ENGINE - Royal Australian Navy

BY LCDR TOM KENNY
HEAW LIFT: PREPARATIONS ARE MAOE TO
REMOVE THE PORT POE fROM HMAS ANZAC.
PHOTO COURlESY Of MTU OETROIT OIESEl
AUSTRALIA.
FINISHED WITH MAIN
ENGINES
On the 24 th March 2009 HMAS Anzac (CAPT Peter Quinn, CSC) berthed
at Garden Island Sydney to commence the longest refit in her 13 years in
service. The Propulsion Diesel Engines (PDEs) were passed from the Bridge
to the Machinery Control Room along with the familiar order 'Finished with
Main Engines'. After 451,077 nautical miles it is in fact the final time that
these engines will be required and how true this order really was.
The FFH propulsion system is a
Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG)
configuration utilising two V12 MTU
PDEs and one LM2500 Gas Turbine
(GT) engine. The PDEs are considered
the main engines with the GT
providing additional speed in 'Sprint'
mode. The port and starboard PDEs
have provided sound performance,
clocking up 24,231 and 28,046
hours respectively. It is a good thing
they are not changed out too often as
their brand new replacements cost a
cool $3 million dollars each.
This is the first time that both PDEs
have been changed out concurrently.
Single engine change outs have
occurred twice in the past and the
current plan is to perform dual change
outs on all Anzac Ships throughout
the fleet with the next occurring in
HMAS Arunta. As an aside, the RNZN
is currently conducting the dual PDE
change out on HMNZS Te Kaha which
includes upgrading the current V12
TB83 3600 kW engines with larger
V12 TB93 4440 kW PDEs. This has
required some additional work on
the fluid couplings and gearbox
systems to ensure they can handle
the additional power of the new PDEs.
The critical path for HMAS Anzac's
maintenance availability has centred
on work conducted in support of the
dual PDE change out which is broken
up into two separate components.
Thales Australia was tasked to
complete the establishment and
reinstallation of the removal route for
the PDEs involving the replacement
of all 32 mounts that support the
PDE mounting frame, removal of
the Vertical Launch System, and all
associated pipe work and structures
associated with the PDEs and
supporting enclosure.
MTU Detroit Diesel Australia
completed the second component
which involved the dismantling and
reinstallation of the PDEs within the
modules. This was a significant task
and included the replacement of the
existing universal joint carbon shaft
coupling to a carbon fibre alternative.
This design change has enabled
greater flexibility with the PDEs and
their respective gearboxes.
fUll ACCESS REQUIREO: THE Vl S WAS
REMOVEO TO PROVIOE AN EXIT ROUTE
fOR THE PDES. PHOTO COURTESY Of MTU
DETROIT DIESEL AUSTRALIA.
The development of a work
package for the PDE change out
was significant and has involved
numerous clarifications due to the
technical difficulties experienced
conducting the task. Just manoeuvring
the 16 tonne engines within the
compartment was a sight to see,
involving a series of dogman relaying
signals to the crane driver who was
over 80 metres away. The crane driver
had no visibility of the engines which
were in the bottom of the Ship and
was required to fulfil movement
requests of 20 mm.
Aligning the PDEs to the Main
Reduction Gearboxes (MRGs) was
also a challenge with considerable
time spent adjusting the module
mounts to ensure the correct
alignment was achieved. All this
work combined created a very busy
working environment in compartment
4 Hotel which required regular
meetings to de-conflict the various
real estate issues that were present.
H MAS Anzac is now fitted with new
PDEs and about to commence sea
trials. It has been quite an experience
to conduct the dual PDE change out
and it is expected that this will be
the last time the PDEs are removed
during HMAS Anzac's service life.
ENGINE OUT: THE SECOND Of THE PDES
REMOVEO fROM HMAS ANZAC. PHOTO
COURlESY Of MTU DETROIT DIESEL
AUSTRALI A.