055 DDG Large Destroyer Thread

[jobjed]

The 112MW figure is the estimated shp delivered by the 4 GT in 2x COGAG config. Electrical power is provided by 6 GT power generator sets providing anywhere from 18MW (lower estimate) to 48MW (upper estimate) of electrical power.

The Zumwalt has a lot more flexibility with its power distribution than the 055, as its propulsion is electric driven.

That might be true for the current iteration of 055s which don't yet have IEP but it won't be true for the followup sub-class, 055A. Four QC280s will provide the IEP vessel with ~100MW of power, plenty to play with.

From the picture below, the ship beside the 072 LST seems laden with electric equipment and electrical panels. Curious that they are heat generating and why are they painted black in addition to being in the hot sun.
But the point I want to make is that if the LST plus additional containerised generators are enough to power the rail/coilgun, why is the ship beside it carrying so much electrical equipment? The ship beside it seems to be a support ship. Why does a support ship need so much electrical equipment? A support ship for a complex rail/coilgun would probably need to have data servers and advanced electrical diagnostics equipment (oscilloscopes etc.). But those aren't necessarily voluminous as to need to be distributed throughout the ship next to the LST. There are full 2metre height standing panels (beige coloured with their own roof) even on the 'roof' of that ship as well.

That's a construction barge used to assist with setting up and maintaining the construction site. There's one parked next to the 055 right now to assist with its construction. They are not related to the design of the ship under construction/modification.

The railgun system is compact enough to be hosted by a 072.

 

[KlRc80]

That's a construction barge used to assist with setting up and maintaining the construction site. There's one parked next to the 055 right now to assist with its construction. They are not related to the design of the ship under construction/modification.

The railgun system is compact enough to be hosted by a 072.

I see, thanks for the explanation.

Any insights as to why are the many electrical panels on the construction barge being painted black considering that being in the hot sun, overheating would be an issue?

 

[Max Demian]

Just to put the potential electrical power of the 055A into perspective, the Royal Navy's QE class carriers have around 110MW total electrical power at their disposal.

 

[manqiangrexue]

From the picture below, the ship beside the 072 LST seems laden with electric equipment and electrical panels. Curious that they are heat generating and why are they painted black in addition to being in the hot sun.
But the point I want to make is that if the LST plus additional containerised generators are enough to power the rail/coilgun, why is the ship beside it carrying so much electrical equipment? The ship beside it seems to be a support ship. Why does a support ship need so much electrical equipment? A support ship for a complex rail/coilgun would probably need to have data servers and advanced electrical diagnostics equipment (oscilloscopes etc.). But those aren't necessarily voluminous as to need to be distributed throughout the ship next to the LST. There are full 2metre height standing panels (beige coloured with their own roof) even on the 'roof' of that ship as well.

It's probably the lab ship that accompanies the prototype rail-gun so that it can take down experiment data and make on-the-spot modifications and fixes to the gun if needed at sea. I don't know enough about this to say that it's carrying too much or too little or just right the amount of electrical equipment for what they want to do. You're not saying that you think it takes both these ships hooked up to each other to work the rail-gun, are you? If it were this cumbersome, I don't think they would have let it go out to sea; they would have demanded that the design be made ship-practical before being ship-mounted.

 

[taxiya]

The 112MW figure is the estimated shp delivered by the 4 GT in 2x COGAG config. Electrical power is provided by 6 GT power generator sets providing anywhere from 18MW (lower estimate) to 48MW (upper estimate) of electrical power.

The Zumwalt has a lot more flexibility with its power distribution than the 055, as its propulsion is electric driven.

the 112MW figure is the one being called excessive, because in a non IEPS configuration, that 112MW is the shaft power driving the propellers which Zumwalt certainly does not have.

In the 2nd batch of 055 (055A), the "excess" of that 112MW will be added into the consumption of EM guns and other electronics, which becomes not excessive. So is the future proof and nicely planned.

 

[taxiya]

Well we all know the current 055 doesn't have railgun. I thought we are talking about its next iteration once it has IEP. My understanding is that China's IEP is more mature than its railgun, doesn't make sense to have railgun but no IEP (retrofitting current 055 with railgun is another story). My question would be whether this 112MW figure is true or not. If it is, then it's a huge advantage against Zumwalt.

Although doing so is possible, it is far from desirable, therefor making no sense to PLAN. Without tapping into the 112MW, only to squeeze the 18MW/48MW for EM gun will seriously complicate things, negatively impact other electronics that shares the same power grid.

So the only realistic and practical approach of 055A is IEPS+EM gun.

 

[taxiya]

Didn't people say 055's propulsion is 112MW and Zumwalt is 78MW?

If it turns out to be true, then energy source is not a blocking issue. Everything is planned nicely, in some aspects more practical than Zumwalt, in some other aspects more aggressive.

As to 052 series, no I don't think it would mount railgun or laser. That would be a surprise.

I read somewhere else that there is a cut-off line of practicality of IEPS (with EM guns) in regarding warship displacement. It is something around 4000t. So 052 sized ship is pretty well above that line, meaning technically it won't be a surprise, but I doubt an EM gun on future 052 variant for the operational necessity in the near future.

 

[taxiya]

From the picture below, the ship beside the 072 LST seems laden with electric equipment and electrical panels. Curious that they are heat generating and why are they painted black in addition to being in the hot sun.
But the point I want to make is that if the LST plus additional containerised generators are enough to power the rail/coilgun, why is the ship beside it carrying so much electrical equipment? The ship beside it seems to be a support ship. Why does a support ship need so much electrical equipment? A support ship for a complex rail/coilgun would probably need to have data servers and advanced electrical diagnostics equipment (oscilloscopes etc.). But those aren't necessarily voluminous as to need to be distributed throughout the ship next to the LST. There are full 2metre height standing panels (beige coloured with their own roof) even on the 'roof' of that ship as well.

Besides what @manqiangrexue has proposed in #5164

1. take down experiment data
2. make on-the-spot modifications and fixes to the gun

I would also suggest to expand point 1 above as following:

1. The trajectory observation, telemetering equipment, similar to the observing aircraft for J-20 and J-31. To record the trajectory of the launching shell from a good distance.
2. The data acquired above will then be analyzed by engineers onboard who cannot be comfortably accompanied by the LST.

So it can be a combination of workshop and floating office and lab.

 

[taxiya]

Besides what @manqiangrexue has proposed in #5164

1. take down experiment data
2. make on-the-spot modifications and fixes to the gun

I would also suggest to expand point 1 above as following:

1. The trajectory observation, telemetering equipment, similar to the observing aircraft for J-20 and J-31. To record the trajectory of the launching shell from a good distance.
2. The data acquired above will then be analyzed by engineers onboard who cannot be comfortably accompanied by the LST.

So it can be a combination of workshop and floating office and lab.

After reading Jobjed's #5161, I think it looks like a construction barge. It does not look to fit going in the sea by its shape.

 

[Blitzo]

The barge next to the LST I think is more likely to be a fitting out ship/barge, which will not accompany the LST out to sea or during rail gun testing.

I can't see any equipment on the barge that would suggest it is necessary for the LST to conduct its work, and frankly does anyone think the barge looks like it can go out to sea or is even meant to do much travel to begin with? Imagine what its seakeeping is like.

The idea that they would modify an entire LST to test a rail gun yet still somehow need a separate barge/ship to accompany it to make sure the whole thing works is impractical and kind of defeats the purpose of having a unified at sea test platform.