Rolls-Royce - Ship Design, Propulsion Systems and Support Solutions

At Rolls-Royce we work closely with our customers to develop innovative, value adding solutions that will fully meet future requirements.

Our capability in ship design was recently broadened with the setting up of a naval design team. They will leverage innovation and technologies from our fuel efficient commercial and offshore vessel designs, with products adapted and integrated for specific naval requirements.

A number of the world's coastguards already use Rolls-Royce designed vessels for EEZ duties, and over 70 navies around the world use our power systems and equipment.

Marine gas turbines

The MT30 marine gas turbine incorporates the latest gas turbine technology to deliver efficiency with reliability.

Derived from the Rolls-Royce Trent aero engine family, with over 50 million service hours, the MT30 has been selected to power four of the 21st century's latest naval platforms. It can deliver its full power of 36MW in ambient temperatures up to 38°C.

2008 marked the MT30's entry into service, powering the US Navy's first littoral combat ship USS Freedom. The engine has been ordered to power another ten of the class and selected to power the latest FFX frigate for the Republic of Korea Navy. MT30 alternator packages will power the UK Royal Navy's new QE class aircraft carriers and the US Navy's DDG 1,000 multi-mission destroyers.

Gas turbines and diesel engines

For smaller high-speed craft the MT7 marine gas turbine delivers powers from 4MW to 5MW , and is derived from the AE 1107 engine that powers the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft. It has recently been selected to power the US Navy's new ship-to-shore connector (SSC) hovercraft.

Power dense Bergen® medium-speed diesels are available for powers from 1.9MW to 8MW. They are compliant with IMO Tier II emission requirements and can be supplied for propulsion duties or as packaged generators sets. Five Bergen generator sets will provide power for the Royal Netherlands Navy's new joint support ship Karel Doorman, which is currently being built.

Propellers and thrusters

Rolls-Royce is a world leader in propeller and propulsor technology. The Kamewa® and Bird-Johnson controllable and fixed pitch propeller designs are normally custom designed for each naval application, with testing conducted in-house at our Hydrodynamic Research Centre in Sweden.

A fixed pitch unit, the Kamewa adjustable bolted propeller (ABP) propels the Royal Navy's Type 45 destroyers and will be fitted to the QE class carriers. Blades can be adjusted or replaced using hand tools. Azipull azimuth thrusters are suited for higher speed vessels requiring high manoeuvrability with dynamic positioning. Our other products include azimuth thrusters, retractable thrusters, podded propulsors 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. Mixed and axial flow models are available in aluminium and stainless steel for powers from 200kW to over 30MW.

Submarine nuclear propulsion

Rolls-Royce is a world-leader in nuclear submarine systems and support services incorporating design, procurement and operation. We are 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.

Our role 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.

For more information on our full range of products and services, please visit our website.