Navy Commissions First Hybrid Engine Warship

[JoeBentley]

From the Navy News Site: http://www.news.navy.mil/search/disp...story_id=49049

NORTH ISLAND, Calif. (NNS) -- USS Makin Island (LHD 8) will be formally commissioned in a ceremony on Naval Air Station North Island Oct. 24.

The ship, which has been dubbed the "Prius of Navy warships," arrived in San Diego in mid-September, three years after her christening. The ship brought over 1,000 Sailors and their families to the San Diego community

Makin Island is the final amphibious assault ship built in the LHD-1 Wasp-class, but is the first of the class built with gas turbine engines and electric drive.

The Navy projects that this advance will save nearly $250 million in fuel costs over the ship's lifetime. The development is already paying off – during the ships transit from Pascagoula, Miss., to San Diego, Makin Island consumed over 900,000 gallons less fuel than a steam ship completing the same transit, saving more than $2 million in fuel costs.

[Nick Theodorakis]

What do they mean by "first hybrid?" WWII-era submarines were diesel-electric hybrids.

Nick

[Malruhn]

I saw this on TV this morning with a LOT more details. Something that I was amazed with - this thing will go a screaming TWELVE KNOTS under battery power. Ummmm.... guys?? I'm old and fat, and I can RUN faster than 12 knots!

I was expecting this thing to cruise at a steady 25 knots and be able to crank it up to make upwards of 40 or more. Heck, our Coast Guard cutters can do 25 knots!

[ganzfeld]

Originally Posted by Malruhn

I saw this on TV this morning with a LOT more details. Something that I was amazed with - this thing will go a screaming TWELVE KNOTS under battery power. Ummmm.... guys?? I'm old and fat, and I can RUN faster than 12 knots!

I was expecting this thing to cruise at a steady 25 knots and be able to crank it up to make upwards of 40 or more. Heck, our Coast Guard cutters can do 25 knots!

The speed for this class of ships is 20 knots. This ship can exceed that.

[JoeBentley]

Originally Posted by Malruhn

Heck, our Coast Guard cutters can do 25 knots!

Slowpoke.

The new USS Independence. 45 knots. Sustained for 4 hours.




A Nimitz Class's top speed is classified, but its confirmed to do faster then 30 knots. Impressive for something that's basically the Empire State Building sitting on its side with an airport on top of it. And we can do top speed for weeks at a time. Of course two nuclear reactors help.

[Troberg]

Originally Posted by JoeBentley

A Nimitz Class's top speed is classified, but its confirmed to do faster then 30 knots. Impressive for something that's basically the Empire State Building sitting on its side with an airport on top of it.

Well, size requires more power, but basically, for deplacement hulls (as opposed to planing hulls), maximum speed is primarily dependent on hull length. The longer the hull, the faster it can go. Basically, the wavelength of the wake is a function of hull length (along the water line), and once you pass a certain speed, the bow wave starts to build up.

The formula is (approx, with length in feet):

Hull Speed, in knots = 1.34 * SQRT(length)

(for non-programmers, SQRT is square root)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hull_speed

Of course, you can add lots of power and go faster, but you'll have to expend disproportionately lots more power. Modern hull design can also allow a little bit faster ships, but, as a rule of thumb, it holds true.

There's also a very nice graph here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wave_making_resistance

[Mycroft]

The Royal Navy's new Type_45 destroyers have elcetric propulsion; the gas turbine engines are used as generators

[Ravenhull]

Originally Posted by JoeBentley

Slowpoke.

The new USS Independence. 45 knots. Sustained for 4 hours.




A Nimitz Class's top speed is classified, but its confirmed to do faster then 30 knots. Impressive for something that's basically the Empire State Building sitting on its side with an airport on top of it. And we can do top speed for weeks at a time. Of course two nuclear reactors help.

Been watching the Independence there being built across the river from downtown. Got to say, if nothing else, it looks damn good.

[JoeBentley]

Originally Posted by Ravenhull

Been watching the Independence there being built across the river from downtown. Got to say, if nothing else, it looks damn good.

Yeah I'm not 100% sold on the Littoral Combat Ship concept, but if nothing else they look badass.