Design of an Electric Ship Power Train

As part of its effort to provide information and technology for future generations of electric ships, engineers and scientists at the Center for Electromechanics have designed a baseline prime power system for a ship. The system operates at the 20 MW level. The design addresses fuel use for typical mission profiles, energy storage, and power electronics and controls as well as the electrical, mechanical, rotordynamic, thermal, and magnetic design of an appropriate generator and motor. A paper describing this work was presented at the 7th International Naval Engineering Conference and Exhibition, in March 2004. The paper, “Design and analysis of a 20 MW propulsion power train” incorporated work by J. Beno, M. Flynn, R. Hayes, R. Hebner, J. R. Jackson, A. Ouroua, M. Pichot, E. Schroeder, J. Zierer, and D. Weeks.

For further information, please contact A. Ourua.

Robust High Speed Rotors

Megawatt class motors with rotors that can spin in excess of 10,000 rpm are important in some applications such as direct mating to gas turbines or energy storage flywheels. The design of such motors requires targeted stress analysis to assure material systems can operate properly and have acceptable fatigue life under variable duty conditions. The paper, “Design and Stress Analysis of a High Speed Rotor for an Advanced Induction Motor,” by M. Caprio, V. Lelos, and J. Herbst summarizes some of the important considerations in the design of a particular novel machine. The paper was presented at the Electric Machine Technology Symposium 2004.

For further information, please contact Vasileios Lelos.

Shrinking Ship Power Trains

In an electric ship, the weight and volume of the power electronics needed to control the electric propulsion motor can be significant. A preliminary study shows that that are some paths for integration for the power electronics with the propulsion motor itself that can reduce the volume of the motor and its controller by about 10 percent. This work was summarized in a paper presented at the Electric Machine Technology Symposium 2004 in Philadelphia. The paper, “Development of Electric Propulsion Motors with Integrated Power Electronics” was authored by E. Schroeder, M. Pichot, O. Ouroua, M. Flynn, and J. Beno.

For further information, please contact Emily Schroeder.