Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company

Kenneth W Leiding

Peter P Mongeau

Thomas B Dade

Mark S Piercey

An improved electric propulsion motor for marine vehicles. The motor has an axial gap design with a disk-shaped rotor and two disk-shaped stators. Within the large, open diameter of the motor a sound isolation coupling is disposed between two annular plates that connect the rotor to the propeller shaft. Circumferential thrust bearings counter and distribute electrical and mechanical forces in the motor to maintain the position of the rotor relative to the stators. A journal bearing supports the rotor. Noise reduction is greatly enhanced by the implementation of staggered stators, skewed stator slots, skewed field poles and a current control system that compensates for torque pertubations that are a repeatable function of shaft angle.

Electric propulsion motor for marine vehicles

An electric power system for large marine vehicles in which one or more AC generators are shared as the ship's propulsion power source and the ship's electrical service power source. The voltage from the AC generator(s) is rectified to a reduced DC voltage such that voltage transients in the propulsor motor do not reflect into the ship service power system. Silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) bridges are utilized to convert the generator's AC voltage into a reduced DC voltage. As a supplement for emergency power, a rechargeable battery is included to provide power for propulsion and ship service.

Growing community of inventors

Norfolk, VA, United States of America

Kenneth W Leiding