Fuel-Saving Warship Drives

This article focuses on a fuel-efficient gas turbine engine featuring intercooling and heat recuperation, which is being developed to power a new generation of warships. Modern warships are often powered by gas turbine engines so they can take advantage of the turbine’s rapid response capabilities, solid operational reliability, high power density, and compact dimensions. For medium-size surface combatants such as destroyers, aircraft-derivative gas turbines have become the dominant propulsion engine type, having largely replaced traditional steam or diesel power plants. Though the all-electric concept is far from new, having been applied previously to merchant vessels, the technology is looking better of late. The NRC panel stated that gas turbine propulsion units, modular rare-earth permanent magnetic motors, and power control module technologies have matured to the point that all-electric ships appear feasible. The technology cited “unique advantages” in reduced volume, modular flexible propulsion, lower acoustic signature, enhanced survivability, high propeller torque at low speed, and inherent reversing capability. The result would be a submarine-type propulsion design with diesel-like fuel consumption.