NSWCPD Commissions A Navy-First Electric Power Test Capability

NSWCPD Commissions A Navy-First Electric Power Test Capability

By Steven Infanti

Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD) recently reached a major research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) milestone by commissioning a Navy-first electric power testing capability to help engineers evaluate emerging and existing shipboard power technologies before installation aboard Navy platforms.

The new Power Hardware-in-the-Loop and Control Hardware-in-the-Loop capabilities allow NSWCPD engineers to connect physical equipment to real-time digital models that simulate complex shipboard power environments. In practical terms, the capability enables engineers to test how power systems, components, and controls perform under realistic conditions without requiring a full shipboard installation or the physical presence of every piece of connected equipment.

For the Navy, this matters because modern and future ships depend on increasingly complex electrical systems. Power must be generated, distributed, controlled, and protected across systems supporting propulsion, combat, mission, hotel loads, and other shipboard demands.

Testing those interactions earlier and more safely helps reduce technical risk, identify integration
challenges, and support better decisions before equipment reaches the fleet. The commissioning followed years of planning, investment, and technical development across multiple Navy research and infrastructure efforts.This immense undertaking was led from start to finish by NSWCPD lead technical experts Dr. Christian Schegan and Dr. James Teti.

"Bringing this from a conceptual design to an operational, 'Navy-First' capability required us to completely rethink how we validate shipboard power," Schegan noted. "We had to bridge the gap between virtual modeling and high-power physical assets, creating a secure, high-fidelity environment that simply didn't exist in-house until now. This capability gives us the unique ability to validate and mature specifications and requirements while continuously derisking system integration."

"You don't see your name next to 'Navy-First' every day!" laughed Teti, adding, "Our goal was to deliver a world-class testing architecture that can be adapted to accommodate any future naval platform. Leading this effort from its initial design and planning phases to final commissioning has been a remarkable journey. I've stood up new-construction test sites before, but this one is unique in its virtually endless capabilities that transcend ship class and platform. What we've built will safeguard both our hardware and our Sailors for decades to come; we've outpaced the future, but only for a while."

"This is a tremendous milestone for NSWCPD and for Navy electric power research anddevelopment," Electric Power Research and Development Branch Manager Jessie Rougeux said."This capability gives our engineers a way to bring real hardware and real-time modeling together so we can better understand how systems will perform before they are placed in a shipboard environment. It helps us move faster, test smarter, and reduce risk for the Navy."
That approach can help the Navy reduce the need for duplicative testing, protect equipment and personnel from unnecessary risk, and providePortfolio Acquisition Executives (PAEs), program offices, and Technical Authorities with better information earlier in the development process.

"Shipboard power is central to warfightingreadiness," NSWCPD Machinery Research Logistics and Ship Integrity Department Head Allison DeRocco said."As the Navy continues to develop and integrate more advanced systems, we need test capabilities that allow us to understand performance, reliability, and risk before those systems reach Sailors at sea. This Navy-first capability strengthens NSWCPD's ability to support the fleet, accelerate innovation, and deliver technical solutions that are ready for the mission."

The capability also supports non-destructive diagnostics and troubleshooting. Engineers can evaluate edge cases, unusual system behavior, and potential failure scenarios in a controlled environment, helping them better understand how equipment responds without placing shipboard systems, test assets, or personnel at unnecessary risk.

That kind of testing is particularly valuable as Navy platforms become more power-intensive. Future capabilities will place new demands on shipboard electrical architectures, and those demands require test environments that can examine interactions among equipment, controls, and loads with greater fidelity.

For NSWCPD, the milestone reinforces the command's role as the Navy's center of excellence for machinery systems, ship systems integration, and lifecycle engineering. It also reflects the division's ability to bring together research, infrastructure investment, engineering expertise, and hands-on testing to create capabilities that directly support the fleet.

The successful commissioning also creates opportunities for future collaboration across Navy laboratories, program offices, and technical communities. As the capability matures, NSWCPD engineers will be able to apply it to a range of power-system research and testing needs, helping to lower costs, shorten schedules,and reducetechnical risk.

For the fleet, the value is straightforward: better testing ashore can lead to better performance at sea.

NSWCPD employs about 2,700 civilian engineers, scientists, technicians, and support staff. The team focuses on research and development, testing and evaluation, acquisition support, and in-service and logistics engineering for non-nuclear machinery, ship machinery systems, and related equipment and materials for Navy surface ships and submarines. NSWCPD also serves as the main organization responsible for providing cybersecurity for all ship systems.