Full-Ocean-Depth Thrusters: The Power Key to Unlocking the 10,000-Meter Abyss

The 10,000-meter abyss in the Earth's deep sea is an extreme territory with pressure exceeding 1,100 atmospheres and temperatures approaching freezing. Full-ocean-depth thrusters are precisely the core power equipment to break through this "forbidden zone of life". Like the "limbs" of deep-sea detection equipment, they must not only resist extreme pressure and corrosion but also output thrust accurately. Their technical level directly determines the depth and breadth of human deep-sea exploration, serving as an important symbol of a country's deep-sea equipment strength.

The primary challenge in developing full-ocean-depth thrusters is surviving under extreme high pressure. Ordinary metals are easily crushed in the 10,000-meter deep sea, and seals fail due to pressure differences, with seawater infiltration directly causing motor short circuits. To address this, engineers use special titanium alloy to make the thruster shell, enhance its compressive strength through solution strengthening treatment, and adopt a redundant design of "metal seal ring + pressure compensation chamber" to dynamically balance internal pressure with external seawater, achieving zero leakage. Meanwhile, the shell surface is coated with a ceramic-based composite layer, which not only resists corrosion from seawater salts and microorganisms but also reduces water flow resistance, balancing durability and efficiency.

The precise adaptation of power and control is the core competitiveness of full-ocean-depth thrusters. Complex deep-sea currents continuously interfere with thrust output, while scientific research and exploration missions have extremely high requirements for motion accuracy. Currently, mainstream full-ocean-depth thrusters are all driven by brushless DC motors, combined with intelligent coordinated control systems, achieving millinewton-level thrust adjustment accuracy and enabling refined movements such as centimeter-level hovering and in-place rotation. Equipped with 6 main thrusters and 4 fine-tuning thrusters, the "Fendouzhe" (Striver) successfully completed rock sample collection in the Mariana Trench relying on this technology, and can quickly adjust its attitude to maintain stability even when encountering sudden currents.

The optimization of energy efficiency determines the deep-sea endurance of thrusters. Full-ocean-depth detection missions are extremely costly, and endurance time directly affects mission efficiency. Engineers break through the bottleneck through two main approaches: first, using high-energy-density special lithium batteries paired with intelligent energy management systems to dynamically allocate electrical energy according to mission needs—reducing power to save energy during cruising and outputting at full load during operations; second, optimizing the bionic design of propellers to imitate the curved contour of whale fins, reducing cavitation and water flow disturbance, and increasing energy conversion efficiency to over 90%, significantly extending underwater operation time.

Today, domestic full-ocean-depth thrusters have achieved a leap from following to leading the world, supporting equipment such as "Haidou-1" and "Fendouzhe" to complete multiple 10,000-meter deep-diving missions. In the future, with the integration of solid-state batteries and artificial intelligence technology, full-ocean-depth thrusters will upgrade towards miniaturization, long endurance, and autonomous adaptation. They will not only help humans explore deeper underwater mysteries but also provide reliable power for deep-sea resource exploration, ecological monitoring and other fields, becoming the key to unlocking the Earth's last unknown territory.