Demonstrating the Electric Ship

Integrated full electric propulsion (IFEP) is an everyday reality as the power system solution for naval platforms, embracing recent advances in enabling technologies to deliver cost effective, survivable, power dense solutions in a variety of applications. The Ministry of Defence (MoD), in co‐operation with the French government has contracted ALSTOM Power Conversion Ltd to design, build and operate an electric ship technology demonstrator (ESTD); the main objective of which is to de‐risk integrated full electric propulsion equipment and systems to meet the requirements of future U.K. and French warship programmes. The key enabling technologies for ESTD are WR21 ICR gas turbine and the propulsion motor system (PM for ESTD). The ESTD is sited at the ALSTOM Power Whittle Research Centre, Whetstone near Leicester.

Key supporting objectives of ESTD are to demonstrate the practical integration of gas turbine generators, power electronics, energy storage systems and an advanced propulsion motor, analyse system performance and assess system operability and functionality.

The paper will review the ESTD and PM for ESTD programmes, providing design and progress detail together with a review of the way ahead for the facility. It will be shown that ESTD is a key part of the electric warship concept and a “world beating test facility”.pawnbrokers.