Rolls-Royce Marine Olympus

Summary

The Rolls-Royce Marine Olympus is a marine gas turbine based on the Rolls-Royce Olympus aircraft turbojet engine.

Marine Olympus
Marine Olympus on display at the Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust, Derby
Type Gas turbine
National origin United Kingdom
Manufacturer Bristol Siddeley
Rolls-Royce Limited
First run 1960s
Developed from Rolls-Royce Olympus

History edit

The first Marine Olympus was built for the German Navy. In 1962 BSEL was contracted to provide the gas-generator and Brown Boveri was contracted to provide a two-stage long-life marine power turbine. A test bed was built for extensive shore trials. Construction of the ship which was intended for gas-turbine power was abandoned. Test running of the next marine Olympus began in 1966. The power turbine was of a single stage operating at 5,600 rpm utilising wide-chord blades. Beginning its sea trials in early 1968, Turunmaa, a 700-ton corvette of the Finnish Navy was the first Olympus-powered warship to enter service, some six months before HMS Exmouth, the first British ship which had been refitted to trial the propulsion system for the Royal Navy.[1]

The TM1 and TM2 variants comprised a power turbine baseplate carrying the turbine and the gas generator mountings, and differed significantly only in the construction of the power turbine structure, which was a steel casting on the TM1 and a fabrication on the TM2. All TM1 and TM2 installations were fitted with an A-rated gas generator, serial numbers 2013xx.

The TM3 comprised a similar power turbine baseplate plus a gas generator enclosure, an air intake enclosure, and many support services including ventilation and fire extinguishing systems. All TM3 installations were fitted with a B-rated gas generator, serial numbers 2017xx.

Variants edit

Olympus TM1 edit

 
HMS Exmouth, the first British warship to be entirely propelled by gas turbines.

23,200 shp (17,300 kW) nominal. Installed ratings quoted where known.

  • Finnish Navy
    • Turunmaa-class corvettes — one Olympus, three diesels.[1]
  • Royal Navy
    • HMS Exmouth — one Olympus derated to 15,000 shp (11,000 kW), two Proteus.[1]
    • Type 82 destroyer, HMS Bristol — two Olympus, two steam turbines.[1]

Olympus TM2 edit

23,200 shp (17,300 kW) nominal. Installed ratings quoted where known.

Olympus TM3 edit

28,000 shp (21,000 kW) nominal. Installed ratings quoted where known.

Specifications edit

Data from Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust

General characteristics

Components

  • Compressor: 5-stage LP, 7-stage HP
  • Combustors: 8 chamber, cannular
  • Turbine: Single-stage LP and HP

Performance

See also edit

Related development

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d Baxter 1990 p 101
  2. ^ Potts 2011 IRIS Alvand Light Frigate militaryfactory.com
  3. ^ KD Rahmat quoting Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995
  4. ^ Libyan frigate Dat Assawari quoting Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995
  5. ^ a b c d e Baxter 1990 p 107
  6. ^ Type 42 guided missile destroyer naval-hazegray.org
  7. ^ a b Baxter 1990 p 115
  8. ^ Almirante Brown class military-today.com
  9. ^ Niteroi class naviosbrasileiros.com.br
  10. ^ FF Aradu (MEKO 360) class' Archived 2014-10-06 at the Wayback Machine harpoondatabases.com
  11. ^ a b c Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995
  12. ^ Baxter 1990 p 111
  13. ^ Miller, David; Chris Miller (1986). Modern Naval Combat. USA: Salamandar Books. pp. 100–101. ISBN 0-517-61350-6.
  14. ^ Weilingen globalsecurity.org
  15. ^ Jane's Fighting Ships 2005-2006.

External links edit

  • Rolls-Royce.com Spey Marine gas turbine page