“Future Surface Ships/Future Marine Propulsion Technology” feature
Vericor Power Systems

Many navies throughout the world are experiencing the future of marine propulsion technology now! What these navies know is an innovative propulsion system that achieves higher speeds through high power density -- with low noise, minimum vibration, and low maintenance costs -- is possible, all by using TF™ series aeroderivative marine gas turbines.

	Four Vericor TF50As in a Combined Diesel Or Gas turbine configuration power the Royal Swedish Navy's Visby-class corvette, designed and built by Kockums AB, Sweden.
	The U.S. Navy's Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) vehicles feature Vericor's TF40B gas turbines. To date more than 400 TF40Bs have been delivered for the LCAC program, logging more than 400,000 hours under demanding conditions.
	Vericor's TF50 gas turbine is ideal for a variety of military and commercial vessel designs where optimal power is needed without compromising the vessels performance and its ability to reach high speeds.

A key objective of ship designers is to optimize power without compromising the vessel’s performance and its ability to reach optimal speeds. That is why the small size and high power density characteristics of the TF series engines are suitable for some of the world’s most advanced, high-speed marine vessel designs.

Vericor Power Systems’ compact and dependable TF™40 and TF™50 gas turbines can be applied for a variety of ship designs including frigates, corvettes, fast offshore patrol boats, fast missile craft and hovercraft. Adapted from Honeywell’s proven aero-engine designs, the TF series is specifically configured for marine use, boasting a worldwide fleet in service of more than 500 TF40 and TF50 gas turbines.

These gas turbines are ideal for military, commercial, and high-speed private vessel designs that incorporate conventional displacement hulls, multi-hulls and other performance-enhancing hull designs. The TF engines provide propulsion system flexibility by being compatible with a variety of propulsors including waterjets, fixed and variable pitch propellers, and, in the case of hovercraft, air props and fans.

The ability to combine multiple TF engines on a single shaft line extends this flexibility and reliability in propulsion system configurations to provide even greater power output levels (see Table 1 for specifications).

The TF marine gas turbines can be used as stand-alone power plants or combined with diesels to form COmbined Diesel And Gas turbine (CODAG), COmbined Diesel Or Gas turbine (CODOG), and COmbined Gas And Gas turbine (COGAG) configurations.

Vericor Power Systems, along with its distributor MTU-Friedrichshafen (a DaimlerChrysler subsidiary), provides CODAG, CODOG or COGAG systems for military, commercial, and private marine uses worldwide. If desired, complete system packages can include inlet and exhaust ducting and filtering, gearing, local control and monitoring panel, sound attenuation, etc.

Experience

The following is a brief overview of some recent military programs that benefit from using the TF series gas turbines.

Four TF50As in a CODOG configuration power the Royal Swedish Navy’s Visby-class corvette, designed and built by Kockums AB, Sweden. The TF50As were selected for their compact, reliable and high power design. In addition, the CODOG equipment chosen to power the Visby corvette helps the craft maintain its stealth characteristics.

The MTU 16V-2000 diesel engines are used for loitering and the four TF50A gas turbines provide full power. The four gas turbines deliver power through two gearboxes to two waterjets.

The first Visby-class vessel is currently undergoing sea trials; five additional TF50A-powered Visby corvettes are on order with Kockums.

The T2000 Combat Air Cushion Vehicle, built by Aker Finnyards for the Finnish Navy, uses two TF40 gas turbines to drive both the propulsion and lift fans in a lightweight and rugged integrated propulsion system. Winter sea trials have been underway since late 2002.

The Swedish Navy removed older gas turbines from its Stockholm and Malmö patrol boats, and replaced them with one TF50 gas turbine per vessel in a CODAG main propulsion system. Both boats are expected to return to service in 2003 with increased speed capability.

The United States Navy’s Service Life Extension Program for its fleet of Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) vehicles will feature the upgraded TF40B engine known as the ETF40B. The enhanced engine will generate 15% more power at Maximum Intermittent Power, and will offer improved fuel efficiency with significantly reduced life cycle costs. To date, over 400 TF40Bs have been delivered for the LCAC program, logging more than 400,000 hours under demanding conditions.

Vericor Power Systems LLC, a subsidiary of MTU Aero Engines, markets, sells and supports TF™40 and TF™50 marine power systems as well as ASE™8, ASE™40 and ASE™50 gas turbine based OnsitePower™ turnkey systems. The company is headquartered in Atlanta, Ga. Visit Vericor on the Internet at www.vericor.com

Table 1 TF™40/TF™50A Marine Gas Turbine Commercial/Military Specifications
	TF40	TF50A
Maximum continuous power rating (MCR)*	4,000 shp 2,984 kW	5,100 shp 3,805 kW
High performance power rating	4,600 shp 3,432 kW	5,600 shp 4,178 kW
Weight**	1,325 pounds 602 kilograms	1,565 lbs 710 kg
Specific fuel consumption at MCR	.498 lbs/shp-hr 303 g/kW-hr	.448 lbs/shp-hr. .272 g/kW-hr
Fuel	Marine Diesel	Marine Diesel
Warm-up period	None required	None required
Oil consumption	.01 gallon/hr .0378 liter/hr	.01 gal /hr .0378 l/hr
Engine output speed	15,400 rpm	16,000 rpm
Engine length	52 in 1,321 mm	55 in 1,397 mm
Engine height	41 in 1,041 mm	41 in 1,041 mm
Engine width	35 in 889 mm	35 in 889 mm
* Average gas turbine performance at sea level ISO conditions and 15oC. No inlet, exhaust or gear losses are included. ** Weight is for gas turbine, complete with lube, fuel and control system The TF40 and TF50 gas turbines both carry Det Norske Veritas (NNV) and American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) design approval.

Vericor Power Systems
3625 Brookside Parkway, Suite 500
Alpharetta, Georgia 30022 U.S.A.

Tel: (770) 569-8800
Fax: (770) 569-0399
contact@vericor.com
www.vericor.com

 

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