Wind to Coal to Gas to Nuclear to.... Water?

The United States Navy operates around the world and is constantly on the move.  With almost 150 combat ships distributed around the globe this force requires a massive logistics effort to move and sustain it.   one of the heaviest and most expensive supplies delevered to these floating cities fuel. The typical destroyer in our Navy consumes about 1000 gallons of fuel per hour. 

 

The imperial expansion of the United States was fueled (pun intended) by the need to establish  points around the world to load coal and supplies onto a global fleet. Today, the United States Navy is filled with ships designed to resupply while underway at sea. Logistically, this is a difficult and expensive process. New technology, however, may be changing the way our Navy approaches this obstacle.

Recently, Navy researchers have developed a way to breakdown sea water into a hydrocarbon fuel that can power engines. This technology was recently used in a model airplane  as a proof of concept. Through the use of a catalytic converter, the seawater takes the form of a fluid fuel with a high energy return. 

The logistical impact of such a development is staggering. As Navy ships begin to use this method to power their engines they no longer need constant resupply of fuel from other ships. This will drastically reduce the resulting snowball effect. The logistics snowball is the idea that for ever piece of equipment or support needed to deliver sustainment there are additional supplies needed to sustain the sustainment effort itself.

By having ships that no longer require refueling the Navy can durastically reduce its costs. With the need for less fuel there will be fewer refueling ships necessary.