April 6, 2005 -- EVENDALE, Ohio - GE Transportation's marine gas turbine business announced it has delivered its LM500 aeroderivative Auxiliary Turbine-Generator Set (ATGS) for installation at the United States Navy's DD(X) next-generation destroyer land-based test facility in Philadelphia, Pa. This marks the first use of GE's LM500 genset for an electric drive application.
The ATGS was selected to be a part of the DD(X)'s Integrated Power System Engineering Development Model land based test program being conducted by Northrop Grumman and the United States Navy. Northrop Grumman Ship Systems in Pascagoula, Miss. is the DD(X) prime contractor and design agent. The destroyer features tomahawk land attack missiles and two 155mm advanced gun systems, has a displacement of 14,264 tons, and offers a sustained speed of 30 knots.
The LM500 generator set produces about 3.8 megawatts of electrical power at 100oF ambient temperature.
"Development of the LM500 auxiliary turbine generator set for the DD(X) program was truly a collaboration between several GE Centers of Excellence - GE Transportation in Evendale, Ohio and Lynn, Mass. and GE Energy in Houston, Texas," said Jeff Martin, director of U.S. government programs for GE Transportation's marine gas turbine business. "We tapped into GE's outstanding resources to ensure the latest systems engineering and manufacturing technologies were applied for this project."
GE ATGS Team
GE designed the ATGS so that every system was reviewed in three key areas: design, validation and manufacture. GE's Evendale staff handled engineering work related to the gas turbine, GE's Lynn facility manufactured the LM500 engine, while GE Energy's team in Texas brought its extensive experience in genset testing to the ATGS team.
Under contract with GE, DRS-Power Technologies, Inc., in Fitchburg, Mass., performed the package design, integration and assembly. Woodward Governor provided its MicroNet R engine and package controls, and Kato Engineering, Mankato, Minn., provided the TEWAC generator.
Testing Program
The ATGS package successfully completed a rigorous testing regimen performed at GE's Jacintoport, Texas facility. Representatives from the U.S. Navy and Northrop Grumman witnessed the ATGS testing, where the genset completed its 20-hour run, passing all criteria outlined by the U.S. Navy for support of a critical DD(X) risk reduction milestone.
Testing included performance calibrations, transient response, heat run, drop load and safeties, and alarms operational tests. GE's Jacintoport facility is the packaging and testing home for the commercial marine LM2500 and LM2500+ and industrial LM6000, LM2500 and LM2500+ gas turbines. The newest member of the package product line is the LMS100, base rated at 100 megawatt.
The Jacintoport facility possesses three test lines, two with 50-megawatt resistive load bank capability, and one with 150-megawatt resistive load capability.
LM500
The LM500 is derived from GE's TF34 turbofan aircraft engine, and has 90% commonality with the CF34 engine that powers the popular CRJ100/200 regional jet with more than 14 million hours of operation.
The simple cycle LM500 is a two-shaft gas turbine consisting of a gas generator, a free power turbine and cold end drive capabilities. The 14-stage axial flow compressor offers a 14:5:1 pressure ratio.
Currently there are 63 LM500 gas turbines delivered or on order, accumulating more than 1.8 million operating hours. Of that total, 140,000 hours have been logged in marine service. The high time engine has accumulated 87,800 hours.
The versatile LM500 is currently operating in a variety of mechanical drive propulsion system configurations, such as the COmbined Diesel and Gas turbine arrangement aboard the Danish Navy's Stanflex 300 patrol boat; and the COmbined Diesel Or Gas turbine and the COmbined Gas and Gas turbine arrangements for the Japanese Navy's Sparviera hydrofoils and Hayabusa patrol boats, respectively.
The LM500 is also used to power two Foilcat high-speed commercial ferries that operate in Hong Kong.
GE Energy is one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technology, with 2004 revenues of $17.3 billion. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, GE Energy provides equipment, service and management solutions across the power generation, oil and gas, transmission and distribution, distributed power and energy rental industries.
GE Transportation's marine business is one of the world's leading manufacturers of a variety of marine products for military and commercial marine applications - in the 1,600 to 57,330 shaft horsepower range - including aeroderivative gas turbines, diesel engines and main reduction gearing. GE gas turbines range from 6,000 to 57,330 shaft horsepower. The GE diesel family of medium speed engines includes 8, 12 and 16 cylinder V configurations ranging between 1,600 to 4,500 hp for both commercial marine and industrial applications.
Deb Case
GE Aviation
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1-513-243-0094
1-859-380-8463