Photo By Anna Taylor | CAPT Clint Hoskins, Commanding Officer, NUWC Division, Keyport, inspects the Motor...... read more read more
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Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Keyport, in partnership with Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility and the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & IMF, has developed a robotic repair system that is revolutionizing refurbishment of motor generators on certain Navy platforms.
The invention enables naval shipyards to automate the repair of motor generator systems in limited-space environments. It has undergone extensive testing and refinement to meet industry standards and ensure its reliability, and now stands poised for widespread adoption across the Navy. According to historical data cited in its invention disclosure in 2021, it has drastically reduced the average time required to refurbish certain motor generator sets.
A large portion of this time savings can be attributed to the elimination of the need for disassembly, rigging and interference removal requirements, processes that take substantial time and labor, according to NUWC Division, Keyport Mechanical Engineer Nicholas Bankus, who is among the inventors.
The team at NUWC Division, Keyport that developed this invention says its success is a testament to the value of collaboration between Warfare Centers and shipyards.
NUWC Division, Keyport Technical Project Manager Adam Hocutt, who handled external engagement and sponsorship for the project, agrees.
“Leveraging the diverse thought and expertise across Warfare Centers and shipyards is crucial in driving innovation that directly enhances our sustainment and repair capabilities,” said Hocutt. “This type of collaborative effort brings diverse thought together to look at a problem and maybe see it in a way that any one of us would not see it on our own.”
Sal St. Germain, previous PHNSY electrical community of practice lead, played a vital role in the project from the start and also agrees its success underscores the importance of collaboration between Warfare Centers and shipyards.
“Warfare Centers have the talent and capability to improve and enhance shipyard maintenance practices,” said St. Germain. “People just have to be willing to share their struggles and be open to innovative solutions.”
Work on the invention began in 2014 as a grassroots process improvement initiative led by the joint Naval Shipyard Electrical Community of Practice. Having identified significant opportunities for efficiency gains through automation of commutator refurbishment processes, the ECoP contacted NUWC Division, Keyport and Penn State University’s Applied Research Laboratory to tap their expertise in developing a system capable of automating these processes.
The team developed an industrial prototype, refined it into a market-ready system, secured the necessary approvals and certifications, and finalized the design for production.
Lead Engineer Joel Galles earned the 2019 Dr. Delores M. Etter Top Scientists and Engineers Award for his crucial contributions to the user interface, programming, vacuum system, electronics design and tool development.
Bankus, who contributed to the drive/brake subsystem and assisted in tool design, describes Galles’ role as that of “project visionary.”
"He had the whole design in his head and conveyed it to everyone during our individual parts, and then tied everything together,” said Bankus.
The other inventors include mechanical engineer Alexander Read, who designed the motion platform subsystem and contributed to tool design, and computer scientist Derek Mikesell, who worked on the programming and user interface.
PSNS & IMF served as the main testing site due to its proximity to NUWC Division, Keyport, with additional testing conducted at PHNSY. The team tested the prototype on both inactive and active platforms, allowing for a thorough assessment of its effectiveness and reliability in real-world conditions.
The team’s testing approach is one that Bryce Weber, division applied technology manager in NUWC Division, Keyport’s Rapid Prototyping & Fabrication Technology Division, believes accelerates innovation by allowing for incremental adjustments based on real-world feedback.
“This project highlighted what has become a big shift in how we field new sustainment technologies,” said Weber. “Instead of waiting for the final solution to be fully production-ready, this project leveraged planned, safe-to-fail operational demonstrations.”
Weber added that this approach has strengthened relationships among NUWC Division, Keyport, PHNSY and PSNS & IMF innovators.
“The iterative testing approach helped the Keyport team build critical relationships and provided more opportunities for PHNSY or PSNS & IMF experts to really contribute to the function and success of the tool,” said Weber. “Every operational demonstration bought down risk, grew confidence, and was another chance for those collaboration partners to share their ideas for improvement.”
The prototype is currently being used extensively by PSNS & IMF. Scott Siperek, a shop foreman at the shipyard, praised the prototype and the support NUWC Division, Keyport has provided in familiarizing personnel with its use.
“[The tool] has resulted in a substantial time savings,” said Siperek. “It has also allowed our newer workforce to be directly involved in the work. With minimal setup and training, employees now have the capability to perform work that previously required special skills and qualifications. It keeps our employees safer as there is no requirement to have hands in the machine when [in use]. The support from Keyport in the training and operation was monumental in ensuring the work was done on time and correctly.”
The team is developing a training package for the tool to ensure personnel are equipped with the skills necessary to use it effectively. It is also implementing a tech refresh, establishing a maintenance plan with engineering support to maintain functionality and reliability, and transitioning to cross-platform systems.
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Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Keyport is headquartered in the state of Washington on the Puget Sound, about 10 miles west of Seattle. To provide ready support to Fleet operational forces at all major Navy homeports in the Pacific, NUWC Division, Keyport maintains detachments in San Diego, California and Honolulu, Hawaii, and remote operating sites in Guam; Japan; Hawthorne, Nevada; and Portsmouth, Virginia. At NUWC Division, Keyport, our diverse and highly skilled team of engineers, scientists, technicians, administrative professionals and industrial craftsmen work tirelessly to develop, maintain and sustain undersea warfare superiority for the United States.
Are you ready to join one of the largest and most dynamic employers in Kitsap County? We are continually hiring engineers, scientists and other STEM professionals—as well as talented experts in business, finance, logistics and support roles—so if you are eager to be at the forefront of undersea research and development, we want you on our team. Explore our exciting job opportunities at nuwckeyport.usajobs.gov and take the first step toward building your career at NUWC Division, Keyport.
| Date Taken: | 10.31.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.31.2024 18:18 |
| Story ID: | 484374 |
| Location: | KEYPORT, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 465 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Navy Warfare Center, shipyards, develop innovative motor generator repair system, by Frank Kaminski, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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