The physical integration of a significant marine engineering package into the T23 Frigate

The Type 23 Frigate (T23) has been extended in-service well beyond its initial design life of 18 years, with some ships due to be over 35 years old when they leave service. To ensure the vessels remain effective & available a T23 Life Extension (LIFEX) programme was set up to meet this revised End of Life (EOL). A significant element of this LIFEX and the focus of this paper is PGMU (Power Generation and MCAS Update).
The aim of PGMU is to restore electrical power margins and to overcome equipment obsolescence. This requirement was set with the obvious constraint that new equipment must integrate with the existing ship and it’s supporting systems without adversely affecting key operational characteristics.
Considered an Alteration & Addition (A&A) but the largest the T23 has ever seen, the project has encompassed the entire cradle to birth cycle and equipment is currently being fitted into the first of class with a plan to achieve sea trials in Q2 2019.
PGMU will replace the most critical assets of a warship; its power generation system. It replaces the 4 diesel generators with higher power units, the replacement of the 2 motor generator sets that supply the 440v ship services, upgrades the switchboards as well as the Machinery Controls and Surveillance System (MCAS).
Challenges have come in the form of structural limitations; stability management; signature management; physical integration and the re-designing of a legacy platform to new standards.
This paper builds on one that I presented at INEC 2016: “Facing the challenges of integration and physical constraints when replacing major equipment in old platforms”. This edition will cover issues that have arisen in the later stages of the design and validation through into the integration for First of Class (FoC); HMS Richmond. It will concentrate on the naval architectural aspects of the project and will consider how they were managed whilst offering an overview of some of the key learning from experience (LFE) that has been gained.