Phase 1 Testing of the Redundant Internal Mechanical Start System for the Ship Service Gas Turbine Generator Sets on the U.S. Navy’s DDG-51 Class Ships

Abstract

The Redundant Independent Mechanical Start System (RIMSS) is a gas turbine powered, mechanically coupled start system for the Allison AG9140 Ship Service Gas Turbine Generator Sets (SSGTGs) of the U.S. Navy’s DDG-51 Class ships. The system will be original equipment on DDG-86 and follow. It will also be a candidate for backfit onto earlier DDG-51 Class ships. This paper describes RIMSS and details a very successful phase of the RIMSS program. All U.S. Navy testing was conducted on an Allison AG9140 located at the Carderock Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center-Ship Systems Engineering Station, DDG-51 Gas Turbine Ship Land Based Engineering Site (NSWCCD-SSES LBES), Figure 1. The test agenda included 516 SSGTG starts and 75 SSGTG motoring cycles. The primary goal was to validate engine life predictions for the Allison 250-C20B gas turbine engine in the RIMSS application. A secondary goal was to evaluate the overall RIMSS system during an extended period of operation.