United States Navy Gas Turbine Propulsion Machinery Systems Testing

Author(s):  
Robert P. Nufrio ◽  
James McNamara

Significant U.S. Navy controlled land based testing has been successfully conducted on gas turbines and gas turbine main propulsion systems since the early 1950’s. Through the success of these tested systems, largely as a result of successful land based testing, the demand for gas turbine powered main propulsion systems has been steadily increasing. Consequently, gas turbine technology, its applications, and required test capabilities are constantly being developed to meet future U.S. Navy requirements.

Author(s):  
John Hartranft ◽  
Bruce Thompson ◽  
Dan Groghan

Following the successful development of aircraft jet engines during World War II (WWII), the United States Navy began exploring the advantages of gas turbine engines for ship and boat propulsion. Early development soon focused on aircraft derivative (aero derivative) gas turbines for use in the United States Navy (USN) Fleet rather than engines developed specifically for marine and industrial applications due to poor results from a few of the early marine and industrial developments. Some of the new commercial jet engine powered aircraft that had emerged at the time were the Boeing 707 and the Douglas DC-8. It was from these early aircraft engine successes (both commercial and military) that engine cores such as the JT4-FT4 and others became available for USN ship and boat programs. The task of adapting the jet engine to the marine environment turned out to be a substantial task because USN ships were operated in a completely different environment than that of aircraft which caused different forms of turbine corrosion than that seen in aircraft jet engines. Furthermore, shipboard engines were expected to perform tens of thousands of hours before overhaul compared with a few thousand hours mean time between overhaul usually experienced in aircraft applications. To address the concerns of shipboard applications, standards were created for marine gas turbine shipboard qualification and installation. One of those standards was the development of a USN Standard Day for gas turbines. This paper addresses the topic of a Navy Standard Day as it relates to the introduction of marine gas turbines into the United States Navy Fleet and why it differs from other rating approaches. Lastly, this paper will address examples of issues encountered with early requirements and whether current requirements for the Navy Standard Day should be changed. Concerning other rating approaches, the paper will also address the issue of using an International Organization for Standardization, that is, an International Standard Day. It is important to address an ISO STD DAY because many original equipment manufacturers and commercial operators prefer to rate their aero derivative gas turbines based on an ISO STD DAY with no losses. The argument is that the ISO approach fully utilizes the power capability of the engine. This paper will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the ISO STD DAY approach and how the USN STD DAY approach has benefitted the USN. For the future, with the advance of engine controllers and electronics, utilizing some of the features of an ISO STD DAY approach may be possible while maintaining the advantages of the USN STD DAY.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 28
Author(s):  
Emmanuel O. Osigwe ◽  
Arnold Gad-Briggs ◽  
Theoklis Nikolaidis

When selecting a design for an unmanned aerial vehicle, the choice of the propulsion system is vital in terms of mission requirements, sustainability, usability, noise, controllability, reliability and technology readiness level (TRL). This study analyses the various propulsion systems used in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), paying particular focus on the closed-cycle propulsion systems. The study also investigates the feasibility of using helium closed-cycle gas turbines for UAV propulsion, highlighting the merits and demerits of helium closed-cycle gas turbines. Some of the advantages mentioned include high payload, low noise and high altitude mission ability; while the major drawbacks include a heat sink, nuclear hazard radiation and the shield weight. A preliminary assessment of the cycle showed that a pressure ratio of 4, turbine entry temperature (TET) of 800 °C and mass flow of 50 kg/s could be used to achieve a lightweight helium closed-cycle gas turbine design for UAV mission considering component design constraints.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey S. Patterson ◽  
Kevin Fauvell ◽  
Dennis Russom ◽  
Willie A. Durosseau ◽  
Phyllis Petronello ◽  
...  

Abstract The United States Navy (USN) 501-K Series Radiological Controls (RADCON) Program was launched in late 2011, in response to the extensive damage caused by participation in Operation Tomodachi. The purpose of this operation was to provide humanitarian relief aid to Japan following a 9.0 magnitude earthquake that struck 231 miles northeast of Tokyo, on the afternoon of March 11, 2011. The earthquake caused a tsunami with 30 foot waves that damaged several nuclear reactors in the area. It was the fourth largest earthquake on record (since 1900) and the largest to hit Japan. On March 12, 2011, the United States Government launched Operation Tomodachi. In all, a total of 24,000 troops, 189 aircraft, 24 naval ships, supported this relief effort, at a cost in excess of $90.0 million. The U.S. Navy provided material support, personnel movement, search and rescue missions and damage surveys. During the operation, 11 gas turbine powered U.S. warships operated within the radioactive plume. As a result, numerous gas turbine engines ingested radiological contaminants and needed to be decontaminated, cleaned, repaired and returned to the Fleet. During the past eight years, the USN has been very proactive and vigilant with their RADCON efforts, and as of the end of calendar year 2019, have successfully completed the 501-K Series portion of the RADCON program. This paper will update an earlier ASME paper that was written on this subject (GT2015-42057) and will summarize the U.S. Navy’s 501-K Series RADCON effort. Included in this discussion will be a summary of the background of Operation Tomodachi, including a discussion of the affected hulls and related gas turbine equipment. In addition, a discussion of the radiological contamination caused by the disaster will be covered and the resultant effect to and the response by the Marine Gas Turbine Program. Furthermore, the authors will discuss what the USN did to remediate the RADCON situation, what means were employed to select a vendor and to set up a RADCON cleaning facility in the United States. And finally, the authors will discuss the dispensation of the 501-K Series RADCON assets that were not returned to service, which include the 501-K17 gas turbine engine, as well as the 250-KS4 gas turbine engine starter. The paper will conclude with a discussion of the results and lessons learned of the program and discuss how the USN was able to process all of their 501-K34 RADCON affected gas turbine engines and return them back to the Fleet in a timely manner.


Author(s):  
Matthew Driscoll ◽  
Thomas Habib ◽  
William Arseneau

The United States Navy uses the General Electric LM2500 gas turbine engine for main propulsion on its newest surface combatants including the OLIVER HAZARD PERRY (FFG 7) class frigates, SPRUANCE (DD 963) class destroyers, TICONDEROGA (CG 47) class cruisers, ARLIEGH BURKE (DDG 51) class destroyers and SUPPLY (AOE 6) class oilers. Currently, the Navy operates a fleet of over 400 LM2500 gas turbine engines. This paper discusses the ongoing efforts to characterize the availability of the engines aboard ship and pinpoint systems/components that have significant impact on engine reliability. In addition, the program plan to upgrade the LM2500’s standard configuration to improve reliability is delineated.


1985 ◽  
Vol 22 (01) ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Ralph J. Della Rocca ◽  
John D. Stehn

The need for a gas turbine training facility became apparent with the introduction into the U.S. Navy fleet of the first ships of the FFG7 Frigate and DD963 Destroyer Classes with gas turbine propulsion plants. This facility, constructed at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, provides "hands-on" training for maintenance and operation of marine gas turbines and associated propulsion plant components and controls and their piping and electrical systems. The Navy intends to train at this facility approximately 1000 personnel per year in the use of their latest and newest propulsion plants. The design of the facility reproduces as closely as possible the existing machinery and control spaces of the two different classes of ships and integrates them into a single main building with the school and the mechanical equipment wings. This paper presents an overview of the need for well-trained, qualified naval personnel to man the expanding fleet of marine gas turbine propulsion systems, existing training facilities and the various stages in the development of the FFG7/DD963 Gas Turbine Maintenance and Operational Training Facility. In regard to the facility, the paper discusses the planning and managing of the project; development of the designs for the building and propulsion plants; construction of the building facilities and FFG7 plant; the fabrication, transportation and erection of the FFG7 within the building; and the testing and operation of the FFG7 plant since light-off. Major emphasis is given to the FFG7 plant since the DD963 plant is being reconsidered in conjunction with the CG47 upgrading and is awaiting a decision to proceed.


1980 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. W. McCoy

Analysis of gas turbine-powered naval ships of 500- to 4000-ton size has been performed for ocean escort and patrol missions with performance levels appropriate to gas turbines of both current and advanced technology. The use of gas turbine systems allows the realization of high mission effectiveness with relatively small ships. For advanced marine gas turbines, the most significant ship benefit would result from increased thermal efficiency of cruise engines by means of regenerative cycles. A secondary improvement, particularly for high dash speeds, would be the reduction of specific weight for dash engines. With such advanced gas turbines, ship sizes may be further reduced for given mission capabilities.


Author(s):  
Karen A. Walder ◽  
Steven D’Alessio

Demand for power in the United States is projected to increase between 2 and 4 percent per year for the next 10 years based on various studies. At the same time, the rise in environmental regulatory restrictions has made it increasingly difficult and expensive for utilities to meet these growing power demands with traditional power sources. During the 1960’s and 70’s hundreds of gas turbine electric generating units were installed in the United States. Many are now approaching the end of their useful economic lives owing to increased maintenance and fuel costs. With the major advances in both fuel efficiency and exhaust gas emission quality power producers are looking toward the repowering of existing plants with modern gas turbines such as the FT8. (Day and Koehler, 1988) This paper describes the design of Turbo Power and Marine Systems’ (Turbo Power) FT8® repowering package for the present FT4 powered plant at Public Service Electric and Gas Company’s (PSE&G) Burlington Generating Station. Given the objectives of minimum design effort and minimum field construction time, the retrofit package provides an optimal blending of existing FT4 and standard FT8 equipment. Performance, impact on operation, reliability, and availability of the FT8 industrial gas turbine were also important considerations in the retrofit design.


Author(s):  
Justin Zachary

Since 1998, the United States has experienced a tremendous increase in power generation projects using gas turbine technology. By burning natural gas as the primary fuel and low sulfur oil as a back-up fuel, gas turbines are the cleanest form of fossil power generation.


Author(s):  
Gregory J. Kacprzynski ◽  
Michael Gumina ◽  
Michael J. Roemer ◽  
Daniel E. Caguiat ◽  
Thomas R. Galie ◽  
...  

Accurate prognostic models and associated algorithms that are capable of predicting future component failure rates or performance degradation rates for shipboard propulsion systems are critical for optimizing the timing of recurring maintenance actions. As part of the Naval maintenance philosophy on Condition Based Maintenance (CBM), prognostic algorithms are being developed for gas turbine applications that utilize state-of-the-art probabilistic modeling and analysis technologies. Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division (NSWCCD) Code 9334 has continued interest in investigating methods for implementing CBM algorithms to modify gas turbine preventative maintenance in such areas as internal crank wash, fuel nozzles and lube oil filter replacement. This paper will discuss a prognostic modeling approach developed for the LM2500 and Allison 501-K17 gas turbines based on the combination of probabilistic analysis and fouling test results obtained from NSWCCD in Philadelphia. In this application, the prognostic module is used to assess and predict compressor performance degradation rates due to salt deposit ingestion. From this information, the optimum time for on-line waterwashing or crank washing from a cost/benefit standpoint is determined.


Author(s):  
Charles T. Vincent ◽  
Rolf Weber

This paper reviews the highlights of the first two seasons of commercial operation of GE LM2500 gas turbines installed in the Aquastrada class of fast ferries. The ships’ total propulsion systems were supplied and packaged by MTU-Friedrichshafen for this first commercial marine application of the LM2500 gas turbine. Problems encountered and lessons learned are presented as part of the paper.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document