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FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany: The Tognum Group has been awarded a contract for delivery of diesel gensets and gas turbines for the future F 125 frigates of the German Navy.
This means that in addition to the F 122, F 123 and F 124 frigates, the fourth generation of German frigates will also be powered by MTU. On each vessel, four diesel gensets producing a total of 12,060kW (16,400HP) will generate electricity for the on-board power supply system and diesel-electric propulsion power for cruising speeds of up to 20 knots. A gas turbine with a power output of 20MW (27,200HP) can support the propulsion system and accelerate the vessel to up to 26 knots.
The builder of the frigates and direct customer of MTU is the “Arbeitsgemeinschaft Fregatte 125” (F 125 consortium). “We are extremely proud that the new frigate project will mean the continuation of decades of successful cooperation” says Volker Heuer, Tognum President and CEO.
An important requirement on this new frigate type is to achieve long maintenance intervals. Plans provide for missions over a period of up to two years with an average duration of 5,000 operating hours per year at sea without the vessels returning to their home base. This means that the duration of the service period is almost doubled. Furthermore, the frigates will be capable of operating under extreme climatic conditions.
For this purpose, MTU offers 20V 4000 engines which only require major overhaul after 24,000 operating hours. With a mechanical power output of 3,015kW (4,100HP) each, the four diesel gensets together provide up to 12,060kW (16,400HP) for the propulsion and on-board power supply system. This is equivalent to a total electric power output of 14,500kVA. Engine Series 4000 is based on commercial engines which were originally designed for continuous power and specially optimized to fulfill the requirements of naval vessels. They stand out for their performance in partial-load operation as well as their low life-cycle costs.
For naval applications, the gensets are equipped with shock-proof mounts and encapsuled by acoustic enclosures so that the noise emission is very low. For intensive utilization of the frigates over a period of up to two years, MTU has also designed a new maintenance concept, an important part of which will be the training of the ships´ crews to facilitate proper and independent engine maintenance.
For high cruising speeds, the gas turbine with a power output of 20MW can be activated to take the frigates up to a speed of 26 knots (48km/hr). The GE LM 2500 gas turbine, as part of MTU´s system solution, can be easily integrated in the ship. The gas turbine system also includes the gas turbine controller, electronic monitoring and control system, fire extinguishing unit and other auxiliary equipment which is all integrated in the acoustic enclosure. The entire module meets the strictest demands on shock resistance.
The combination of diesel engines, electric motors and a gas turbine is called CODLAG (Combined Diesel-Electric and Gas Turbine). The two largest European frigate projects (French FREMM frigates and Germany´s F 125) rely on this CODLAG propulsion solution. MTU is supplying propulsion technology for both projects.
Tognum
