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Full speed ahead: High-temperature superconductors ensure efficient propulsion
in all-electric ships
Munich, Germany,
11 April 2007: HTS technology offers numerous advantages for modern
shipbuilding. The superconductors of the rotor windings carry a current density
100 times greater than that in conventional copper windings. As a result,
significant weight and volume reductions are possible. In addition, there are no
electrical losses with HTS, so that means greater efficiency. The enclosed,
self-regulating system, which cools the superconducting rotor windings of the
motor to a temperature of 27K, promises cheaper cooling with low maintenance.
HTS motors therefore create totally new flexibility in ship design and the
layout of the systems on board. As a result, it is possible to design more
energy-efficient ships with more effective capacity utilization that have less
environmental impact and are cheaper to operate.
With the development of the world"s first HTS generator rated at four megawatts,
Siemens made a
considerable contribution to the all-electric ship with superconductors. The
generator, which has been successfully tested by Siemens at its Nuremberg system
test center, is now enhanced by another new development from Siemens, the HTS
propulsion motor. With 30 times higher torque compared with the generator, the
HTS motor is also considerably smaller and lighter than a conventional electric
propeller motor. The first HTS motor is currently under construction. In 2009,
the developers plan to run an intensive test program on the machine on a test
bed for large-scale propulsion units.
The new propulsion motor represents a further milestone in the development of
HTS technology for use in all electric ships. Cruise ships or megayachts already
make use of the advantages of electric propulsion. The trend is also apparent in
naval vessels, with first ships already at the planning stage. The all-electric
concept is useful in ships with a strongly fluctuating energy requirement.
Luxury liners tend to cross the seas at a leisurely pace, making calls at a
large number of ports and putting in the occasional sprint in between. They
therefore need a variable form of propulsion power. The power requirement for
on-board catering and accommodation is also not constant. However, the
electrical power generated with HTS generators can be distributed flexibly
throughout the ship according to requirements. Passengers also profit from HTS
technology. Electrically propelled ships are inherently quieter than their
diesel counterparts anyway, and the superconductors reduce vibrations and engine
noise even further.
The propulsion unit was developed in a cooperative venture between the Siemens
Industrial Solution and Services (I&S) Marine Solutions and Automation and
Drives (A&D) Large Drives divisions, and Siemens Corporate Technology. Three
partners TransMIT Gesellschaft für Technologietransfer mbH, ThyssenKrupp Marine
Systems AG and Schiffbau-Versuchsanstalt Potsdam GmbH are also backing the
project, which is being co-funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economics
and Technology.
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