The artificial gill: Oxygen extraction technology for extended missions

Aquanautics Corporation is a biochemical research company funded by DARPA to develop an oxygen extraction process from seawater for extending the missions of autonomous underwater vehicles. The Company has entered into its third year of research for DARPA and has already exceeded the breakeven energy level required to move a vehicle through the water. DARPA has commissioned Aquanautics to build an underwater vehicle testbed to demonstrate this technology. A variety of engineering parametrics were generated from a computer that models underwater vehicle performance based upon different subsystem designs and vehicle missions. This paper shows how an oxygen extractor can extend vehicles for long range, slow cruising speeds, as well as hybrid vehicles with sprint and drift capabilities. Aquanautics is developing this technology with the combined science disciplines of molecular engineering, electrochemistry and biochemistry. The performance of the oxygen extraction process has improved over twentyfold since the inception of DARPA funding in January of 1985 and is approaching the performance levels required for several military purposes.