U.S. Navy has the goal of an improved power distribution system for future naval construction. This power distribution system must be designed for survivability and continuity of electrical power supply. In general, ship service electric power and future electric propulsion power requirements are approaching hundreds of megawatts. Todays shipbuilders face major challenges with the use of standard cable systems at medium voltage levels due to cable stiffness, and cable bend radius requirements for distributing high current around the ship. This proposal demonstrates the advantages of the Insulated Bus Pipe (IBP) technology, installation benefits and weight and space savings associated with IBP as an alternative to traditional shipboard cable systems. The IBP system is currently used in the utility industry and in shipboard applications on several passenger cruise ships. IBP is a more efficient medium & high voltage transmission line over cable for Integrated Power System (IPS) on ships due to weight reduction, cable volume, and installation time. The U.S. Navy has determined that current commercial IBP system can not pass a 3 hour gas flame circuit integrity flame test. It is the focus of this proposal to improve the high temperature performance by developing an insulating matrix to handle the temperatures associated with the 3 hour gas flame circuit integrity flame test.
Benefit: The significant impact is the ability to produce a lightweight, modular, power distribution system that has the ability to withstand high temperature for an extended period of time. In integrating a high temperature composite matrix as an electrical insulation material, this system will be able to withstand temperature up to 700F for a continuous time period without degradation to the polymer matrix allowing for safe power distribution through extremely hot areas. By being able to withstand temperature spikes up to 1600F, the polymer matrix will give increased fire protection properties to the power distribution system allowing for ship systems to maintain power during times of disaster. It also creates a more robust IBP product for damage resistance and greatly improves the survivability against ordnance and ballistic fragmentation attack. All of these features play a significant role in protecting the Warfighter.
Keywords: Polyimide, Polyimide, High Temperature Composites, Insulating Bus Pipe, Bus Pipe
