Rolls-Royce is this week showcasing future naval power and propulsion capabilities at South Korean Defence exhibition, MADEX.
The new power and propulsion model will be on display, demonstrating Rolls-Royce’s extensive capabilities for both Integrated Full Electric and Hybrid Electric Propulsion solutions for modern naval vessels.
Rolls-Royce already has proven experience with the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN), having introduced a revolutionary, modern and simple, hybrid propulsion system arrangement for all eight ships in the Daegu-class FFX Batch II Anti-Submarine Warfare frigate programme – each powered by a single MT30 gas turbine and electric propulsion motors powered by four Rolls-Royce MTU diesel generators per ship. A similar system arrangement has more recently been selected for the Ulsan-class programme.
Beyond the FFX programme, Rolls-Royce is the only manufacturer in the world that has provided naval marine gas turbine generators into front-line integrated full electric (IFEP) powered destroyers and aircraft carriers. Rolls-Royce has extensive and proven experience in IFEP powered warships. The Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyers are powered by Rolls-Royce’s WR-21 engines. Two MT30 main gas turbine generator sets and two Rolls-Royce RR4500 auxiliary turbine generator sets supply 78MW of total ship power to U.S. Navy’s Zumwalt-class destroyers. The Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, due to visit South Korea later this year, combine two MT30 36MW gas turbine alternators with four medium speed diesel generators delivering 112 MW of electrical power.
The power density of the proven marine MT30 gas turbine genset is also one of the key enablers for Integrated Full Electric Propulsion (IFEP) for the next - generation RoKN destroyer (KDDX). MT30 alone is delivering huge design benefits through its power density, significantly reducing the number of gas turbines required to power advanced naval platforms.