Ever heard of submarines taking flight? Never? That's OK because the Chinese are working on a submarine that is capable of flying underwater. Such a machine could travel from Shanghai to San Francisco in just 100 minutes, making it the fastest submarine known to man.
The submarine is being worked on by researchers at the Harbin Institute of Technology, which resides in the northeast section of China. The technology being used here is not new; it has been around since the Cold War, and the Russians have used it to develop torpedoes that are capable of traveling up to 230 miles per hours.
The technology in question would create an air bubble around a container that is lacking in friction. This would allow the container to travel at incredible speeds, which is almost like flying underwater.
With the technology already in place, researchers from Heat Transfer Lab and Harbin's Complex Flow are attempting to come up with a plan to build submarines that are centered on this technology. It won't be easy, but it is definitely possible to pull off. Chances are; it could take a number of years before the Chinese come up with a working prototype.
We understand that Chinese researchers are not planning to use engine thrust and vector propulsion to pull this off. They will use a different method which requires the combining of supercavitation and liquid-membrane technology.
"Our method is different from any other approach, such as vector propulsion, or thrust created by an engine," says Li Fengchen, professor of fluid machinery and engineering. "By combining liquid-membrane technology with supercavitation, we can significantly reduce the launch challenges and make cruising control easier."
For now, the technology is being kept under wraps, but this appears to be because it is being developed by the military. We might never hear much about it again until the military has a working prototype to show off to the Chinese people and the world.
Submarine speed stagnant for years
Several technologies have surpassed the submarine in agility and speed over the years, but if this technology does work, this could change. Researchers could even find others means of using it apart from within military vehicles.
