VDM25000 / AIM Solution
The requirements for high power, high performance, high power dense equipment for surface combatants are met by Converteam's VDM25000/AIM solution. The solution consists of a multi-phase Advanced Induction Motor supplied from its complementary PWM converter. The key features of this solution include:
- high power density
- high efficiency
- direct connection to high voltages (no transformers)
- low noise & vibration
- any water cooling
- high shock withstand
- redundancy
- low through-life cost and maintenance.
This system, which has had the advantage of exhaustive testing at land-based test sites in both the UK & the USA, is installed in the Royal Navy's Type 45 Destroyer and forms the baseline propulsion design for the future aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy and the French Navy and for the US Navy's DDG1000 programs.
PWM MV7000 Converter & Induction Motor Solution
Recent developments in IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) components have opened up new opportunities in power conversion. The use of press-pack IGBTs has helped design more efficient converters. Converteam has adopted this press-pack technology for the new MV7000 medium voltage PWM converters. In combination with induction motors, these converters significantly enhance electric propulsion in terms of efficiency, ease of maintenance and low noise & vibration levels. Elimination of harmonic filtering and a powerful encoderless controller further optimizes the total power & propulsion plant.
Podded Solutions
POD propulsion offers significant advantages in efficiency, reliability, space-saving since the system has been designed to require a minimum number of mechanical parts and provide excellent manoeuvrability which is essential for navigation in shallow water, and the embarkation / disembarkation phases. Due to these advantages, the French Navy has selected this solution for its "Bâtiments de Projection et de Commandement" vessels: the Mistral and Tonnerre LHDs.
A new POD solution is being designed to integrate the state-of-the-art development in power and control electronics and hydrodynamics to offer customers and optimal high-performance pod system.
SD7000 Solution: Mature and Proven Technology
An extensive range of ship types, in particular cruise ships, chemical tankers, auxiliary ships and research vessels bear out the efficiency of the synchronous drive solution. The combination of synchronous motors and synchroconverters has been widely adopted as illustrated by several references accumulated over many years. This solution is very well adapted to ships with high power requirements with twin shafts or single shaft tandem motors arrangements.

