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NEW - DGCP VIDEO |
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.
- Compare Ship Control on Virginia, Seawolf, & Ohio
- Compare DGCP on Virginia, Seawolf, Sturgeon
- DGCP on Virginia
- Inverted Synchronous AC Generator with Power Rectifier on Virginia
- Links
- 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
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
HereUSS 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 DGCPUSS New Mexico SSN-779
Here
Virginia Trainer
Video1Virginia 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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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:
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Photo 003
Troubleshooting Tip: the EVIM-To-DGCP live serial data streaming into a Windows NT/2000 box demands that special precautions be taken to avoid COM port failure upon bootup.
SYMPTOM:
The data from the CAT EVIM isn't displaying. Stange COM port errors are appearing.
ROOT CAUSE:
When the EVIM is turned on and hooked up to the DGCP, it behaves like a firehose of streaming serial data, with no flow control, into the computer's COM port. This is normal.
When NT/2000 boots, any running Serial Mouse Drivers try, and fail, to identify that firehose of serial data, and consequently treats it as a conflict on the serial port, and Disables the port. Ouch.
The default Microsoft Serial Mouse Driver (SERMOUSE), or a third-party one like the Logitech Serial Mouse Driver (LSERMOUS), is causing the COM port to be disabled upon boot-up.
The DGCP does not have a Logitech mouse, but someone might have inadvertently installed a Logitech Mouse driver on the DGCP computer, without realizing the impact LSERMOUS has on the COM Port.
WinWedge FileWedge program reads the COM Port's data, but it nothing to do with this COM port issue.
Took me about 2 months to figure out this pain-in-the-ass problem when it happened, circa August 1998.
SOLUTION:
(1) The DGCP Install CDROM setup.bat batch file is supposed to prevent the problem, by putting the /NoSerialMice switch in the boot.ini file, but someone might have inadvertently changed it, or it might not work on your PC for some reason.
Check this by doing: Control Panel > Devices > Disable "Sermouse" device.
The /NoSerialMice switch disables Microsoft serial mouse detection (disables SERMOUSE) on all COM ports. It does not disable third-party serial mice drivers like LSERMOUS.
The DGCP Install CDROM has file setup.bat, which replaces the boot.ini file using the command "copy c:\dgcp\misc\boot.ini c:\", which contains the following line:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Windows NT Workstation Version 4.00" /noserialmice
Also try /NoSerialMice:COM1 although you should not need to put :COM1 there according to the Microsoft Support Website.
(2) If you installed a Logitech mouse, like a Trackman Marble, you must disable LSERMOUS too.
The lower case letter L looks like an upper case letter I, so don't confuse lsermous (that's an L) with Isermouse (that's an I). See how fun troubleshooting this stuff is?
(3) The above steps should work for all cases. If they don't work, use the Brute-Force solution: temporarily unplug or power-down the EVIM, reboot the DGCP computer, and once it's fully running, reconnect the EVIM.
LINKS:
In May 2010 I toured the USS Jefferson City SSN-759, a Los Angeles-class submarine, home ported in my home town of San Diego CA. Its ship control area has been modernized with multiple Barco RFD 251's on many enclosures and overheads.
A few word about Hard Disk Drives (HDD) and Solid State Drives (SSD):
Due to concerns about meeting shock requirements, later DGCP's are furnished with SSD's (Flash Memory, no moving parts) instead of conventional HDD's (spinning platters).
SSD's are a clever idea, have clear advantages over hard drives, and are probably the wave of the future. But I don't like them.
Wikipedia SSD article, "Flash-memory drives have limited lifetimes and will often wear out after 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 write cycles ... As a result of wear leveling and write combining, the performance of SSDs degrades with use."
I've used a dozen different solid-state Flash Drive / Jump Drive / Thumb Drive / keychain USB devices, and every one of them died on me after 6 to 9 months after frequent daily use.
SSD's should not be used in computers that serve in very long-term, high-reliability, industrial applications. Sound familiar?
Mitigation of drive failure, should be sparing a Removable Pre-Imaged HDD, instead of using an SSD.
The DDG-1000 Zumwalt Destroyer also has a DC bus. Unlike SSN Virginia, DDG Zumwalt is a true Integrated Fight Through Power IFTP system, because it is electric-drive, which means the propeller shaft is turned by an electric motor.
There is currently no American electric-drive nuclear-powered submarine. There was a prototype, the USS Glenard P. Lipscomb SSN-685, and another before that called the USS Tullibee SSN-597.
The electric-drive SSN of the future will be stealthier than today's mechanical-shaft-driven subs, because electric-drive physically decouples the noisy nuclear steam plant from the propeller shaft, reducing signature.
Article: An Integrated Electric Power System: the NEXT STEP.
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Photo 012
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Photo 344
The graphical representation of an electrical single-pole switch, when drawn "open", represents the absence (opening) of a continuity-path for the flow of electronics.
The graphical representation of a valve, when drawn "open", represents the absence (opening) of a restriction-path to the flow of a liquid or gas.
I like to quiz mechanical engineers by asking them which word they use to describe the 8H breaker symbol, shown - they usually say closed :-)
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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.
Diesel Engine. The Caterpillar 3512B is the standard commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) diesel (that's one mighty big shelf!)
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.
Rotors. There are two types of rotors used in synchronous generators.
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.
Construction. This generator is like three generators in one:
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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.
Slip. If the rotor is revolving at exactly the same speed as the magnetic field, no currents will be induced in it, and hence the rotor should not turn at a synchronous speed. In operation the speeds of rotation of the rotor and the field differ by about 2 to 5 percent. This speed difference is known as slip.
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NavSource Online Virginia (SSN-774) Shakedown Cruise (same photos as above)
Below Decks Pictures Of USS Virginia, dated October 30 2005, on blog The_stupid_shall_be_punished
Technical Description of USS Virginia Ship Control Station. The fly-by-wire SCS on Virginia is completely different from all previous submarines.
Article about the Virginia Ship Control Trainer in the New London Day
Naval Ship Tech Manual - Electric Power Generators and Conversion Equipment
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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
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