The deep-sea manned submersible Jiaolong has entered a groundbreaking phase with its latest upgrade, integrating domestically produced components to boost performance and efficiency. Since November of last year, engineers have focused on enhancing critical systems such as the 7,000-meter-class high‐energy-density oil-immersed lithium battery. This new battery system reduces recharge time from nearly 10 hours to just three to four hours, allowing Jiaolong to achieve four dives a day—an impressive leap in operational capability.
Key improvements include the replacement of all seven thrusters. Previously imported, these are now domestically produced, increasing the thrust from 89 kg to over 100 kg and raising the submersible's cruising speed from 2.5 to over three nautical miles per hour. Additionally, an upgraded 36x zoom 4K HD camera provides researchers with ultra-detailed views of the deep-sea environment, even capturing the fine hairs on sea anemone tentacles. Experts Zhang Yi, a senior engineer and diver at the National Deep Sea Center of China, and Li Jiabiao, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, have both praised these enhancements as pivotal steps towards more precise and expansive marine research.
Looking ahead, the Jiaolong is set for a new round of research missions, with more than 80 dives scheduled for 2025. The integration of innovative domestic technology highlights a commitment to advancing scientific exploration and showcases a dynamic approach to overcoming challenging deep-sea environments.
Reference(s):
China's Jiaolong submersible upgraded with domestic components
cgtn.com
