New NAVSEA Components Projected to Save Navy Millions: "New shipboard fluid system components developed by Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) could save the U.S. Navy more than $50 million in energy and maintenance costs, officials announced Feb. 16.
'We constantly look at ways to make our ships more efficient, and these new components use less energy and last much longer than legacy equipment,' said Vernon Parrish, Program Manager for NAVSEA's Engineering for Reduced Maintenance (ERM) Program.
The new ship components include variable speed drives (VSDs) and integral motor pumps (IMPs). They were developed, tested and installed by engineers at Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division's Ships Systems Engineering Station (NSWC Carderock-SSES) in Philadelphia, Pa., a NAVSEA field activity.
The VSD and IMP projects are two of more than 30 initiatives managed by ERM, a NAVSEA's Fleet Readiness and Engineering Office program which seeks to reduce high-cost shipboard maintenance burdens in the U.S. Navy fleet.
The VSDs automatically regulate rotation speeds for motors on pumps feeding firemain piping systems, ensuring the systems maintain an optimal 150 pounds per square inch (psi) water pressure. Legacy pump motors often run at speeds generating much greater psi than the systems can handle, causing leaks and frequent breakdowns. The VSDs keep the water pressure constant, reducing system corrosion, and they cut energy costs by running the motors at lower speeds."
