GE Marine delivered eight LM2500 aeroderivative marine gas turbines recently that will power the United States Navy’s DDG 113 and DDG 115 destroyers, in the DDG 51 restart program. Commencing with this program, the U.S. Navy has adopted GE’s recommended LM2500 common engine initiative.
Common engine improvements will include parts upgrade of the LM2500 compressor rotor, the turbine mid-frame, the compressor rear frame and the power turbine. These changes are contained within the gas turbine, so as to not impact ship interfaces or on-ship maintenance activities.
The common engine is said to include more robust configurations, continuing the LM2500 tradition of improving marine gas turbines based on industrial fleet leader experience. A typical LM2500 industrial engine operates more than 8,000 hours per year, and the high time engines have operated over 200,000 hours.
Four LM2500 gas turbines for the DDG 113 were delivered in late 2011. GE delivered four additional LM2500s for the DDG 115 in February 2012. The gas turbines were manufactured at GE’s Evendale, Ohio, facility. Brien Bolsinger, GE Marine general manager said, “The new configuration has been recertified to U.S. Navy Mil 901D shock, and we expect to introduce the common engine program to international naval customers over the next several years.”
