Wednesday, June 14, 2000 Gold Team picks NNS design for DD 21 electric drive design The Ingalls Shipbuilding division of Litton Industries, Inc., leader of the DD 21 Gold Team, has selected an industry team led by Newport News Shipbuilding for the preliminary design of an electric drive propulsion system. The Gold Team will incorporate Newport News' Permanent Magnet Motor (PMM) design into its Initial System Design proposal for the U.S. Navy's next-generation surface combatant, the DD 21 Land Attack Destroyer. The selection of the Newport News team's PMM design is a result of the Gold Team's independent, three-month evaluation of competing Permanent Magnet Motor proposals. Many factors including acquisition cost, life cycle cost, maintenance, manning, efficiency, risk were analyzed and compared between the two motors. The final selection was accomplished by using a systems engineering process, as required by the DD 21 contract. "The Gold Team conducted a vigorous and thorough competition," said Jerry St. Pe, Litton executive vice president and chief operating office of Litton Ship Systems. "In the final analysis, the Newport News team concept provides the best value system for our Gold Team ship baseline." The Newport News PMM team, which also includes Kaman Aerospace Corporation (KAC) and Power Technologies, Inc. (PTI), will be prepared to deliver a prototype PMM in 2004 and the first production units in mid-2006. The team's proposed PMM design, based on a Brushless Direct Current, Segmented Stator Motor concept, is easier to manufacture and maintain than other technologies. Also, it is scaleable to sizes required for main propulsion drives on DD 21. The DD 21 Gold Team consists of Litton Ingalls Shipbuilding, Raytheon and The Boeing Company. The Gold Team has successfully completed its Phase I Concept Design, its first Phase II major review with the Navy's DD 21 Program Office, PMS-500, and is now fully engaged in completion of its Initial System Design, which will be submitted for evaluation in October 2000. Noble Drilling forms joint venture Noble Drilling Corporation has formed a joint venture with CROSCO, Integrated Drilling & Well Services Company ("CROSCO"), a wholly owned subsidiary of INA- Industrija nafte d.d. Zagreb. The joint venture owns and operates the PANON, a 300-foot jackup rig. Noble and CROSCO each own 50% of the venture. Noble will manage the upgrade, marketing and operation of the rig, and CROSCO will provide key operations and technical personnel, including a significant portion of the rig crews. Following the planned mobilization of the PANON from the Mediterranean to the Arabian Gulf, the rig will be upgraded from its current slot configuration to a cantilevered unit. It is estimated that the PANON will be available for service in early 2001, at which time the joint venture would pursue contract opportunities worldwide.   News Index  Marine Log Home page

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