats. Laid down in 1911, HMAS
and were leading edge technology, modified versions of the Royal Navy’s first ocean- going submarines.
Each took under 18 months to build and were simultaneously commissioned in the UK on February 28, 1914.
On May 24 they sailed for Australia.
The propulsion system was diesel electric, two 1200kW eight- cylinder diesels to drive the vessels while surfaced, charging battery- driven 630kW motors which drove while submerged.
The boats could travel at 15 knots surfaced and 10 knots submerged.
Their maximum range was 5600km.
Battery technology in 1911 was rather primitive when compared with today.
The lead- acid cell was first developed in 1859, an advance on earlier technologies where wet cells were rendered unusable when the chemical ingredients were spent.
Lead- acid batteries could be recharged with a reverse current, allowing them to be discharged and recharged many times.
More robust casings provided extended life over glass containers.
Heavy lead- acid cells were then useful in submarines, where they acted as ballast when positioned low in the boats.
The disadvantage was that when a hull was damaged or there was water ingress, the combination of batteries and salt water produced poisonous chlorine gas.
A further disadvantage was the amount of energy which can be drawn from a lead acid battery reduces the faster it is discharged.
Although the basic principles have not changed since 1859, through advanced technologies and mass production, lead- acid batteries remain in use where weight is not an issue.
Rapid advances in dry- cell battery technology have resulted in high capacity rechargeable batteries employed in everything from renewable solar generation and storage, electric vehicles and communications.
Miniaturisation has resulted in high capacity, multi- use batteries in a wide range of products, including mobile phones.
Lithium/ lithium- ion batteries have the greatest electrochemical potential with the lowest power to weight ratio.
Returning to submarines, Australia has decided to spend $ 50 billion acquiring 12 new submarines to replace its current six boat Collins class fleet.
The forecast $ 50 billion is just the build price in today’s figures.
The actual design is yet to be perfected and tested, but will involve converting a nuclear- power capable hull into a diesel electric boat. Run that by again. Australia’s future submarine fleet, decades away from introduction into service will rely on the same propulsion technology as the RAN’s original boats.
Because, apparently, boffins somewhere deep in Canberra’s bowels are concerned the RAN won’t be capable of dealing with multiple new technologies simultaneously.
In 15 years when these boats eventually enter service, leadacid batteries are likely to be as technologically relevant as dial telephones and the Rudd- Conroy NBN.
Project director rear admiral Greg Sammut admits the senior officers who may supervise the subs’ introduction into service may not yet have been enlisted.
The last thing they need to inherit is a short sighted decision to employ obsolete technology because it was too hard to think ahead.