from: http://www.azom.com/details.asp?newsID=6969
American Super Signs $5.3 million Deal With US Navy for Design of High Temperature Superconductor Ship Propulsion Motors
American Superconductor Corporation has signed a cost-plus-fee contract valued at $5.3 million with the United States Navy's Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) for the design and optimization of high temperature superconductor (HTS) ship propulsion motors and power electronic drives. The first $1.9 million increment of funding that has been allotted for this contract will focus on motor, drive and electrical system options that are optimized for possible system integration into later flights of DDG-1000 and CG(X) surface combatant ships. This initial stage of the contract is expected to be completed in the next six months.
American Superconductor is currently performing final assembly and component testing of its 36.5-MW HTS propulsion motor for the Office of Naval Research at a Northrop Grumman Marine Systems facility within the Philadelphia Naval Business Center. The motor weighs approximately
75 tons and is one-half the size and one-third the weight of traditional copper-based propulsion systems. Factory testing is expected to be completed prior to the Navy taking possession of the motor around the end of calendar 2006. The company anticipates that the new contract award will be the first in a series of contracts with the U.S. Navy that, when carried forward, will yield a militarized class standard HTS production propulsion motor suitable for U.S and allied navy warships.
"This first in what we are confident will be a series of contracts from the United States Navy, will enable us to continue optimizing HTS motors and power electronic drives for use in future surface combatants as well as other classes of naval vessels. It will also strengthen the foundation for adoption of these revolutionary advanced motors in a broad set of commercial ship types," said Greg Yurek, chief executive officer and founder of American Superconductor.
"American Superconductor's technology offers significant and compelling benefits over conventional solutions, and we are committed to bringing these benefits to the Navy."
The 36.5-MW HTS motor undergoing factory testing in Philadelphia has the potential to change the way naval warships fight due to the dramatic reductions in size and weight it offers. The motor weighs approximately 75 metric tons and is about one-third the weight and one-half the size of conventional copper-based propulsion motors of the same power and torque rating. This enables Navy ships to carry more fuel and war fighting capabilities as well as expanded crew's quarters. The HTS motor offers a significant reduction in noise, and thus a smaller acoustic signature, compared to current motors In addition, HTS motors operate with higher fuel efficiency over the entire mission profile of a warship. American Superconductor expects the motor to have lower maintenance costs than their conventional copper and permanent magnet motor counterparts. The substantial advantages offered by HTS ship propulsion motors are expected to be provided at a price equivalent to conventional motors of the same power and torque rating.
http://www.amsuper.com/365MWmotor.cfm
Posted 26th October 2006
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All Electric Drive...here we come...Should have a very high EM signature due to the Meissner Effect.
Diagram of the Meissner effect. Magnetic field lines, represented as arrows, are excluded from a superconductor when it is below its critical temperature.