Rolls-Royce - Military Vehicle Electric Drive Systems

Rolls-Royce is a global company specialising in power for land, sea and air applications. High-performance military vehicle electric drive systems are developed that meet customers' needs in the battlefield, and are dependable even in the harshest environments.

ELECTRIC POWER FOR MILITARY SYSTEMS

The network-centric battlespace has seen the growth of systems requiring electric power, including military vehicles and their sub-systems. The added weight of sub-systems and protection, combined with the demands of increased mobility, has led to a rethink of conventional vehicle configuration and electric power capabilities.

Proven more-electric technologies place Rolls-Royce at the forefront of military vehicle electric drive systems across a range of platforms, and enable a holistic approach to the most efficient and effective management of vehicle power and propulsion, within the wider management of power on the battlefield.

Electric transmission systems for wheeled and tracked military vehicles, particularly with hub drives, give a number of advantages, including volume and mass efficiency, fuel efficiency, reduced lifecycle costs, reduced environmental impact, increased stealth characteristics and readily available electric power on-board the vehicle.

• High speed, high power-dense electric machines (3,000rpm to 100,000rpm)
• Power converters
• Modular power electronics
• Magnetic bearings
• Flywheels
• Pulse power supplies

Military vehicle electric drive systems may be series drive (where the electric motor drives wheels), or parallel drive (in which the motor and engine are coupled to the drive wheels).

A FLEXIBLE APPROACH TO MILITARY VEHICLE CONFIGURATION

Replacing a conventional drive with a vehicle electric drive system allows cables rather than rigid shafts to transfer power across the vehicle, providing flexibility to the vehicle layout, as well as high levels of modularity with a plug-and-play approach.

Compact, permanent magnet electric motors provide power density and help to reduce the military vehicle's mass.

HYBRID ELECTRIC DRIVE SYSTEMS

Hybrid electric drive systems provide energy storage through high density batteries to supply vehicle systems and support the main engine at peak operation (for example acceleration).

A mild parallel hybrid electric drive system is suited to retrofit applications, and allows the conventional military vehicle structure to be maintained.

On-board vehicle power may also be supplied through a power take-off, where a permanent magnet alternator is mounted to the main propulsion engine, operating as a generator when the vehicle is stationary.

POWER ELECTRONICS, CONDITIONING AND CONVERSION

Power electronics, conditioning and conversion allows high-quality power to be supplied at a variety of voltages and frequencies, with signature and EMC management.

Power conditioning also enables military vehicle engine running at the efficient operating point, and assists in fuel efficiency.