EVENDALE, OH - GE Marine & Industrial Engines (M&I) recently delivered four LM2500 aeroderivative gas turbines for use on the U.S. Navy's DDG 80 of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. The ship's main reduction gears, also supplied by GE, were delivered in September 1997.
The destroyer is being built by Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, MS. In total, GE will provide 228 LM2500 gas turbines and 114 main reduction gears for the 57 DDG 51 through DDG 107 destroyers.
Each DDG ship is powered by four LM2500 gas turbines which are in a combined gas and gas (COGAG) configuration. Each reduction gear combines the input of two LM2500 engines rated at 26,250 brake horsepower (bhp) for a total output of 105,000 bhp per ship.
M&I's LM2500 have been very popular with the U.S. and 24 international navies since the 1970s. Over this time period, M&I has continued to improve the gas turbine's output by using state-of-the-art components and materials. For example in early applications, the LM2500 was rated at 21,500 bhp for the U.S. Navy's DD 963 and DDG 993 class destroyers, the CG 47 class cruisers, and the FFG 7 class frigates. M&I uprated the LM2500 to 26,250 bhp for the DDG 51 destroyers and the AOE 6 class fast combat support ships.
M&I's LM family of gas turbines is currently being considered as the main propulsion for the next U.S. Navy destroyer, the DD 21.
The LM2500 was again uprated in 1993 for use on the U.S. Navy's newest Sealift gas turbine-powered ships. The uprate increased the LM2500 U.S. Navy military specification rating to 29,500 bhp, with the engine actually being rated at 32,000 bhp in the Sealift ships.
In addition to the LM2500s, GE is providing the main propulsion gearing and the integrated machinery control system for these gas turbine-powered vessels. The large, medium-speed roll-on roll-off Sealift ships are 950 feet long by 105 feet wide, cruise at 24 knots (approximately 27 miles per hour), and displace 63,000 tons of water. The ships are used for the deployment of U.S. Army heavy armored divisions.
The LM2500 gas turbines are manufactured at M&I's Evendale, OH facility. The main reduction gears are manufactured at GE's Lynn, MA plant. M&I expects production of the DDG 51 through DDG 107 destroyers to continue through 2007.
GE M&I is part of GE Aircraft Engines and is headquartered in Evendale. M&I is the world's largest designer, developer and manufacturer of aeroderivative gas turbines and for a variety of power generation, gas compression and commercial and military marine propulsion applications. M&I also manufacturers main reduction gears for marine propulsion uses.