Jiaolong submersible undergoes major upgrades for enhanced scientific deep sea exploration.
China’s domestically produced components have played a key role in upgrading the Jiaolong deep-sea manned submersible, marking a new stage in its scientific exploration capabilities. These upgrades, which started in November of the previous year, have focused primarily on essential domestically produced parts.
The recent improvements were highlighted by the Jiaolong’s successful completion of its first month-long trial on March 25, where it set a new record by conducting four “two-dives-a-day” missions. This achievement was made possible thanks to the newly upgraded 7,000-meter-class, high-energy-density, oil-immersed lithium battery system.
Prior to the upgrade, Jiaolong required around 10 hours for recharging between dives, making frequent missions difficult. With the new lithium battery system, the submersible now requires only three to four hours for a full charge, greatly improving the efficiency and speed of its operations, as explained by Zhang Yi, a senior engineer and diver at the National Deep Sea Center of China.
The Jiaolong’s movement, including its ascent, descent, and maneuvering, relies on thrusters located at its rear. The latest upgrade replaced all thrusters, increasing the submersible’s cruising speed from 2.5 nautical miles per hour to over three nautical miles per hour.
Previously, all of Jiaolong’s seven thrusters were imported, but with the latest enhancements, domestically produced thrusters were installed, increasing thrust from 89 kg to over 100 kg, as Zhang noted.
An upgraded 36x zoom 4K HD camera now installed at the front of the submersible allows for high-definition observation of the deep-sea environment, enabling scientists to observe fine details, such as the hairs on sea anemones’ tentacles.
Li Jiabiao, an academician from the Chinese Academy of Engineering, stated that these upgrades, especially to the energy supply and thrusters, are pivotal for enhancing Jiaolong’s operational precision and expanding its research capabilities. These advancements, he said, are a crucial step for the submersible’s future scientific missions.
Following these improvements, the Jiaolong is now ready for a new set of research missions, with expectations to complete over 80 dives in 2025.
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