Eastern USA Branch, IME
Hears Technical Paper On
High-Powered Diesel Engines
At a recent meeting at the U.S. Coast Guard
Officers' Club on Governors Island, N.Y., the
Eastern USA Branch of the Institute of Ma-
rine Engineers heard a paper on "Recent De-
velopments in High-Powered Diesel Engines."
Per V. Meulengracht, manager, Burmeister
& Wain American Corporation, after a brief
outline of the history of the B&W diesel en-
gine, described thjeir latest engine types.
Details of the new two-cycle B&W cross-
head types designated K-GF, of which the K90-
GF (900 mm bore) has been run on the test
beds at Mitsui in Japan and at B&W engine
works in Copenhagen, were discussed. This
model develops 3,400 bhp per cylinder (MCR)
at 114 rpm.
Illustrated by slides, design features were
shown, of which the following are of particular
interest:
Frame—The fabricated frame box resulting
in a very rigid unit with few joints which in-
sure good oil tightness.
Crosshead—For the short and rigid cross-
head, the owner has a choice of either poured
white metal bearings or precision shell-type
bearings. As only the bottom half of the jour-
nals is subjected to bearing loads, the cross-
head is designed so it can be turned upside
down in case of wear or minor damage. The
shell-type bearings are also reversible top to
bottom.
Cylinder Head—The cylinder head is a steel
forging with drilled passages for cooling, re-
sulting in: short (uncooled) fuel injection
valves and very limited thermal stresses.
Exhaust Valve—The one centrally located
exhaust valve, which has for many years been
standard on B&W (uniflow) two-cycle en-
gines, is now hydraulically actuated, eliminat-
ing push rods and rocker arms.
Reversing Mechanism—Retiming (advanc-
ing) of the camshaft is accomplished through
vane-type hydraulic motors built into the cam-
shaft chainwbeel.
Triple-Screw Containerships—The power
plant in the 75,000-hp containerships recently
completed in Copenhagen was described. In
this connection please refer to the cover story
in MARITIME REPORTER/Engineering
News, December 1, 1972.
Medium-Speed Engines—A four-cycle medi-
um-speed engine with 500 mm bore rated 750
bhp per cylinder (MCR) at 465 rpm, available
with up to 18 cylinders (13,500 bhp), was also
mentioned. The first two engines have been
tested in Copenhagen. They are of the 18-cylin-
der V-type and will be coupled to one 20 MW
AC generator for a peaking unit for an elec-
trical power station.
Shown at the meeting, left to right: Robert E. Yohe, sec-
retary, Eastern USA Branch, Institute of Marine Engi-
neers, Per V. Meulengracht, author, and Robert H. Imlah,
treasurer, Eastern USA Branch.
After the paper, a movie showing a piston
overhaul carried out in 1 Yz hours by four men
on a large bore (840 mm = 33") engine was
shown, illustrating how quickly maintenance
work can be carried out on large engines when
using special hydraulic and pneumatic tools.
With the labor-saving devices developed for
high-powered engines, and the relative ease
with which they can be operated, unattended
at night and on weekends (O-watch), the diesel
engine, due to its fuel economy and high relia-
bility, is excellently suited for practically all
types of vessels, including the largest tankers.
Chromalloy Contracts For
World's Largest Towboats
With Dravo Corporation
Chromalloy American Corporation's marine
subsidiary, The Valley Line Company, St.
Louis, Mo., has announced a contract for over
$5 million to build the world's two most pow-
erful towboats. These boats will be built by
Dravo Corporation at their manufacturing fa-
cility on Neville Island near Pittsburgh, Pa.
These vessels would each be rated at 10,100
horsepower, and will be the most powerful
towboats operating on any inland waterway
system. Completion of these vessels is sched-
uled for the end of the first quarter of 1974.
According to Thomas J. Barta, The Valley
Line president, the new boats are designed to
handle tows of over 40,000 tons in deeper
channels and swifter waters, primarily operat-
ing on the Lower Mississippi River.
These vessels will have the latest safety and
pollution, equipment; included are inboard fuel
bunkers, which eliminate river pollution in the
event of a side puncture.
The Valley Line, one of the largest barge
lines operating on the inland waterways, has
a fleet of 20 towboats and 750 barges.
SERVICE*^
GILLEN BACKS EVERY JOB
...with over 100 gears of the best in service
WEST END AVENUE, OYSTER BAY, NEW YORK, N.Y. 11771 • 212-895-8110
32 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News
Digital Wave Publishing