DDG 1000 marks another milestone

SEPTEMBER 26, 2014 — NAVSEA reports that the Navy’s Zumwalt class (DDG 1000) destroyer program continues to achieve key shipbuilding milestones. The first-of-class ship, the future USS Zumwalt, completed ship generator light-off on September 23.

DDG 1000, is 92 percent complete and currently in the test and activation phase of construction at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works shipyard. The ship is successfully activating its fuel systems, advanced induction motors (AIM) and generators, with fuel onload and AIM light-off completed in July. The generators are used to produce the electricity required to operate the ship — the first Navy surface combatant to employ an innovative Integrated Power System (IPS). Key design features that make the IPS architecture unique include the ability to provide power to propulsion, ship’s service, and combat system loads from the same gas turbine generators.

“Light-off of DDG 1000’s generators is a critical step forward in the activation, test and trials of the ship’s systems,” said Capt. Jim Downey, DDG 1000 program manager. “With deliberate and incremental test and activation, the DDG 1000 team is systematically retiring risk and preparing this highly complex ship for at-sea testing and eventual transfer to the fleet.”

Completion of generator light-off is the latest electrical system milestone in an effort that began years ago with early prototype testing at the Naval Ships Systems Engineering Station Land Based Test Site in Philadelphia, Pa. Lessons learned from this effort guided activation events onboard DDG 1000 including energizing the high voltage power system, lighting off the port AIM utilizing shore power to demonstrate operation of the propulsion motor system, and continual testing of the engineering control system responsible for the automated control of the engineering plant. Most recently, successful testing of the fuel oil service and transfer system allowed for the onload of fuel utilized in the light-off event.

Test and activation of the ship’s systems will steadily continue, with activation of the ship’s computer system, the Total Ship Computing Environment planned for later this fall. Zumwalt will begin at-sea testing in 2015 off the coast of Maine and is expected to arrive in San Diego, in the 2016 timeframe for an extensive period of operational integration with the fleet.

Upon entry into the fleet, Zumwalt-class destroyers will be multi-mission surface combatant designed to fulfill volume firepower and precision strike requirements.

Neil Pickard, Rolls-Royce, Program Executive said: “On behalf of the entire DDG 1000 program team, I am very pleased to confirm the successful light-off of the first Rolls-Royce MT30 main turbine generator set this week. The accomplishment of this important milestone is significant as it enables us to progress with more comprehensive and self-sufficient testing of the ship’s Integrated Power System (IPS) over the weeks and months ahead.”

The IPS on the DDG 1000 generates all the electrical power required for main propulsion, combat systems, sensors and weapons systems.

Don Roussinos, Rolls-Royce, President – Naval said: “Rolls-Royce is extremely proud of the successful light-off of the first MT30 main turbine generator set aboard Zumwalt, and we look forward to similar success with the two auxiliary turbine generator sets as well as the second MTG over the coming months. Rolls-Royce generator sets are designed, tested and proven to deliver highly survivable power for the ship’s Integrated Power System that provides 100% of the electrical power aboard the Zumwalt class multi-mission destroyers.”

Onboard the Zumwalt are two Rolls-Royce MT30 Main Turbine Generator Sets (MTGs) and two RR4500 Auxiliary Turbine Generator Sets (ATGs) that will provide a total of 78 MW for total ship power – the MTGs provide 35.4 MW each and the ATGs 3.8 MW each.

The MT30 is the most power dense marine gas turbine in the world, selected to power the most modern and advanced vessels in the US Navy, including the Freedom Class Littoral Combat Ship, as well as the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, the innovative Type 26 Global Combat Ship, and the Republic of Korea Navy’s FFX Batch II frigate.