The more sophisticated submarine technology is to avoid detection, the same goes for the development of anti-submarine warfare technology (Anti Submarine Warfare). As recently as so recently, Chinese researchers from the Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter have found that ultra-sensitive magnetic detectors are sufficient to track even the most advanced US submarines, even from long distances.
Quoted from the South China Morning Post, researchers from the Fujian Institute published their findings in the Chinese Journal of Ship Research, a publication with a strong track record of cutting-edge reports in the field of ship and marine engineering.
The United States and China have been engaged in a race in various areas of defense technology, from hypersonic weapons to stealth fighter jets to spacecraft. There is mounting evidence that the US is slagging in this critical future technology area. However, in military technology, the US continues to lead in submarine technology, especially nuclear-powered submarines.
However, research from the Fujian Institute could be a breakthrough and a new way to detect the presence of the most advanced US submarines, and what the US is very afraid of, the benefits of the submarine's stealth capabilities will be lost.
How Chinese Researchers Able to Detect the Presence of US Submarine?
Zou Shengnan and his team from the Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, were looking into the possibility of detecting the almost invisible bubbles generated by submarines while cruising, and they have now successfully built a computer model to show that it could potentially work.
Submarines cannot avoid these bubbles because their motion causes the water around the submarine's hull to move faster, reducing its potential energy. Potential energy is expressed as pressure and when reduced, some of the water evaporates to maintain energy balance.
This process occurs more in areas with sharp curvatures or where the surface is rough, and as water flows around the hull the bubbles get larger and move away from the surface. Here the higher pressure causes them to 'collapse' violently, which produces an electromagnetic signature, a phenomenon known as the magnetohydrodynamic effect (MHD).
According to computer modeling carried out by the researchers, electric field signals can be observed around the bow, stern, and rear of the submarine hull, and different signals can be detected in the very low frequency range from 49.94 Hz to 34.19 Hz.
These may sound like very faint signals, but they are capable of traveling long distances because they can penetrate water and travel into the ionosphere before being reflected back to Earth. Submarines already use these waves for communication and have sensors for their detection. It was only a matter of time before they were developed to geolocate submarines of opposing nations.
Despite the potential to track the whereabouts of US submarines, however, there are several hurdles to overcome. Such an electromagnetic signal developed as a result of cavitation bubbles may encounter interference from man-made or naturally occurring electromagnetic noise.
The water flow around the sub can also be turbulent, which can impact the signals it generates. In addition, if the submarine slows down or stops, no signal will be detected. There is still a lot of work to be done to develop reliable tracking methods for signals from submarines, but China in this regard has already taken some of the first steps in this direction.
