Development of metal fiber electrical brushes for 500 kW SSMG sets

The effort that this paper reports began in 1996 as a Team Submarine sponsored Navy SBIR N96-103, and expanded into a multi-year NAVSEA (SUB-RT) sponsored, Phase III, applied research and development project. Therein a combined government, university and industry partnership are designing, building, integrating and testing metal fiber electrical brushes for the AC (slip ring end) and DC (commutating end) of a 500 kW Ship's Service Motor Generator set and other submarine DC motors. These revolutionary brushes are being designed and laboratory-tested, then transitioned toward Navy use via the submarine MG set land based test facility, and later at sea on US Navy submarines. The metal fiber brush project was previously reported on at the ASNE sponsored Navy Electric Machines Conference in 1999.