CVF - Lights, Carrier, Action! - The journey to Integrated Electric Propulsion for the UK Aircraft Carrier

摘要

The Royal Navy's Future Aircraft Carrier (CVF) HMS Queen Elizabeth will be the world's first aircraft carrier to adopt an integrated electric propulsion system and one of the largest and most powerful electrically propelled ships in the world. CVF will also be the first electric ship for the navy designed to be so from the outset without any mechanical legacy constraints. The design has been some 10 years in the making and along the way there have been many twists and turns in the technical and commercial areas that have driven the technical solution. This paper gives an insight from a power and propulsion perspective where she has come from, where she is now, and where she might go in the future as we stand on the edge of the manufacturing phase. The authors will outline how the current all electric power and propulsion solution is proven but innovative, capable but prudent, and graceful rather than redundant. After a period of competition, value engineering, military and commercial equipment evaluation, both the power and propulsion design and team is fixed and moving forward in a co-located alliance structure for the first time. This has enabled the power and propulsion solution, to evolve in line with the Ship GA and the customer's requirements in a manner not previously possible. This has, and continues to present many cost saving and technical opportunities, and some challenges. The authors will also outline where the CVF design and integration is actively attempting to not just heed, but act on lessons learnt from the past.