Trubble at Matelot Mill (VFD drive issues?)

(Not new engines, a new genny. Seems to conk out at random though... oops)

The Royal Navy's most modern warships are to be fitted with new engines because they keep breaking down.

In an email seen by the BBC, a serving Royal Navy officer wrote that "total electric failures are common" on its fleet of six £1bn Type 45 destroyers.

The Ministry of Defence said there were reliability issues with the propulsion system and work to fix it would be done to ensure "ships remain available".

One Royal Navy officer said the cost could reach tens of millions of pounds.

In a statement, the MoD told the BBC that to "address some reliability issues" it was considering options to "upgrade the ships' diesel generators to add greater resilience to the power and the propulsion system".

That will involve significant work, though the Royal Navy insists that the six destroyers will still be deployed all over the world.

Nick Childs, of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said: "It's an unfortunate extra cost the Royal Navy will have to swallow to sort out an unreliable propulsion system - the major weak link in an otherwise world-beating system.

"They're essentially going to have to squeeze in an extra generator to improve reliability."

The warning signs were there in 2009 when the Commons Defence Committee published its report on the Type 45.

MPs noted "persistent over-optimism and underestimation of the technical challenges, combined with inappropriate commercial arrangements" leading to rising costs.

Each destroyer ended up costing about £1bn. The Royal Navy wanted 12 ships but ended up with half that number.

The Type 45 has an integrated electric propulsion system that powers everything on board.

**LINK**

Edited By Ady1 on 29/01/2016 10:13:00

It never ceases to astound me that seemingly otherwise useless MPs can come out with erudite comments on matters that must have stretched their intellectual capabilities.

**LINK**

The Type 45 has an integrated electric propulsion system that powers everything on board.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GE_Power_Conversion

Or not... depending on how the engine feels... hence the extra genny requirement I presume...

Edited By Ady1 on 29/01/2016 10:14:40

Back to the old cost cutting exercise again, along with poor management, incorrect costing procedures etc. ( typical of the government ), & using other machinery when we've had our own propulsion systems that worked perfectly for years... probably made with parts from China even though they are American propulsion systems, ( ? ) China exports a heck of a lot of stuff to the US as far as I'm aware, just like the rest of the world...

'Nuff of my political rant for this week...

George.

All this new technology...

**LINK**

Neil

Simple, I think:

If you, as a committee, have an uncluttered mind or a large enough mix of persons to balance out political prejudices, you can cut through the preconceptions, cherished ideas, holy cows and other such hobby horses loved and protected by the military, the engineers, the team managers and uncle Tom Cobbly and all.

Remember the simple, very simple or nieve, question, frequently results in the most interesting and complex answers and admissions.

JA

Hi all,

not so long retired from the wind-turbine industry.....

it all boil's down to the men (liberal use of the "men"word) in suits and the those in the overall's that actually know what works.....

if you want something to work ask the engineers that use it....don't ask the salesmen and the bloody accountants....

I had the experience of having to explain to the management morons who thought and designed a new part for our latest turbine......the ides was good but they didn't think of how we would be able to do the bolts (60mm dia) up...no room for the socket......this part cost over £20grand......just scrap it and say nothing was the answer......

the money came from the EU development grant !!!!!!!

in the job interview, this project is a team effort.....hahaha.....

as alway's it's them and us...........

cheers clogs

Watching the item on BBC news they showed a room full of computer screens

I could not help thinking that a hit from one 6 inch shell would make the entire ship inoperative

I suppose the same would happen if one hit the generators

Seems weird that there are no backup systems

I understand that they have 2 ring mains on a warship. Also separate generating stations for other purposes.

I wonder what happens if the wobbly screw that presses on the switch on the prop shaft safety cover moves a bit .......

Perhaps the backup system should start with a tall straight pine tree.....

One would have thought so, but on the BBC programme it indicated the section of the ship where both generators are fitted suggesting that they are side by side

I believe the Russians have now got a DVD of it

Knowing our lot, the backup is probably an Ipad- at least they work!!!

Edited By Sam Longley 1 on 30/01/2016 10:40:02

I could not help thinking that a hit from one 6 inch shell would make the entire ship inoperative

The Sea wolf system is meant to catch them things in mid-air, as is the newer Aster system

(Sea wolf could even sometimes catch an occasional 4.5 inch shell in the 1980s)

Anyway, lobbing shells within sight of each other is meant to be obsolete in our new shiny high tech world (or so they hope)

The Troop Ship Nevasa had three generators side by side, this was a 22000 ton ship and my visit to the engine room was very interesting.

Twin screw steam turbine and the turbines were very small to what i imagined. The Vulcan clutch was a massive device on the prop shaft.

The engineer told me they only ran 2 generators at a time coupled up and the 3rd. one was standby.

Clive, best 35 day holiday i ever had going to Hong Kong.

Never underestimate what can be done with a few active braincells and some old technology though...

1999 F-117A shootdown

Unknown to NATO, Yugoslav air defenses operators had found they could detect F-117s with their obsolete Soviet radars after some modifications.

**LINK**

Once had to quote for some equipment mounting base frames for the then new SSNs. Went through the normal costing exercises including profit margin that were normally OK for others, but in this case, an extra overall 40% was added. Didn't get the contract - - - - we were told by the main contractor we couldn't make them for the price we quoted.

The son of a colleague was selling, to the MOD., a Stainless split pin in a sealed plastic sachet containing the part no. printed on a bit of paper for £3.50 - - - - individual civvy cost 10p.

Difficult trying to balance costs, Look what happened to the triple indemnity Nimrods.

Some of the new Naval electronics kit is now being sold to them as equipment fit for the purpose required, guy that talks to the purchasers has over twenty years hands on using the past c**p that was supplied.

Regards Ian

Edited By Circlip on 30/01/2016 11:41:42

The MOD media section is well known for FUBARS, giving away the name and address of a sniper during the Afghan session. This lad was the one who made the longest kill!. You should read his book about and how he was just disowned by the MOD and his parent Regt. Now seperated and in hiding.

This sort of thing drive me mad. The military always want the latest, the accountants the cheapest and the engineers are caught in the middle. In the end the salesmen take the risk, "yeh, sure it will be OK". Afterwards the politicians say " lessons will be learnt ".

Can you remember the sight of 90% completed passenger sized airplanes that were being scrapped? (About 10 years ago?)..

It just goes on, computers, PFI, privatisation, the list goes on, our establishment are a load of responsibility evading ninnies. It would be nice to remove their pensions and knighthoods when their sins are found out.

Frank