Domestically produced components are enabling China's deep-sea manned submersible Jiaolong to undergo a new round of upgrades, paving the way for its next phase of scientific exploration.The latest upgrades, which began in November last year, focused on critical components that are domestically produced.Jiaolong completed its first month-long trials on March 25, setting a new record by performing four "two-dives-a-day" missions a feat made possible by its newly upgraded 7,000-meter-class high-energy-density oil-immersed lithium battery system."Before the upgrade, Jiaolong needed around 10 hours to recharge after each dive, which made frequent missions nearly impossible.
Now, with the new lithium battery system, it takes just three to four hours to fully charge, enabling the submersible to dive again much sooner and more efficiently," said Zhang Yi, senior engineer and diver of the National Deep Sea Center of China.The ascent, descent and maneuvering of the Jiaolong depend on the thrusters at its tail.The replacement of all thrusters in the latest upgrade increases the submersible's cruising speed from 2.5 nautical miles per hour to over three nautical miles per hour."Previously, all seven thrusters on the Jiaolong were imported.
Now, we've upgraded them with domestically produced ones, boosting the thrust from 89 kg to over 100 kg," Zhang said.The upgraded 36x zoom 4K HD camera set in front of the Jiaolong can be used to observe the deep-sea environment, even enabling researchers to see the fine hairs on the tentacles of sea anemones."This round of upgrade includes significant enhancements to the energy supply, especially the batteries.
The thrusters, both main and auxiliary ones, have been substantially improved.
Additionally, the ascent and descent systems, including the water injection speed and flow rate, have been optimized.
These advancements mark a pivotal step in enabling the Jiaolong to carry out more precise operations across a broader area.
I think the upgrade is highly valuable and meaningful," said Li Jiabiao, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.The submersible has been put into new round of research missions.
The Jiaolong is expected to complete more than 80 dives in 2025.