US Navy’s Next Aircraft Carrier More Cost-Effective Than Predecessors

The first aircraft carrier in the Ford-Class (CVN-78) will be equipped with an on-board liquid oxygen generating plant that will decrease ownership cost by reducing operational manpower and maintenance.

This has been announced by Chart, a global cryogenic engineering company, whose Acoustic-Stirling liquefier was incorporated in the carrier’s generating plant.

The industry team, led by Rix Industries, charged, by the US Navy and Huntington Ingalls, developed a system which will succeed the oversized, energy intensive distillation columns installed on all current US Navy nuclear powered aircraft carriers.

Apart from delivering on the energy savings, the company claims the new system produces liquid oxygen 20 minutes from start-up, instead of almost 24 hours with conventional technology.

The size and weight of the plant is approximately 50% of its predecessor, helping the Navy attain their overall reduction goals.

USS Gerald R. Ford is in the final stages of construction and testing and is scheduled to join the U.S. Navy fleet in 2016, provided the ship passes shock trials.

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Image: Huntington Ingalls