The Navy recently awarded General Atomics (GA) a not-to-exceed $32.7 million contract to develop a proof-of-concept Hybrid Electric Drive (HED) system for a full-scale demonstration with an initial funding increment of $13 million, the company reported.
HED will improve the operating efficiency of the engineering plant on DDG-51-class ships and is intended to provide the capability for significant fuel savings, up to 12,000 barrels of fuel per year, per ship, by incorporating advanced electric machine technology, according to GA. This research and development effort of a new technology supports the national defense imperative to reduce dependence on foreign non-renewable energy resources, the company added.
The contract was competitively procured under a Broad Agency Announcement. GA is developing the HED system in partnership with DRS Technologies [DRS]. As GA’s major subcontractor, DRS will leverage their expertise in naval power distribution, machinery control, motor drive, and permanent magnet motor technology to provide advanced electric machinery for this program, GA said.
The contract award to GA was partially funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
GA’s Electromagnetic Systems (EMS) division Vice President, R. Scott Forney, sees this effort as a significant long-range contribution to national defense and sustainability objectives. “This is one of several programs that EMS is involved in that is aimed at improving the Navy’s present and future posture.”