Nuclear power for Cruisers and Destroyers

Yeah..I know what you mean Souljah. They have the same conversations about the USS Arizona still leaking its deadly cargo of petroleum into Honolulu harbor since December 7, 1941. Also about thousands of other ships spread throughout the globe doing the same thing. Leaking their deadly cargo into ports and oceans.

Thanks,
Orangetom

As to the all electric ship..I do know that they are working in this direction but as of yet have alot of breakthroughsdifficultys to overcome. No doubt that motor technology has taken great leaps in the last twenty years as also has propellor/propulsion technology. I was quite surprised to step down into a dry dock under a ocean liner and get my first good look at one of these Aziopods

I remember the first time i saw an azipod too, didnt comprehend they are the size of a bus till then. The all electric ship as you say is still a large number of years away from being introduced (despite what some people say) as the battery/ fuel cell technology is not ready yet, it is however only a matter of time.

Ps.. If you think pods are good you should see the next stage in development. One too look out for is the rim driven propulsor. It is currently available for as a thruster.

www.rolls-royce.com...

but it is being developed by combining it with pod technology for use on larger vessels. (by electric boat of all people!)


[edit on 23-1-2006 by paperplane_uk]

Ive seen one very similar to this except as I recall it was propelled by a shaft turing the propellor at a ninety degree gear box of sorts. It was very clean and compact..which is what caught me by surprise. This electric motor development is the next step in compacting it down and making it more effecient...great idea on someones part.

Oh and yes...this massive use of electricity in a system like aziopods requires dedicated power systems. It is a huge quantum leap. But then again ..ocean liners use up alot of power.

Thanks,
Orangetom

The all electric ship is no great challenge. The electricity will still be generated in a conventional manner with the gas turbines, there will simply be no mechanical linkage of shaft and reduction gear betwen the generators and the propellers. (okay, there will be some shaft, from the motors tot he propellors)

The US Navy hasn't had an electricly propelled surface ship in quite a long time, but a number of WW2 Battleships had a similar configuration. There are advantages to this set up, such as not needing either reversing gears, reduction gears, nor even a CRP (Controllable Reversable Pitch) propeller system. I don't know how many of you have seen the shafts for a destroyer before, but that is one GIAGANTIC piece of metal! You can't even see the whole thing all at once, because it runs through several of the main spaces on the ship. Actually, there are two, one leading to each of two main engine rooms, which means one of them is considerably longer than the other. I think the longer one is 250 feet or so, I can't remember off the top of my head. Which means it also takes a great deal of force to get it spinning, just to break free of the resting friction. (Usually, they get underway with the other one, so the ships motion can help 'break' it free.) Going electric means you take away all those bulkhead penetrations, and take those giant pieces of metal off the ship. Which gives back some of that precious space.

If the power is coming from gas turbines then it is not the all electric ship. For that the turbines would need to be replaced by batteries/fuel cells/ some other exotic electic power source. Turbines powering motors aleady exist and are not hard (i.e. any ship with pods on). The trick is to get rid of the oil based fuels entirerly.

The rim drive uses a linear motor built into the duct around the propeller to spin it from the outside not a shaft along the centreline. They are coming along well after a successful series of tests at HSVA