Destroyer Zumwalt Resumes Voyage to California

[nitpicker]

http://www.defensenews.com/articles/destroyer-zumwalt-resumes-voyage-to-california

Destroyer Zumwalt Resumes Voyage to California

By: Christopher P. Cavas, December 2, 2016


WASHINGTON — Repaired — again — with parts from a sistership, the high-tech destroyer Zumwalt left Panama on Wednesday night bound for California, where a more thorough investigation will try and determine why several rather prosaic pieces of equipment have failed several times in the ship’s short life.

The Zumwalt broke down Nov. 21 while in the Miraflores locks of the Panama Canal during a transit from the Atlantic to Pacific oceans. Tugs towed the ship to the former Rodman US Naval Station, where it remained for several days before being moved across a waterway to Balboa, Panama, on the Pacific side of the canal.

At issue are coolers for the main shaft bearing lubrication oil. Each of the ship’s two propeller shafts has two sets of bearings, each with a lube oil system and cooler. The coolers have proven problematic ever since the ship sailed away on Sept. 7 from its builder’s yard at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine.

It is not clear who makes the coolers, which are a common feature on virtually all powered ships with a propeller shaft. “There are several vendors involved,” said a Navy official, who noted that the Zumwalt has 32 coolers throughout its engineering plant — four on the shaft bearings, 16 on the ship’s two advanced induction motors (AIM) and 12 more on dynamic brake resisters that manage drastic voltage changes.
(snip)

The leaks appear to be from seawater in the coolers getting into the lube oil, which is routinely monitored for quality. Leak problems have been discovered from inspection of the oil and from noticing seawater gathered in sumps — basins that collect excess fluids.
(snip)

[Sherman A1]

1. "It is not clear who makes the coolers......."

Because... WHY?

[JayhawkSD]

2. Subcontractors who subcontract to subcontractors, who subcontract to subcontractors, etc. nt

[shadowmayor]

3. Accountability?

None. Never. Nope.

Expect another contract to fix the fuck-ups that were paid for in previous contract. And on and on it goes.