COTS relays switch to naval duties

Relays are chosen by two suppliers of equipment for the new Type 45 anti-air-warfare destroyers being commissioned for use by the Royal Navy.

Finder relays have been specified by two suppliers of equipment that will be installed in the new Type 45 anti-air-warfare destroyers being commissioned for use by the Royal Navy.

All the components and systems used on the ship are required to conform to the most stringent quality and reliability specifications, although the use of commercial (COTS) products has been permitted for noncritical applications in the Type 45 provided they meet the necessary specifications, including shock testing.

The Finder products have been selected ahead of their competitors for use in HVAC and Class C heating and lighting controls because of their reliability credentials and recognised approvals, including Lloyds Register of Shipping, and also because of their superior performance under independent testing.

McGeoch, which is supplying all the light fittings and a number of the control panels for use in the Type 45, tested a number of relays for shock resistance up to a gravitational force of 30g in all three planes before selecting the Finder products.

Similar selection criteria lead Polham Controls to choose Finder 48 series AC and DC relay modules to interface between their controller and external devices in the air treatment units and the air filtration units.

These units overpressurise various chambers, preventing the ingress of contaminated air and allow isolation and clearance of individual areas.

Finder's 56 series power relays and associated sockets are being used by McGeoch to control the heating in the crews' sleeping quarters, in order to ensure a comfortable environment for off duty crew members.

Up to 200 relays per ship can be required for switching heating loads of up to 16kW.

Operating at either 115V AC 60Hz or 24V DC, the Finder 40 series relays are also used by McGeoch in the control and monitoring of steaming, navigation and other functions onboard the ship.

The Royal Navy's Type 45 Daring Class destroyers are intended to replace the Type 42 destroyers, which have been in service since 1978.

The Type 45 Destroyers are being built and assembled at BAE Systems Surface Fleet Solutions' yards on the Clyde in Glasgow, with the bow section of each ship being built at VT in Portsmouth.

The first two ships, HMS Daring and HMS Dauntless have already been launched with HMS Daring due to enter service in 2009 and the rest set to follow by 2014.

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