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Navy Spends $33 Million For Hybrid of the High Sea

Posted by samzenpus on from the batteries-not-included dept.

coondoggie writes "Some might call it an enormous floating Prius, but others will call it a step in the right direction: A new hybrid electric engine for US Navy ships that promises to save up to 12,000 barrels of oil a year per ship. The folks who brought you the Predator unmanned flying aircraft, General Atomics, this week got $32.7 million to develop a proof-of-concept Hybrid Electric Drive (HED) system for a full-scale demonstration on board the Navy's DDG 51 Class destroyers. DDG 51 destroyers are powered by General Electric gas turbines capable of moving the ships along at over 30 knots or about 35 mph. The General Atomics system would meld into this system and let the ship use electric power for slow-speed maneuvers. The engines would provide more power as the ship needed to go faster."

10 of 210 comments (clear)

  1. Nice thing. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Now the US navy can bring death upon the infidels in a clean and environmentally safe way.

    1. Re:Nice thing. by MidoriKid · · Score: 4, Funny

      My destroyer is like VRRRRRNNN.. VRRRNNNN... VRRRRRRNNNNNN! What does your destroyer sound like?

      shhhhhhhhhh

      That's cool.

  2. Re:What would happen... by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 2, Funny

    Only prettier. Your basic "yellow/orange and lots of black smoke" hydrocarbon fire is overdone and played out. The intense red/violet of a lithium fire is deliciously modern.

  3. Re:So that's where our tax dollars go. by CarpetShark · · Score: 2, Funny

    Can someone explain the economic benefit of this move?

    Well, the primary benefit is that we can call this a Class 1 Naval Drive, thus affirming our fantasies about one day living like Commander Jameson.

  4. Re:What would happen... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Or just a very long power cable.

  5. Regenerative Braking by tangent3 · · Score: 3, Funny

    How does regenerative braking work in the high seas?

  6. Re:Not exactly a new idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Wouldn't the enemy think it was a windmill that floated out to sea and not target it?

  7. Re:Not exactly a new idea by Aram+Fingal · · Score: 4, Funny

    Actually, there is a mature technology for powering ships with wind. It's called a sail.

  8. Re:Too bad we don't have this already by AP31R0N · · Score: 2, Funny

    Where are these nuclear wessels?

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  9. Re:What would happen... by Anonymous+Psychopath · · Score: 3, Funny

    Well, if it *is* to be the Prius of the high seas, let's hope they at least make it a decent looking ship. Not something fugly like the Prius on land is...

    :)

    Also, it will need Obama '08 and "Coexist" bumper stickers.

    --

    Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.