General Electric LM2500. The General Electric LM2500 is an industrial and marine gas turbine produced by GE Aviation. The LM2500 is a derivative of the General Electric CF6 aircraft engine.

As of 2004, the U.S. Navy and at least 29 other navies had used a total of more than one thousand LM2500/LM2500+ gas turbines to power warships. Other uses include hydrofoils, hovercraft and fast ferries.

In 2012, GE developed an FPSO version to serve the oil and gas industry's demand for a lighter, more compact version to generate electricity and drive compressors to send natural gas through pipelines.

Design and development

The LM2500 was first used on the US Navy  in 1969, after the original FT-4 gas turbines experienced many technical problems. Later, they were used in US Navy warships in the  of destroyers and the related , which were constructed from 1970. In this configuration it was rated to .  This configuration was subsequently used into the 1980s in the s, and s. It was also used by one of People's Republic of China's Type 052 Luhu Class Missile Destroyer (Harbin 112) acquired before the embargo.

The LM2500 was uprated to  for the s, which were initiated in the 1980s and started to see service in the early 1990s, and the T-AOE-6 class of fast combat tanker.

In 2001 the LM2500 (20 MW) was installed in a sound-proof capsule in the South African Navy  (Meko A-200 SAN) frigates as part of a CODAG propulsion system with two MTU 16V 1163 TB93 Propulsion Diesels.

The current generation was uprated in the late 1990s to over .

LM2500 installations place the engine inside a metal container for sound and heat isolation from the rest of the machinery spaces. This container is very near the size of a standard  intermodal shipping container – but not the same, the engine size very slightly exceeds those dimensions. The air intake ducting may be designed and shaped appropriately for easy removal of the LM2500 from their ships.

The LM2500+ is an evolution of the LM2500, delivering up to  or 28.6 MW of electric energy when combined with an electrical generator. Two of such turbo-generators have been installed in the superstructure near the funnel of Queen Mary 2, the world's largest transatlantic ocean liner, for additional electric energy for the liner to reach higher sea speeds..  Celebrity Cruises uses two LM2500+ engines in their s in a COGAS cycle (actually COGES, as the turbines generate electricity rather than driving the shafts directly).

The LM2500 is license-built in India by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited; in Italy by Avio Aero; and in Japan by IHI Corporation. (Subsequent to the February 2024 reporting of an IHI company whistleblower; On April 24, 2024, IHI announced that investigation was underway by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of its subsidiary, IHI Power Systems Co., which had falsified its engine data since 2003, impacting over 4,000 engines globally.)

The LM2500/LM2500+ can often be found as turbine part of CODAG, CODOG, CODLAG propulsion systems or in pairs as powerplants for COGAG systems.

Applications
Aircraft carrier:
  (Italian Navy)
  (Italian Navy)
  (Royal Thai Navy)
  (Spanish Navy)
  (Indian Navy)

Amphibious assault ship:
  (United States Navy)
  (Royal Australian Navy)
  (Spanish Navy)
  (United States Navy)
Cruiser:
  (United States Navy)
Destroyer:
  (United States Navy)
  (Royal Australian Navy)
  (Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force)
  (Italian Navy)
  (Republic of Korea Navy)
  (Republic of China Navy)
  (Republic of Korea Navy)
  (Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force)
  (United States Navy)
 Type 052 destroyer (People's Liberation Army Navy)
 Project 18 (Indian Navy)
Frigate:
  (Royal Australian Navy)
   (Spanish Navy)
  (Royal Australian Navy, Royal New Zealand Navy)
  (German Navy)
  (Turkish Navy)
  (Royal Thai Navy)
  (German Navy)
  (German Navy)
  (Republic of China Navy)
  (United States Navy)
 FREMM multipurpose frigate (French Navy, Italian Navy, Royal Moroccan Navy)
  (Royal Norwegian Navy)
  (Royal Canadian Navy)
  (French Navy, Italian Navy)
  (Hellenic Navy)
  (Pakistan Navy)
  (Royal Thai Navy)
  (Indian Navy)
  (United States Navy)
  (German Navy)
  (Spanish Navy)
  (Indian Navy)
  (South African Navy)
  (Portuguese Navy)
  (Republic of Korea Navy)
  (Turkish Navy)
Fast Combat Support Ship:
  (United States Navy)
Maritime Prepositioning Force:
  (United States Navy)
Littoral combat ship:
  (United States Navy)
Corvette:
  (Finnish Navy)
  (Royal Danish Navy)
  (Israeli Navy)
  (Philippine Navy)
  (Brazilian Navy)
  (Turkish Navy)
 Next Generation Missile Vessels (Indian Navy)
Maritime Security Cutter, Large:
  (United States Coast Guard)
Fast Attack Patrol boat
  (United States Navy)
  (Indonesian Navy)Passenger Ship: Queen Mary 2'' ocean liner (Cunard Line)
  (Holland America Line)
  (Princess Cruises)
  (Princess Cruises)
  (Celebrity Cruises)
  (Royal Caribbean International)

Variants 
The LM2500 is available in 3 different versions:
 The LM2500 delivers  with a thermal efficiency of 37 percent at ISO conditions.  When coupled with an electric generator, it delivers 24 MW of electricity at 60 Hz with a thermal efficiency of 36 percent at ISO conditions.
 The improved, 3rd generation, LM2500+ version of the turbine delivers  with a thermal efficiency of 39 percent at ISO conditions.  When coupled with an electric generator, it delivers 29 MW of electricity at 60 Hz with a thermal efficiency of 38 percent at ISO conditions.
 The latest, 4th generation, LM2500+G4 version was introduced in November 2005 and delivers 47,370 shp (35,320 kW) with a thermal efficiency of 39.3 percent at ISO conditions.

Derivatives 
 The GE TM2500 is derived from the LM2500, and mounted on a trailer that makes it possible to move it to wherever 30 MW of temporary electricity generation is required. It can be installed and commissioned in 11 days.

Specification
The basic LM2500 has a single shaft gas generator derived from the CF6, comprising a 16 stage compressor driven by a two stage air-cooled HP turbine. The combustion chamber is annular. Shaft power is generated by a 6-stage power turbine mounted in the gas generator exhaust stream.  Additional power is obtained from the LM2500+ by the addition of a zero stage to the compressor, making 17 stages in all.
Specifications for three models of LM2500 series gas turbine engines:

See also

References

External links

 Official GE Aviation page for LM2500 (GEAE).
 Official GE Aviation page for LM2500+.
 Official GE Aviation page for LM2500+G4.
 FAS information page on US Navy LM2500 usage
 SA Navy Valour class frigate page
 Power Generation plants
 Simple and combined cycle 50 Hz
 Simple and combined cycle 60 Hz

Aero-derivative engines
Gas turbines
Marine engines