thyssenkrupp Marine Systems has unveiled the results of a research project on the feasibility, use, construction and operation of large modular underwater vehicles
The modifiable underwater mothership (MUM) project was funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.
MUM is a modular unmanned underwater system with a number of potential applications in the maritime industry. Examples include transporting and deploying payloads, applications in the offshore wind and offshore oil and gas industries and exploring sea areas with difficult access, such as the Arctic.
The underwater vehicle would use electrical power as its main energy source, in the form of an emissions-free fuel cell. Where necessary, power could also be provided by a Li-ion battery module. The underwater vehicle is designed to operate 24/7, 365 days a year.
Together with project partners Atlas Elektronik, EvoLogics, University of Rostock, TU Berlin, Fraunhofer Institute, the German Aerospace Center and Institute for the Protection of Maritime Structures, thyssenkrupp Marine Systems now plans to apply for funding for a large-scale demonstrator.
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