Aerojet Rocketdyne has successfully built and tested a Stored Chemical Energy Propulsion, or SCEPS, lithium boiler which could be used to power the U.S. Navy’s next generation torpedoes.
“Aerojet Rocketdyne’s self-funded manufacturing of a SCEPS lithium boiler demonstrates our strong commitment to delivering affordable, low risk and high quality products to the U.S. Navy,” said Eileen P. Drake, Aerojet Rocketdyne CEO and president.
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SCEPS is an advanced propulsion system which improves the capabilities of the MK 54 MOD 2 torpedo.
“Maritime security is essential to national security,” said Drake. “The Aerojet Rocketdyne team is proud to enhance and advance our investment in SCEPS propulsion to power the nation’s cutting-edge undersea capability that will ultimately protect what we value most – our homeland, our U.S. military service members and our allies.”
Aerojet Rocketdyne independently funded the fabrication and testing of the SCEPS lithium-based thermal energy system, which uses an energetic chemical reaction to power a steam turbine. The boiler design builds upon the Penn State University Applied Research Laboratory’s (PSU-ARL) technical data package distributed by the U.S. Navy in 2020 for the Compact Rapid Attack Weapon (CRAW) program.
In addition to its possible use for torpedoes, such as CRAW, Aerojet Rocketdyne is also developing SCEPS for the larger MK 54 MOD 2 torpedo. Aerojet Rocketdyne is under contract to the U.S. Navy to deliver SCEPS prototype afterbody/tailcone assemblies for an advanced propulsion system for the MK 54 MOD 2 Advanced Lightweight Torpedo (ALWT).