PRESS RELEASE
Corporate
mtu diesel engines and GE gas turbines to power U.S. Navy's high-speed X-CRAFT catamaran
Posted on August 15, 2003
The new X-Craft high-speed catamaran for the U.S. Navy will be powered by mtu 16V 595 engines and GE LM 2500 gas turbines.
Friedrichshafen - The new X-Craft high-speed catamaran for the U.S. Navy will be powered by mtu 16V 595 engines and GE LM 2500 gas turbines. The Titan Corporation, San Diego, Calif., is the vessel's developer and prime contractor. mtu is providing the integrated propulsion system for the X-Craft.
mtu will also deliver the modules for the LM2500. The ship's monitoring and control system will be mtu's modern MCS5 Type 2 and RCS 5 system. In addition, the ship's electric power supply will be generated by four diesel generator-sets with mtu Series 60 diesel engines. As a system integrator, mtu will deliver the main X-Craft propulsion components, marking it the first application of the mtu Series 595 diesel engines in a CODOG configuration for the U.S. Navy.
The high-speed aluminum X-Craft will consist of advanced hull geometry. Two well-proven mtu 16V 595 TE90 diesel engines and two GE LM2500 gas turbines will be used in a COmbined Diesel Or Gas turbine (CODOG) configuration with a corresponding gearbox, propelling the X-Craft with four waterjets to speeds of more than 50 knots.
The vessel will have two helicopter landing spots capable of handling a variety of aircraft up to the size of the H-60 helicopter. The X-Craft will have a design displacement of approximately 1,100 long tons, and will be self-deployable with a flexible arrangement for spiral technology insertion. The vessel's mission module bay will be capable of fully supporting multiple mission packages simultaneously.
GE and mtu have had a productive and successful working relationship dating back to the 1970s. This partnership has made it possible for GE's LM1600, LM2500 and LM2500+ gas turbines to be used alone or in combination with mtu diesel engines from their full line of diesel engines.
Recently the two companies collaborated to provide a COmbined Diesel And Gas turbine (CODAG) arrangement to power four of the South African Navy's next generation MEKO® A-200 corvettes. Each corvette will use one GE LM2500 gas turbine and two 5,900 kW mtu 16V 1163 TB93 diesel engines to drive two independent controllable pitch propellers through interconnected, three-speed gearboxes. The GE LM2500 is connected via a reduction gearbox with the waterjet. Commissioning of the first corvette is slated for 2004.
On the commercial marine front, the GE/MTU partnership worked with SNCM in France on the Corsaire 13000. The companies also aligned with the Maritime Company of Lesvos in Greece on the Corsaire 14000-class fast ferry, which uses two LM2500+ gas turbines supplied by mtu in a CODAG configuration with two diesel engines. The 140-meter long Corsaire 14000 cruises at a speed of 42 knots on its route from Piraeus to the Island of Lesvos in Greece. The fast ferry began commercial service in the summer of 2001.
mtu will also deliver the modules for the LM2500. The ship's monitoring and control system will be mtu's modern MCS5 Type 2 and RCS 5 system. In addition, the ship's electric power supply will be generated by four diesel generator-sets with mtu Series 60 diesel engines. As a system integrator, mtu will deliver the main X-Craft propulsion components, marking it the first application of the mtu Series 595 diesel engines in a CODOG configuration for the U.S. Navy.
The high-speed aluminum X-Craft will consist of advanced hull geometry. Two well-proven mtu 16V 595 TE90 diesel engines and two GE LM2500 gas turbines will be used in a COmbined Diesel Or Gas turbine (CODOG) configuration with a corresponding gearbox, propelling the X-Craft with four waterjets to speeds of more than 50 knots.
The vessel will have two helicopter landing spots capable of handling a variety of aircraft up to the size of the H-60 helicopter. The X-Craft will have a design displacement of approximately 1,100 long tons, and will be self-deployable with a flexible arrangement for spiral technology insertion. The vessel's mission module bay will be capable of fully supporting multiple mission packages simultaneously.
The GE/MTU Relationship
GE and mtu have had a productive and successful working relationship dating back to the 1970s. This partnership has made it possible for GE's LM1600, LM2500 and LM2500+ gas turbines to be used alone or in combination with mtu diesel engines from their full line of diesel engines.
Recently the two companies collaborated to provide a COmbined Diesel And Gas turbine (CODAG) arrangement to power four of the South African Navy's next generation MEKO® A-200 corvettes. Each corvette will use one GE LM2500 gas turbine and two 5,900 kW mtu 16V 1163 TB93 diesel engines to drive two independent controllable pitch propellers through interconnected, three-speed gearboxes. The GE LM2500 is connected via a reduction gearbox with the waterjet. Commissioning of the first corvette is slated for 2004.
On the commercial marine front, the GE/MTU partnership worked with SNCM in France on the Corsaire 13000. The companies also aligned with the Maritime Company of Lesvos in Greece on the Corsaire 14000-class fast ferry, which uses two LM2500+ gas turbines supplied by mtu in a CODAG configuration with two diesel engines. The 140-meter long Corsaire 14000 cruises at a speed of 42 knots on its route from Piraeus to the Island of Lesvos in Greece. The fast ferry began commercial service in the summer of 2001.