| LM2500 | |
|---|---|
| An LM2500 on USS Ford (FFG-54) | |
| Type | Gas turbine |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | General Electric |
| First run | 1960s |
| Developed from | General Electric CF6 |
The General Electric LM2500 is an industrial and marine gas turbine produced by GE Aviation. The LM2500 is a derivative of the General Electric CF6 aircraft engine.
Current versions of the LM2500 deliver 33,600 shaft horsepower (25.1 MW) with a thermal efficiency of 37 percent at ISO conditions. It has been used in various applications such as in U.S. Navy warships (as well as those belonging to other navies), hydrofoils, hovercraft and fast ferries. As of 2004, more than one thousand LM2500 gas turbines have been in service for more than 29 international navies.[1]
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The LM2500 was first used in US Navy warships in the Spruance class of destroyers and the related Kidd class, which were constructed from 1970. In this configuration it was rated to 21,500 shp (16,000 kW). This configuration was subsequently used into the 1980s in the Oliver Hazard Perry class frigates, and Ticonderoga class cruisers. It was also used by one of People Republic of China's Type 052 Luhu Class Missile Destroyer (Harbin 112) acquired before the embargo.
The LM2500 was uprated to 26,500 shp (19,800 kW) for the Arleigh Burke class destroyers, which were initiated in the 1980s and started to see service in the early 1990s, and the T-AOE-6 class of fast combat tanker.
In 2001 the LM2500 ( 20 MW ) was installed in a sound-proof capsule in the SA Navy Valour class (Meko A-200 SAN) frigates as part of a CODAG propulsion system with two MTU 16V 1163 TB93 Propulsion Diesels.
The current generation was uprated in the late 1990s to over 30,000 shp (22,000 kW).
Many of the military LM2500 installations place the engine inside a metal container of the same dimensions as a standard 40-foot (12 m) intermodal shipping container - 8 feet (2.4 m) wide, 8.5 feet (2.6 m) tall, and 40 feet (12 m) long. The containerized LM2500s may be designed for easy removal from their ships if the air intake ducting is shaped appropriately.
The LM2500+ is an evolution of the LM2500, delivering up to 40,200 shp (30,000 kW) or 28.6 MW of electric energy when combined with an electrical generator. Two of such turbo-generators have been installed in the superstructure near the funnel of Queen Mary 2, the world's largest transatlantic ocean liner, for additional electric energy when the ship's four diesel-generators are working at maximum capacity or fail. Celebrity Cruises uses two LM2500+ engines in their Millennium-class ships in a COGAS cycle.
The LM2500 is license-built in Japan by Ishikawajima-Harima and in Italy by Avio.
The LM2500/LM2500+ can often be found as turbine part of CODAG or CODOG propulsion systems or in pairs as powerplants for COGAG systems.
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