ABEKING & RASMUSSEN
conditioned-based maintenance components and an advanced
HTS cable assembly.
AMSC produces HTS wires that conduct more than 150 times
the electrical current of copper wires of the same dimensions.
“With the ability to reduce the size, weight and cost of ship
motors, generators, power cables and degaussing systems, HTS
wire holds tremendous promise in the maritime market,” said
Dan McGahn, senior vice-president and general manager of
AMSC Superconductors. “We are pleased with the successful
installation and initial electrical tests of an AMSC-designed
and manufactured HTS degaussing coil on a US Navy guided-
missile destroyer.”
AMSC has a lengthy history working with the US Navy and
the US Department of Defense. In April 2006, the company
completed the successful demonstration of the world’s fi rst
full-scale superconductor-based degaussing coil, following an
internally funded research and development programme.
The 142ft (40m) HTS degaussing coil produced 4100
Amp-turns, a typical level of performance of conventional
copper-based degaussing systems deployed in military ships
today. AMSC’s degaussing coil achieved this with an operating
voltage of less than 0.5V, 1000 times lower than the voltage in a
copper-based system.
In March 2007, AMSC completed factory acceptance testing
of a 36.5MW HTS ship propulsion motor for the US Navy.
AMSC designed, developed and manufactured the motor along
with strategic partner Northrop Grumman under a contract
from the ONR.
Th e motor was developed to demonstrate the effi cacy of HTS
primary propulsion motor technology on future all-electric
ships and submarines. Th e HTS motor is less than half the size
and weight of the current baseline DDG 1000 propulsion motor
and is more effi cient over a much wider range of ship speeds. As
with the degaussing system using HTS technology, this results
in weight and space advantages, enabling a signifi cant increase
SEARCH & CLE
in weapons payload capacity such as more powerful radar and
additional missiles. Th e HTS motor is currently awaiting load
The stable SWATH@A&R Platform
testing by the US Navy. WT
for future MCM.
www.abeking.com Offshore Technologies
communication
© composé
The HTS degaussing system on USS Higgins ‘went cold’ in July.
Warship Technology October 2008 39
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