[Courtesy of the Agency for Defense Development]
The integration of propulsion systems for South Korean warships has heavily relied on entrusted foreign companies, causing concerns about the leakage of design data and technology. The Agency for Defense Development (ADD) said that dynamic simulation technology is important for optimizing warship design as it is possible to predict the performance of propulsion systems by utilizing various data in the stage of designing.
Hanwha Systems and ADD's Defense Industry Technology Center have jointly developed dynamic simulation technology that can be used for optimizing merchant ship propulsion systems and secure autonomous ship technology if applied to private vessels.
The application of a hybrid propulsion system that combines a gas turbine and electric propulsion motors has expanded to warships in many countries. The hybrid propulsion system is designed to avoid detection by submarines.
The dynamic simulation model enables the simulation of urgent operational situations such as emergency maneuvers, stops and turns, ADD said, adding that dynamic simulation capable of predicting the maneuvering capability of ships is possible even in various situations such as wind speed, wind direction, and tidal velocity.
To replace an aging fleet of corvettes and frigates, South Korea has launched the FFX program that calls for the construction of six 2,300-ton Incheon-class ships for the first batch, eight 2,800-ton Daegu-class ships for the second batch and six 3,500-ton Ulsan-class ships for the third batch.
Rolls-Royce Holdings has introduced a hybrid propulsion system for eight Daegu-class Batch II frigates, each powered by a single MT30 gas turbine and electric propulsion motors. For the third batch of frigates, the British company would provide a new MT30 gas turbine. The first Batch III frigate with powerful radars and an electro-optical targeting system is scheduled to enter service in 2024.
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