General Electric LM2500

The General Electric LM2500 industrial and marine turboshaft gas turbine is a derivative of GE Aircraft Engines' CF6-6 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. [ [http://www.geae.com/aboutgeae/presscenter/marine/marine_20040506.html "GE Marine to Supply IHI with LM2500 Gas Turbines to Power Japan's 15DDG AEGIS Destroyer,"] GE Aviation Press Release. May 06, 2004.] Many of the military LM2500 installations place the engine inside a metal container of the same dimensions as a standard convert|40|ft|m|sing=on intermodal shipping container - convert|8|ft|m wide, convert|8.5|ft|m tall, and convert|40|ft|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 convert|40200|shp|abbr=on 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 cruise liner, for additional electric energy when the ship's four diesel-generators are maxed out 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.

The latest development in the LM2500 family is the LMS100. The LMS100 offers superior value not available in other 80 - 160 MW gas turbines, including high part-power efficiency, cycling capability without impacting maintenance intervals, 10 minute starts, dispatch reliability, turndown and load following capability and low mass emissions.

History

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 convert|21500|SHP|abbr=on. 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 convert|26500|SHP|abbr=on 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.

The current generation was uprated in the late 1990s to over convert|30000|SHP|abbr=on.

Related engines

General Electric also offers a larger engine, the LM6000. While similar in configuration, the LM6000 has up to twice the power output of current models of LM2500.

References

ee also

*LM6000
*LMS100
*Rolls-Royce_Trent#MT30

External links

* [http://www.geae.com/engines/marine/lm2500.html Official site (GEAE)] .
* [http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/eng/lm2500.htm FAS information page on US Navy LM2500 usage]