Magnetics Business & Technology - March/April 2022 - 14

FEATURE ARTICLE
GE Power Conversion Equips Navy Fleets with Electric Propulsion Systems
Both of GE's drive trains have two electric motors in tandem.
VDM25000 power converters with three independent channels
accompany the 15-phase AIM. Each motor drive train can operate
on 5, 10, or 15 phases. This provides high redundancy
and is more economical when running at lower power.
GE Power Conversion is providing Integrated electric power
and propulsion systems to navies around the world. Recent
projects include the US Navy's first full-electric power and
propulsion ship, the USS Zumwalt, shown above. Two other
projects involve new patrol ships for the Royal Canadian Navy
and a new combat support ship for the Royal Netherlands
Navy.
For the USS Zumwalt, GE's Power Conversion business
was the designer and provider for the high-voltage system,
propulsion drive trains consisting of multiphase converters and
Advanced Induction Motors (AIM) for the DDG 1000 class of
futuristic destroyers.
" Delivery is an important milestone for the Navy, as the DDG
1000 continues more advanced at-sea testing of the Zumwalt
Combat System, " said Capt. Kevin Smith, DDG 1000 program
manager for the Navy. " The combat test team, consisting of
the DDG 1000 sailors, Raytheon engineers, and Navy field activity
teams, have worked diligently to get USS Zumwalt ready
for more complex, multi-mission at-sea testing. "
For navies around the globe, power and energy are mission
enablers, according to Kevin Byrne, who leads the North
American marine segment for GE's Power Conversion business.
" Because electric power is needed for various operations
and mission systems in parallel, this full-electric power
and propulsion ship has the flexibility to direct energy where it
is needed on the platform, " he said.
The electric propulsion solution delivers efficiency, cost-ofownership
reductions, and system redundancy for enhanced
vessel safety. In addition, machinery layout is more flexible
and configurable for containment and isolation, says the company.
Employing the innovative Integrated Power System, the
DDG 1000 has the capacity to distribute electricity across the
entire ship, allowing for enhanced power flexibility for various
operational requirements.
Arctic & offshore patrol ships for Royal Canadian Navy
Another recent delivery has been the Royal Canadian Navy's
HMCS Harry DeWolf, its first full-electric power and propulsion
ice class patrol vessel with combat package. GE's Power
Conversion business was the designer and provider of the
high-voltage electric power system (HV) and electric propulsion
drive trains, with specialist capability for operations in
multi-year ice, for the Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS)
class of six vessels.
Advanced Induction Motor (AIM) from GE
14 Magnetics Business & Technology * March/April 2022
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Compact enough for combatant ships and powerful enough
for an aircraft carrier, AIM technology has demonstrated its
performance over more than two decades on land and at sea
for mechanical strength, robustness, very low maintenance,
and naval performance requirements. For the full-electric
propulsion system, GE leveraged its proven technologies,
building from the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC)
land-based test site and its own Marine Power Test Facility in
the UK, alongside the UK Royal Navy Type 45 program, Byrne
explained. " The US Navy gets benefits from our other platforms
that we then could apply to the DDG 1000 and future
platforms. "
With 72 MW of propulsion power, GE's Integrated Full Electric
Propulsion (IFEP) system comprises all shipboard electrical
power generation and propulsion including the propulsion
motor, VDM25000 variable speed drives, switchboards,
and HV equipment. Offering improved efficiency, the electric
drive eliminates the need for the drive shaft and reduction
gears and brings benefits in acoustic signature reduction, an
increase in available power for operational requirements and
improvements in the quality of life for crew. The all-electric
propulsion of Zumwalt also generates additional reserved
power, allowing the integration of future high-energy defense
systems and sensors.
Recognizing that navies were demanding more energy amidst
space constraints, GE has been developing its full-electric
propulsion system for decades, Byrne said. With more than
100 electric and hybrid references with 15 navies globally, it is
the top electric propulsion provider to navies around the world.
Magnetics Business & Technology - March/April 2022

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