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NEW - DGCP VIDEO
At timestamp 1:32, the DGCP is featured.
Armed Forces Network (AFN) Korea released this 2-minute video report. Army Private Tyler Farris interviewed Machinist Mate 1st Class Mickey Leslie, Auxiliary Division.
VIDEO SCREEN CAPTURE

This web page talks about US Navy Submarine Ship Control Stations in general, and the USS Virginia SSN-774 Class Diesel Generator Control Panel, which I designed, in specific.

The Navy has generously posted detailed photos of almost everything I want to talk about.

  1. Compare Ship Control on Virginia, Seawolf, & Ohio
  2. Compare DGCP on Virginia, Seawolf, Sturgeon
  3. DGCP on Virginia
  4. Inverted Synchronous AC Generator with Power Rectifier on Virginia
  5. Links
  6. Virginia Class

Graphics: Many of the photos are high resolution and may be too big for your screen unless automatic image resizing is enabled.   Do This --- Control Panel > Internet Options > the tab called Advanced > Multimedia > CHECK Enable Automatic Image Resizing

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Ship Control on Los Angeles, Ohio, Seawolf, Virginia Submarines

Before we get into the DGCP, it is interesting to compare the Ship Control Stations on different classes of submarines.
I included these photos to demonstrate how the technology on subs has evolved from bulky equipment to streamlined flat panels and joysticks.
Top-To-Bottom = Older design -To- Newer Design
The first (Los Angeles) and last (Virginia) Ship Control Station design have one key thing in common: both have a chair, there's still a human in the loop. Everything else is designed completely differently.
 

Pre-Los Angeles Class SSN

I'm not sure what Sub Classes these are

 

Los Angeles Class SSN

USS Montpelier SSN-756

USS Montpelier SSN-756

 

Ohio Class SSBN

USS Florida SSGN-728
Here  Here

USS Florida SSGN-728

USS Pennsylvania SSBN-735

USS Pennsylvania SSBN-735

 

Seawolf Class SSN

USS Seawolf SSN-21
Here  Here
Hybrid of traditional levers and modern computer displays.

USS Seawolf SSN-21
Here

USS Seawolf SSN-21

 

USS Seawolf SSN-21

 

Virginia Class SSN

USS Virginia SSN-774
Remember the LCD flat panel you see here, you will see it again on the DGCP

USS New Mexico SSN-779
Video1  Video2  Video3

 

USS New Mexico SSN-779
Here

 

Virginia Trainer
Video1

Virginia Trainer

Virginia Trainer

The National Museum of American History

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Compare DGCPs on SSN Virginia; SSN Seawolf; USS Sturgeon

      

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DGCP on Virginia

These photos are dated August 2004 taken aboard Virginia during the pre-commisioning unit (PCU) trials. These U.S. Navy photos were taken by Journalist 1st Class James Pinsky.
On his blog, a retired submarine officer nicknamed Bubblehead referred to my design as as "Not your Grandpa's Diesel Gageboard", let's see what he meant:

General Remarks on photos 003, 012, 344:

Photo 003 on Wikimedia

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Photo 003

 

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Photo 012

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Photo 344

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Generator on Virginia

I'm an electrical guy, so this page wouldn't be complete without a discussion about what the diesel is actually on the ship for, to drive the generator. Virginia has a very compact custom generator.

The generator that is attached to the engine is custom.

The generator is an inverted synchronous AC generator with a built-in power rectifier.

The term inverted is used because the Main Stator Coil is the Armature.  The rotating magnetic field is in the Main Stator, also called inside-out.

The term synchronous AC generator is used because the following equality applies:

Calculate the rotational speed, where the Main Rotor has P = 6 (pairs of) poles, and runs at 90 Hz.

Synchronous speed NS = 1800 RPM.   Number of phases q = 6 x 2 = 12.

The output frequency can be increased by increasing the RPM's, or add more poles.

1.    Cylindrical.  For high-speed, 2 or 4 pole, quiet, balanced, low winding losses.

2.    Salient-pole.  For low and medium speed.  Have outward projecting laminated poles.

This generator has salient-pole rotors.

The rotor & stator have the same number of poles.

The Rotor winding carries DC, to produce constant flux per pole. 

 

DIESEL ENGINE.

The Diesel Engine turns the shaft. The shaft is part of the rotor inside the generator housing.

GENERATOR HOUSING

Generator Housing contains rotor and stator.

Rotor windings include PMA rotor, exciter rotor, and main rotor.

Rotor windings are surrounded by stator housing.

Stator windings include PMA stator, exciter stator, and main stator.

I have not found a concise description of this type of generator on the Internet, so I'll describe it below, in sequence.

PMA (stationary armature, rotating field magnets)

The purpose of the Permanent Magnet Alternator is to create a rotating magnetic field to generate enough power to flash the exciter field.

 

PMA rotor (12-pole Lundell) turns, sets up rotating magnetic field (the permanent magnets rotate).

PMA field magnets rotate inside stationary armature, interaction induces EMF in PMA stator.

PMA stator winding 3 phase 180Hz 150VAC output is hooked up to Voltage Regulator input.

Voltage Regulator regulates and rectifies power.

Voltage Regulator AC output is rectified and the DC output is hooked up to exciter stator windings.

The magnets inside a PMA are extremely powerful, and dangerous if you have to handle them.

EXCITER (stationary field winding, rotating armature)

The purpose of the Exciter is to provide the Main Salient Poles with DC power to create a rotating magnetic field.

 

Exciter stator winding is powered with DC, sets up a stationary magnetic field.

Exciter armature rotates inside stationary field winding, interaction induces EMF in Exciter rotor.

Exciter rotor (16 pole Exciter Field Winding armature) 3 phase 240Hz AC output is hooked to a full-wave bridge rectifier.

The rectifier is also located on the rotor.

Rectifier DC output is hooked up to main rotor.

MAIN POLES (stationary armature, rotating field winding)

Main rotor (the Field Winding consists of 6 Main Salient Poles) turns at 1800RPM 90Hz, sets up a rotating DC magnetic field.

Main field winding rotates inside stationary armature, interaction induces EMF in Main stator.

Main stator (4 of 3 Phase Windings in Main Stator Coil Armature) AC output is hooked up to Power Rectifier.

Power Rectifier outputs 700 VDC which is delivered to the ship's electric plant.

Summary

PMA Rotor > PMA Stator > VR >
Exciter Stator > Exciter Rotor > Rectifier >
Main Rotor > Main Stator > Rectifier > Ship's DC buss.

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Links

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Virginia Class

Name Number Homeport Commissioning
Virginia SSN-774 Groton, CT, Squadron 4 10/23/2004
Texas SSN-775 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Squadron 1 9/9/2006
Hawaii SSN-776 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Squadron 1 5/5/2007
North Carolina SSN-777 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Squadron 1 5/3/2008
New Hampshire SSN-778 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Squadron 1 10/25/2008
New Mexico SSN-779 Groton, CT, Squadron 4 11/21/2009
Missouri SSN-780 Groton, CT, Squadron 4 7/31/2010
California SSN-781 Groton, CT, Sub Group 2  
Mississippi SSN-782 Groton, CT, Sub Group 2  
Minnesota SSN-783 Groton, CT, Sub Group 2  
North Dakota SSN-784    
John Warner SSN-785    
  SSN-786    
  SSN-787    
  SSN-788    
  SSN-789    
  SSN-790    
  SSN-791    

Attack Submarines - SSN - Fact Sheet


 


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