GE: A World Leader in Naval Electric Drive Power and Propulsion

“GE is the only company in the world that offers a full spectrum of gas turbine and electric drive propulsion solutions including mechanical drive, hybrid electric drive or integrated full electric propulsion. Together, GE Aviation Marine and GE Power Conversion have provided naval power and propulsion systems for 41 navies onboard 755 ships,” says Kris Shepherd, Vice President, General Manager, GE Aviation Marine, Evendale, Ohio. “To date, GE has supplied the ROK Navy with 155 marine gas turbines for 91 ships. Our longstanding in-country partner, Hanwha Aerospace, co-manufactures the engine components for the ROK’s naval and industrial gas turbines and assembles, tests, and provides service support of GE naval engines in country,” Shepherd added.

For the 6,000-ton ROK Navy’s KDDX destroyer, GE has proven solutions for the two considered propulsion configurations: integrated full electric propulsion (IFEP) or hybrid electric drive (HED). GE’s IFEP system would be nearly identical to the United Kingdom’s Type 45 destroyer and would leverage other successful electric ship systems GE designed for the United Kingdom Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth class carrier and the United States Navy’s Zumwalt destroyer. GE’s HED system would use the 3.4 MW shock-tested motor designed for the U.K. Type 26 frigate and Royal Australian Navy and Royal Canadian Navy Global Combat Ship programs. Both propulsion systems would use dual GE gas turbines to meet commonality, reliability, survivability and efficiency needs.

“GE has the world’s leading, proven solutions for both IFEP and HED systems which are available now to support the KDDX program. We believe that there are noteworthy benefits with an IFEP solution since it can easily accommodate energy demand growth for future weapons and radar systems,” says Andy Cooper, U.K. Managing Director of GE Power Conversion. “Powered through GE’s flexible electric grid on the ship, IFEP provides other advantages including greater operational and mission flexibility, and better energy management and energy efficiency,” Cooper stated.

GE’s IFEP solution uses fourth generation advanced induction motors, shock-proof drives, and a GE generator – coupled to a reliable GE LM series gas turbine – to provide a low-risk, fully compliant solution. The KDDX IFEP solution, using GE’s advanced electric ship architecture and electrical system integration expertise, is a natural first step as the ROK Navy progresses to a scaled-up IFEP system on the larger CVX aircraft carrier.