The team’s innovation centers around a new vibration-damping system that can dramatically reduce the submarine’s underwater acoustic signature. This system consists of two main layers: active and passive.
The first uses a set of steel-rubber-steel sandwich rings to absorb vibrations. This is a significant improvement over more traditional, rigid engine mounts found in most submarines.
The latter uses twelve or so piezoelectric actuators placed around the engine to counteract vibrations in real time. These actuators can neutralise the engine’s micron-level movements with strong control forces through precision lever mechanisms.