Page 27: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (September 2003)

tion, has proven its HTS design algo- rithms and technology in the Navy's 5-

MW program, and is now applying its

HTS design algorithms and technology to the design and fabrication of a 36.5-

MW (49,000-shp) 120-rpm motor. This motor is sized for the Navy's future

DD(X) class ships, and its delivery is scheduled for spring 2006. The design effort is proceeding in accordance with the proposed schedule, and the program is on track to deliver the motor on time.

Generators And

Synchronous Condensers

At the same time, AMSC has begun fabrication of a prototype for a 10-

MVAR SuperVAR dynamic synchro- nous condenser (DSC) ordered by the

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).

DSC's ensure proper VAR levels are maintained in electric power transmis- sion and distribution systems, thereby allowing the unimpeded flow of power through the lines and lowering costs.

The SuperVAR machines are similar to 10-MW 1,800-rpm generators, and thus the production of these TVA machines is setting the stage for the future commer- cialization of HTS generators, both in marine and land-based applications.

Like their motor cousins, HTS genera- tors are smaller, lighter, and more effi- cient than conventional generators.

For example, a 36-MW marine gener- ator and its support equipment will weigh about 40 tons and will measure less than 6.5 ft. (2 m) in diameter and less than 13 ft. (4 m) in length overall.

Coupled with a GE LM 6000 or Rolls

Royce MT-30 gas turbine (GT) at about 22 tons, a combined GT generator set will weigh only slightly more than 60 tons. These lighter and compact GT generator sets can now be located in a ship's superstructure, thereby minimiz- ing the space requirements for the engine room and GT ducting.

Brian Ackerman, a marine propul- sion consultant, recently evaluated this concept. He studied nine different diesel-direct drive container ships for the impact of a deckhouse GT generator set electric drive using conventional (and not HTS) generators. He estimated that the GT deckhouse system would make room for 4-16.4 percent more con- tainers in the nearly vacant engine room, depending on the size of the ships.

Ackerman further estimated that the added revenue from the container increase would pay back the greater first cost of the GT electric-drive and it's more expensive fuel in an average of 2.7 years, again depending on the specific ship. Ackerman noted that conventional generators control the weight of the GT generator sets and sometimes lead to

September 2003 arrangement problems at the higher rat- ings. With HTS generators, such diffi- culties will be ameliorated.

Very Large Systems

Ackerman's study also assumed elec- tric pod drive in his analyses, which also maximized the revenue space made available in the former engine room.

What he did not discuss was the diffi- culty that conventional electric drive or even direct diesel drive faces at very high power — the larger ships in his study need up to 77-MW of propulsion power, preferably in a single shaft for simplicity. This much power is not available with today's electric drive technology and is also problematic with

Marine Propulsion Annual direct drive diesels, currently the most common propulsion system in modern container ships. A recent issue of

Marine Engineers Review suggests that direct-drive diesels may be reaching their practical size limit because of the vibration, heat stress and ship hogging they cause. Here again. HTS motors offer a solution. Because of the high _ mm

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