Navy chooses RCT Power Systems to design new bi-directional shipboard power conversion modules
WASHINGTON, 7 Jan. 2016. U.S. Navy shipboard electronics experts needed experimental power-conversion modules and energy-storage components for advanced shipboard electrical shipboard power systems. They found their solution from the RCT Systems Inc. Power Systems Division in Linthicum Heights, Md.
Officials of the Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington announced a $12.4 million contract Wednesday to RCT Power Systems for research and developmental testing and manufacturing of bi-directional power conversion modules to support a 4160-volt AC 60 Hz shipboard electrical architectures.
Navy researchers want these shipboard electronics components to interface with the battery or rotating machine energy storage and power load modules of next-generation integrated shipboard power systems.
RCT Power Systems experts also will study, analyze, design, develop, and test energy-storage solutions for the power conversion modules.
Related: Navy chooses JBT Corp. to design a next-generation shipboard mobile electric power plant
Bi-directional power conversion is important because it enables power systems to connect either to storage battery systems or direct-current power supply systems. Typically these kinds of power converters rely on digital power control for efficiency.
RCT Power Systems (formerly Satcon Applied Technology) designs, builds, and integrates products and technologies in power electronics, hybrid and electric vehicles, renewable energy, motors and generators, and power systems architectures.
The company principally is engaged in providing research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, and products. On this contract RCT Power Systems will do the work in Linthicum Heights, Md., and should be finished by January 2021.
For more information contact RCT Power Systems online at http://rct-systems.com, or Naval Sea Systems Command at www.navy.mil/local/navsea.
John Keller | Editor
John Keller is editor-in-chief of Military & Aerospace Electronics magazine, which provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronic and optoelectronic technologies in military, space, and commercial aviation applications. A member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since the magazine's founding in 1989, Mr. Keller took over as chief editor in 1995.
