Ship-size Hts Propulsion Motor Passes Tests

摘要

American Superconductor Corporation (AMSC) and Northrop Grumman Corporation have successfully completed full-power testing of the worlds first 36.5MW (49,000hp) high-temperature superconductor (HTS) ship propulsion motor.rnThe trials, at the US Navy's Integrated Power System Land-Based Test Site in Philadelphia, were the first in which an electric propulsion motor sized for a large combatant had been tested. The motor was designed and built under a contract from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to demonstrate the efficacy of HTS motors as a primary propulsion technology for all-electric warships and submarines. The Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) funded and led the testing effort.rnIncorporating coils of HTS wire that are able to carry 150 times the power of similar-sized copper wire, the motor is less than half the size of conventional motors used on the first two DDG-1000 hulls and will reduce ship weight by nearly 200 tonnes, and could help make new warships more fuel-efficient and free-up space for other onboard systems.