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news release:
AMSC Successfully Completes Factory
Acceptance Testing of 36.5 Megawatt High Temperature Superconductor Propulsion
Motor for U.S. Navy
Philadelphia, PA, 28 March 2007:
American Superconductor
Corporation (NASDAQ:
AMSC), a leading energy technologies company, and its strategic partner,
Northrop Grumman (NYSE:
NOC), announced today the successful completion of factory acceptance
testing for the world's first 36.5 megawatt (49,000 horsepower) high temperature
superconductor (HTS) ship propulsion motor at Northrop Grumman's facility at the
Philadelphia Naval Business Center. This is the final milestone before the Navy
takes possession of the motor.
The motor was designed, developed and
manufactured under a contract from the U.S. Navy's Office of Naval Research (ONR)
to demonstrate the efficacy of HTS primary-propulsion-motor technology for
future Navy all-electric ships and submarines. The power and torque of this HTS
motor is comparable to the requirements for the Navy's new Zumwalt class of
destroyers, known as DDG 1000. In comparison with the conventional copper motors
being used on the first two DDG 1000 hulls, the HTS motor is less than one-half
the size and weight, and is more efficient over a much wider range of ship
speeds. This results in weight and space advantages, enabling an increase in
payload capacity for both naval and commercial vessels.
"This is a truly historic day for the marine
industry as we usher in a new era of propulsion technology that enables a
revolution in ship design," said Greg Yurek, founder and chief executive officer
of AMSC. "The much smaller size, substantial reduction in weight and higher fuel
efficiency of these machines is dramatic. These features enable new hull forms,
lighter and more efficient designs of propulsion pods, higher speeds, less fuel
consumption, and more space for cargo, passengers and munitions. In addition,
HTS propulsion motors are far quieter than conventional machines. These are all
highly desirable advantages for ship owners and operators - both military and
civilian."
AMSC designed the motor, manufactured the HTS
wires and built the electromagnetic rotor coils, as well as the cryogenic and
control systems for this ship propulsion motor. It subcontracted the manufacture
and assembly of all other components of the machine to companies such as Ranor,
Inc. in Massachusetts and Electric Machinery Company in Minneapolis. Northrop
Grumman's Marine Systems business unit performed overall systems engineering,
analysis and assessment to meet key military ship requirements; designed and
built the motor frame; and completed the final assembly of the motor system at
the Philadelphia Naval Business Center. AMSC and Northrop Grumman jointly
conducted the factory acceptance testing of the fully assembled motor system.
"We are delighted with our team's clear success
in demonstrating the world's first 36.5 megawatt HTS propulsion motor," said
David Perry, vice president of Northrop Grumman's Sunnyvale, California-based
Marine Systems business unit. "Northrop Grumman prides itself in offering the
best naval products and technologies. With its compelling size, weight and
mission payload advantages, the HTS motor is in this elite product class. We
look forward to our continued partnership and additional successes with AMSC and
the Navy."
"The outsourcing model we have utilized for the
fabrication of HTS rotating machines such as ship propulsion motors has served
us well," Yurek said. "We expect to utilize this outsourcing model for the
production of all of our future HTS motors, generators, synchronous condensers,
industrial motors and wind generators. In certain cases and geographies, we
expect to license our designs and extensive patent portfolio for HTS rotating
machines to customers who can manufacture these products utilizing our HTS
electromagnetic coils."
Yurek added, "We will now deliver this
state-of-the-art motor to the U.S. Navy so they can complete planned full-load
testing. The successful completion of the factory acceptance testing of the 36.5
MW HTS motor means that we can now finalize a separate contract we received from
Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) for a militarized version of the HTS
propulsion motor and compete for contracts for the procurement of HTS ship
propulsion motors and generators for the DDG 1000 and CG(X) surface combatant
ships. We believe our success in this program will lead to widespread adoption
of HTS motors among large-scale naval and commercial vessels."
To learn more about the 36.5 MW motor, please
visit the American Superconductor (Booth #4005) and Northrop Grumman (Booth
#3105) displays at the Navy League Sea-Air-Space Exposition in Washington DC
from April 3rd through 5th.
About Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a $30 billion
global defense and technology company whose 122,000 employees provide innovative
systems, products, and solutions in information and services, electronics,
aerospace and shipbuilding to government and commercial customers worldwide.
About AMSC
AMSC (American Superconductor Corporation -
NASDAQ: AMSC) is a leading energy technologies company. The company develops and
sells a wide range of products and solutions based on power electronic systems
and high temperature superconductor (HTS) wires that dramatically improve the
efficiency, reliability and quality of electricity during its generation,
transmission, distribution and use. The company is a dominant force in
alternative energy, offering grid interconnection solutions as well as licensed
wind energy designs and electrical systems. As the world's principal supplier of
HTS wire, AMSC is enabling a new generation of compact, high-power electrical
products, including motors, generators, power cables, grid-level surge
protectors, and advanced transportation and defense systems. AMSC also provides
utility and industrial customers worldwide with voltage regulation systems that
dramatically enhance power grid capacity, reliability and security, as well as
industrial productivity. The company's technologies are protected by a broad and
deep intellectual property portfolio consisting of hundreds of patents and
licenses worldwide.
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