Photo: Rolls-Royce
The name Rolls-Royce speaks volumes for pretty much anyone living it this world, not only because it's slapped on a company that makes some of the most luxurious cars on the planet, but also because it represents a different business that mostly deals with making engines for airplanes, boats, and now even submarines.
It's this engine-making Rolls-Royce company we're interested in now, as it just announced it is entering the submarine solution provider market with not one, but two different solutions. One is a genset engine that's meant to go into the submarines of the future, and the other a means to control the systems of the military underwater vehicles.
The engine is called MTU 20V4000U83 and it's a derivation of the existing mtu Series 4000 boat engine. Not only a derivation of it, but a Frankenstein's monster by comparison, as it rocks no less than 20 cylinders instead of the usual 12.
The exact specifications of the engine have not been released, as the unit is yet to be unveiled in the metal – that will happen at the Euronaval exhibition taking place in Paris, France, from November 4. But we do know enough to get a pretty good idea of what it is going to be about.
The engine has been designed to deliver significantly more power, something that will be in high demand on the military submarines of the future. This should allow it to charge batteries faster, and that translates into less surface time for these underwater beasts.
Because it is more powerful than the systems before it, but not necessarily bigger, the engine will also save space on the subs. More specifically, says Rolls-Royce, just two MTU 20V4000U83 engines will be enough to take on the duties of three gensets from the previous generation were tasked with.
Because stealthiness is crucial to a sub's survival, the new unit has been modified to be a tad different from its surface version, and that should make the submarines difficult to locate even when the mtu is running.
I said earlier Rolls-Royce also presented a means for control of the subs. It's called mtu NautIQ Master, and it's a tech that should allow "for integrated control of the entire submarine operation," but also monitoring for the vehicle.
NautIQ, a tech that's already deployed in surface vessels, can control the propulsion system and the power supply and monitor systems. It's also upgradable, meaning operators will be able to add damage control, on board training, alarm and monitoring, navigation, and communication systems, all of which will be controlled from a single interface.
Rolls-Royce did not specify when the MTU 20V4000U83 submarine engine will be ready for operation, but we'll probably learn more about that next week, and we'll update this story accordingly.
The engine is called MTU 20V4000U83 and it's a derivation of the existing mtu Series 4000 boat engine. Not only a derivation of it, but a Frankenstein's monster by comparison, as it rocks no less than 20 cylinders instead of the usual 12.
The exact specifications of the engine have not been released, as the unit is yet to be unveiled in the metal – that will happen at the Euronaval exhibition taking place in Paris, France, from November 4. But we do know enough to get a pretty good idea of what it is going to be about.
The engine has been designed to deliver significantly more power, something that will be in high demand on the military submarines of the future. This should allow it to charge batteries faster, and that translates into less surface time for these underwater beasts.
Because it is more powerful than the systems before it, but not necessarily bigger, the engine will also save space on the subs. More specifically, says Rolls-Royce, just two MTU 20V4000U83 engines will be enough to take on the duties of three gensets from the previous generation were tasked with.
Because stealthiness is crucial to a sub's survival, the new unit has been modified to be a tad different from its surface version, and that should make the submarines difficult to locate even when the mtu is running.
I said earlier Rolls-Royce also presented a means for control of the subs. It's called mtu NautIQ Master, and it's a tech that should allow "for integrated control of the entire submarine operation," but also monitoring for the vehicle.
NautIQ, a tech that's already deployed in surface vessels, can control the propulsion system and the power supply and monitor systems. It's also upgradable, meaning operators will be able to add damage control, on board training, alarm and monitoring, navigation, and communication systems, all of which will be controlled from a single interface.
Rolls-Royce did not specify when the MTU 20V4000U83 submarine engine will be ready for operation, but we'll probably learn more about that next week, and we'll update this story accordingly.
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