Solar To Design Advanced Cruise Propulsion System For U.S. Navy

Solar T u r b i n e s International has begun work on a fuel-saving cruise propulsion system for U.S.

Navy ships. E n t i t l e d RACER (Rankine-Cycle E n e r g y Recovery), the program calls for Solar to design a system that will capture heat energy from a ship's main gas turbine engines. The heat will produce steam that will provide additional power to the ship's propellers via steam turbines.

Such a system will enable the vessels to get more power without having to burn any additional fuel in the main engines. Through improved fuel economy and extended cruising range, the RACER system will provide important improvements in military characteristics of U.S. fighting ships.

"RACER basically is a seagoing version of our combinedcycle system, which enables users to save energy by extracting more work from a given amount of fuel," said Dr. Robert G. Mills, Solar's vice president of engineering, research and advanced development. "We expect to dem- onstrate the same benefit to the Navy." "Upon completion of the designstudy phase in late 1980, the Navy is expected to award a $15- to $20-million contract for RACER production," Dr. Mills said.

Solar T u r b i n e s International manufactures turbine engines in ratings up to 10,600 horsepower that are used in a p p l i c a t i o ns worldwide.

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First published in 1881 Maritime Reporter is the world's largest audited circulation publication serving the global maritime industry.