The electric warship VII - the reality The electric warship VII - the reality Commander GT Little, Royal Navy Eng(Hons), MSc, MCGI, psc(j), Royal Navy, Commander SS Young, MSc, CEng, MIMechE, Royal Navy, and Commander JM Newell, BSc, MSc, CEng, FIMarEST, Royal Navy Integrated electric propulsion (IEP) is an everyday reality as the power system solution for naval platforms, embracing recent advances in enabling technologies to deliver cost- effective, survivable, power-dense solutions in a variety of applications. Founded on the Marine Engineering Development Strategy (MEDS) and supported by significant progress in the commercial marine sector, the defence community has embraced the potential of IEP and is now looking at more advanced integrated full electric propulsion (IFEP) solutions for future platforms. This paper follows on from the earlier series of ‘Hodge-Mattick’ electric warship papers and the ‘Newell-Young’ paper Beyond Electric Ship, and in doing so looks to put the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) programmes and strategies into context, review the issues surrounding the introduction of IEP and provide an update on progress towards achieving the electric warship. AUTHORS’ BIOGRAPHIES Commander John Newell, Royal Navy, joined the Royal Navy as Commander Graeme Little, Royal Navy, joined the Royal Navy an artificer apprentice in 1976 and joined BRNC Dartmouth on in 1984 as a marine engineer officer. On completion of his basic promotion in 1978. On completion of his degree at RNEC training in 1985 he joined Royal Naval Engineering College Manadon and initial training as a marine engineer he served as the (RNEC) Manadon to study for a first degree in marine engineering. Deputy Marine Engineer Officer in HMS Sirius. He subsequently Following successful professional training he joined HMS took a MSc in electrical marine engineering and served in the MoD Birmingham in 1990 as the Deputy Marine Engineer Officer. He as the project officer for pollution control equipment. He then subsequently read for an MSc in electrical marine engineering at served as the Marine Engineer Officer in HMS Boxer before RNEC Manadon followed in 1994 by an appointment to the Ship undertaking the French Staff Course in Paris. On return to the UK Support Agency as the project officer responsible for electric he spent 15 months with the Joint Planning Staff precursor to the propulsion systems. On promotion to Lieutenant Commander in Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) before becoming one of 1996 he joined HMS Sutherland as the Marine Engineer Officer. the appointers. He was promoted to Commander in 1997 and Following Staff Course, he was promoted to Commander in was appointed as the head of the Electrical Power Distribution 2000 and was appointed to the Warship Support Agency as the and Propulsion Systems specialist group within the Ship Support head of the Electrical Power and Propulsion Systems specialist Agency in March 1998. Commander Newell joined HMS Albion group where he is now serving. as Senior Naval Officer and Marine Engineer Officer in January 2001. Commander Stuart Young, Royal Navy, joined the Royal Navy in 1977 and completed undergraduate and post-graduate training at the Royal Naval Engineering College in Plymouth. He has INTRODUCTION undertaken a number of appointments at sea, including Marine n recent years a variety of papers, seminars and conferences Engineer Officer of HMS Norfolk, the Royal Navy’s first CODLAG have sought to provide detail and promote discussion on frigate. Shore appointments have included project officer for the the diverse range of issues that make up the electric warship procurement of Warship Machinery Operator and Maintainer concept. The same period has also seen a huge amount of Trainers, lecturer at the Royal Naval Engineering College and Iprogress in enabling technologies that have made integrated Marine Engineering Liaison Officer with the United States Navy, electric propulsion the system of choice for many new naval based in Washington DC. He is currently the Electric Ship ships. This paper looks to review the MoD’s Marine Engineering Programme Manager within the UK’s Defence Procurement Development Strategy (MEDS), examining its role within the Agency. framework of the Equipment Pillar of the Royal Naval Strategic No. B2 Journal of Marine Design and Operations 3 Electric warship new 3 14/2/03, 11:47 am The electric warship VII - the reality Plan and the Smart Acquisition Initiative. Recent progress and Fig 3 looks to put the various system configurations into successes will be reviewed along with a look at the enabling context. technologies and the ‘road map’ for managing the successful introduction of such technologies. The aim of the paper is to THE MARINE ENGINEERING provide the wider naval marine community with clarity of the DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY MoD’s programme and to invite debate for marine systems of the The current strategy future. The first Marine Engineering Development Strategy was Perhaps by way of an overview it is worth reviewing the trends endorsed in 1996. It aimed to achieve significant life cycle cost in power and propulsion systems in recent years, noting that the reductions, whilst meeting naval requirements, by exploiting reality of electric propulsion was successfully introduced in 1920 world-wide industrial and commercial developments. Only if in HMS Adventure and has seen widespread use in the submarine naval requirements could not be met would development of community. specific equipment be funded. It envisaged achieving this through In the last decade of the 20th century, the Type 23 frigate the development and introduction of advanced-cycle gas tur- demonstrated the benefits that an electric architecture can bring bines within an integrated full electric propulsion architecture to bear with the hybrid power distribution and propulsion system and the electrification of auxiliaries. Development of industry known as Combined Diesel Electric and Gas (CODLAG). partnering and international co-operation opportunities was Building on the success of the Type 23 and the step change in encouraged. technology driven by the commercial sector, electric propulsion is Much has been achieved. Since 1996 every major ship the reality as we enter the 21st century, with two Auxiliary Oilers ordered for the Royal Navy has had an integrated electric (AO) and two Landing Platform Docks (LPD) shortly to enter propulsion system. The selection of IEP for the T45 means that service. Both classes have integrated electric propulsion and bring life cycle cost benefits will now be achieved earlier than envis- turnkey commercial solutions to satisfy a naval application. An aged in 1996. The electric ship technology demonstrator is artist’s impression of the LPD(R) is at Fig 1 together with an outline expected to start testing in spring 2002. This builds on the T45 schematic of the power generation and propulsion system at Fig 2. concept and introduces new power conversion systems and Hard on the heels will be the replacement survey vessels, advanced energy storage concepts to accrue further LCC ben- Type 45 destroyer and the Advanced Landing Ship Logistics, all efits with high system integrity, particularly under damage or embracing electric propulsion. The Type 45 solution is driven by fault conditions. the requirement for a power dense system with reduced whole The Marine Engineering Development Programme (MEDP) is life costs and challenging signature targets. The goal has been more than just electric ship, it covers all marine engineering met by exploiting the commercial market and incorporating the technologies where MoD-funded work is needed to ensure that United States’ integrated power system (IPS)-derived advanced new technologies meet the requirements of future ships. Work induction motor (AIM) development and the WR21 ICR gas either recently completed or currently on-going includes. turbine. G Integrated waste management. G Fire-fighting systems. WHY ELECTRIC PROPULSION AND G Upper deck systems. WHAT IS IT? G Improved roll-stabilisation. Electric propulsion brings together efficiency, flexibility, G Composite pressure vessels. G survivability and, perhaps most importantly, reductions in cost Non-thermal plasma for Nox/particulate removal for die- of ownership. Captured simply, reduced numbers of prime sel exhausts. movers, integrated systems, flexibility in layout and proven G Fuel cross-flow micro-filtration. commercial precedent make it a credible solution to the require- G Electrical actuation of hydrodynamic control surfaces. ment. Electric propulsion systems fall into three broad categories, The Equipment Pillar namely hybrid, integrated (IEP) and integrated full (IFEP). The The Marine Engineering Development Strategy does not terms electric ship and electric warship are also used. They can be exist in isolation and its pursuit over the next two to three years defined as follows: is a key element of the Equipment Pillar of the Royal Naval G Hybrid - similar to the T23 frigate, where mechanical drive Strategic Plan. The Equipment Pillar outlines the Navy’s con- and electric drive systems are combined. cerns regarding reliability, manning levels and through-life G IEP - where a common power source is utilised for both costs of current equipment and indicates how these could be ship services and propulsion system, with the propulsion improved by: being purely electric. T45, AO and LPD(R) are examples. G Exploiting the concept of smart acquisition, closely align- G IFEP - takes