Navy Stealth Destroyer gets a 15-ton engine transplant
by Kyle Mizokami 8 Sep 2018 07:37 PDT
Navy Stealth Destroyer gets a 15-ton engine transplant © Getty Images / Portland Press Herald
One of the Navy's newest ships is the recipient of a brand-new engine. The USS Michael Monsoor, a Zumwalt-class stealth destroyer, received the 15 ton engine after damage was discovered on several of the turbine blades. Although the engine still worked, the Navy elected to replace the engine before commissioning in January 2019.
The Monsoor is the second of three Zumwalt-class destroyers. Designed to accommodate future weapons such as railguns and lasers, the Zumwalts integrate feature an integrated power system consisting of two main turbine generators, two auxiliary turbine generators, and two 34.6MW advanced induction motors. The ship can generate a total of 78 megawatts of electrical power, with 58 tons reserved for future weapons and sensors.
The engines in question is one of two Rolls-Royce MT30 Main Turbine Generators, a derivative of the Rolls-Royce Trent 800 that powers the Boeing 777 widebody airliner. The two engines are so similar they have an eighty percent commonality in parts. The MT30 is 28 feet long, 11 feet wide, and 8.7 feet tall.
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