Engineering news
The first marine gas turbine alternator package has been installed onboard the HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier, which is being built at the Babcock Rosyth shipyard in Scotland.
Each 120 tonne GTA package consists of a GE supplied alternator coupled to a Rolls-Royce supplied MT30 gas turbine contained within an enclosure.
Two MT30s will be installed on HMS Prince of Wales and will provide two thirds of the 109MW needed to power the 65,000 tonne ship.
The installation involved the careful lifting of the turbine and associated ancillary equipment onto the ship structure. With the enclosure in place, the large alternator, which is driven by the gas turbine to produce electrical power, was then hoisted into place.
Once operational, the GTAs will supply high voltage power to the four propulsion motors as well as the 13 ship service transformers. These transformers distribute low voltage power to the weapons systems, mission systems equipment and navigation systems, as well as power required for the onboard living quarters.
Jim Bennett, power and propulsion director for the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, said the installation was a significant milestone in the construction of HMS Prince of Wales. “It has been the culmination of many years of hard work to ensure the timely delivery of this first complete MT30 gas turbine alternator to HMS Prince of Wales, which along with its twin will deliver around two thirds of the electrical power generated onboard. This is British engineering at its best.”
The MT30 gas turbine is derived from the Rolls-Royce Trent 800 aero engine, with around 80 per cent of the parts being the same.
Production of the MT30 begins on the same production line as the Rolls-Royce Trent aero engines in Derby, before the modules are assembled into the marine configuration, and put through a test and certification programme at the Rolls-Royce Marine Test Facility in Bristol.
The power generated will meet the aircraft carrier’s demand for energy, which includes the propulsion and ships systems, weapons, aircraft and navigation systems as well as the entire low voltage requirements for operating such a large vessel.
The GTA packages are assembled by Cullums Detuners of Derbyshire. Due to the size, the alternator and gas turbine enclosure were shipped to Rosyth separately.
The alternators are manufactured by GE at its site in Rugby, weighing around 70 tonnes.
With a rated power output of 35MWe, the alternators are a unique machine built for the carrier project.