Rolls-Royce - Marine Propulsion Solutions

At Rolls-Royce we work closely with our customers to develop innovative, value adding solutions that will fully meet their future requirements. We have been supplying products for surface ships and submarines for over 50 years and our extensive product base and experience in both ship design and systems integration, enables us to bring the right products together when developing power, propulsion and motion control solutions. This approach enables us to deliver a complete service, from initial concept studies, through equipment selection, systems integration and through life support. Today, over 70 navies around the world use Rolls-Royce equipment.

Ship power systems

Rolls-Royce continues to bring new technology to the naval sector, the MT30 and Kamewa S3 waterjets are typical examples. Rated at 36MW The MT30 is at sea powering the US Navy’s first Littoral Combat Ship USS Freedom and will power the new DDG 1000 Zumwalt class destroyers. The Royal Navy’s new QE class aircraft carriers will also be MT30 powered, with Rolls-Royce supplying the propellers and shaftline, rudders, stabilisers and LV electrical systems.

Power dense Bergen diesel engines are gaining naval references and available for powers form 1.2 to 8MW. They can be supplied for propulsion duties or as packaged generators sets and are compliant with IMO Tier II emission requirements. Four 1.2MW Bergen gen sets have recently repowered the RFA support ship RFA Argus, and five Bergen generator sets will provide power for the Royal Netherlands Navy’s new Joint Support Ship’s power and propulsion systems.

Propellers and thrusters

Rolls-Royce, is a world leader in propulsor technology. The Kamewa and Bird-Johnson controllable and fixed pitch propeller designs have recently been updated with the Kamewa ‘A’ CP hub giving improvements in hydrodynamic efficiency with reduced weight. A fixed pitch unit, the Kamewa® Adjustable Bolted Propeller (ABP), is fitted the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyers and QE class carriers. The blades that can be adjusted or replaced using hand tools. Other Rolls-Royce products in naval service include: Azimuth thrusters, Podded propulsors, Azipull pulling thrusters and lightweight submarine propulsors.

Waterjets

Our Kamewa waterjet range is the broadest in the business with installations in over 20 different naval classes, plus a variety of fast patrol craft and RIBs. New levels of stealth have been achieved with the naval design that powers the Visby class corvettes and the Littoral Combat Ship. Mixed and axial flow models are available in aluminium and stainless steel and provide powers from 200kW to over 30MW.

Bringing commercial ship design experience into naval markets

The Rolls-Royce approach to specialist vessel design offers navies and shipyards solutions that can be built virtually anywhere. Coastal protection vessels - suitable for a wide range of duties: patrolling, fisheries protection, emergency standby, pollution control, firefighting, salvage and emergency towing. Naval Logistic ships - double-hull 25,000dwt and 14,000dwt designs capable of 20 to 27 knots based on a proven ropax hullform. Fast logistic vessels - a family of monohull vessels with long range (3,000nm), high speed (40 knot) and a large payload (2,500t).

Submarine nuclear propulsion

Rolls-Royce is a world-leader in nuclear submarine systems and support services incorporating design, procurement and operation. For the past fifty years, we have been the Technical Authority for the UK Nuclear Steam Raising Plant (NSRP), which is responsible for powering the whole of the UK’s Royal Navy submarine fleet. In order to fulfil our role as Technical Authority, we employ specialist and highly skilled engineers across a number of disciplines including design, stress analysis, structural integrity assessment, NDE, thermo-hydraulic analysis, materials and chemistry. Our role today covers all major activities – design, project management, procurement and safety assessment. Worldwide submarine operational support is provided from Derby and through support staff at naval bases throughout the UK.

Providing navies with affordable availability

At Rolls-Royce we pride ourselves in our ability to work in partnership with our customers where we listen, establish requirements and then offer support solutions to match. Options can range from a simple and cost effective equipment maintenance package, through to a fixed price system level availabilty contract with risk transfer and gain share.

Our broad product range includes:

• Automation and control systems
• Azimith thrusters
• Bearings
• Bulk handling
• Deck machinery
• Diesel and gas engines
• Energy storage
• Gas turbines
• Power electrics
• Propellers
• Propulsion systems
• Reduction gears
• Replenishment-at-sea systems
• Rudders
• Syncrolift® - shiplift systems
• Stabilisers
• Steering gear
• Tunnel thrusters
• Turbogenerators
• Waterjets