MARINE PROPULSION TECHNOLOGY
While the L58/64 had accounted
for about 57 percent of the 6.2 mil-
lion bhp of installations and orders
for the MAN B&W medium-speed
range by June 1997, the 48/60
passed the one million-bhp mark
in marine applications, with a fur-
ther 275,000 bhp committed to
stationary power projects.
Seagoing contracts for the
youngest member of the family,
the 32/40 series, have been at a
buoyant level so far in 1997, tak-
ing total marine orders beyond
700,000 bhp, with units for power
generation hoisting the overall
tally to 800,000 bhp. The bulk of
the 660,000 bhp of business for the
40/54 type has also been secured
in the shipping domain.
Japanese contenders
The market's sole challenger to
Wartsila NSD and MAN B&W in
the low-speed engine stakes,
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, has
augmented its portfolio with a
new, longer-stroke, especially fuel-
conservant, 520-mm bore design.
Anticipated fuel consumption of
123 g/bhp/hr from an output of
2,320 bhp per cylinder at 127 rpm,
should make the UEC52LSE an
attractive option for Panamax and
smaller vessels.
The strengthening of the
Japanese shipbuilding industry's
workload has been a boon to the
Mitsubishi UE family this year.
While the 500-mm bore class
(UEC50LSII) figures prominently
in new commitments to bulkers,
chip carriers, reefers and feeder-
ships, the upturn in crude carrier
contracting has generated sales
for the larger types of machinery
in the shape of the UEC85LSII
and UEC75LSII.
A milestone has been reached in
Japanese indigenous medium-
speed diesel development with the
delivery of the first two ADD-type
engines for seagoing duty.
Unusual in the adoption of a vee
configuration for just six cylinders,
each 6ADD30V unit has been sup-
plied by Mitsui's Tamano works for
a survey vessel newbuilding
ordered by the Japan Maritime
Safety Agency. Rated at some
4,100 bhp apiece, the engines will
drive the main generators in a
diesel-electric system.
Mirrlees taken over
Consolidation in the U.K. engi-
neering sector is underway with
the absorption by GEC Alsthom
Diesels of medium-speed engine
builder Mirrlees Blackstone. The
Stockport-based company has pro-
gressively focused on the power
generation sector in recent years,
supplying engines up to 12 MW
burning heavy fuel.
The move enables the Anglo-
French buyer to extend its range
beyond the maximum 7 MW avail-
able from the Ruston stable, and
better tap the needs of emerging,
independent power producers in
developing economies. Ruston,
meanwhile, has reinforced its posi-
tion in the fast ferry market with
the vee-20 version of its everpopu-
lar RK270 medium-speed engine.
GEC Alsthom's high-speed diesel
designer and manufacturer,
Paxman, is gearing up for volume
production of its compact VP185
class. Attracting sales across the
gamut of Paxman's traditional
markets, spanning naval and
agency patrol vessel, industrial,
rail traction and power sectors, the
design has also chalked up orders
from the luxury, fast motor yacht
propulsion market.
Success with the 12VP185 —
offering unit powers up to 2,610
kW at 1,950 rpm — has led to the
development of an 18-cylinder
model, which will take the range
to 3,910-kW.
A number of 18VP185s are
expected to be placed with launch
customers before the end of 1997.
Bavarian industry
One of the main drivers of high-
speed diesel technology, MTU, is
looking to increased production
this year at its Friedrichshafen
factory in Bavaria, to around 3,000
engines of 3.5 million bhp from the
circa 2,800 of 3.2 million bhp
turned out in 1996. The Series
396 and 2000 vee-type engines are
most prominent in the current
manufacturing program, the latter
being one of two types developed
in conjunction with U.S.-based
Detroit Diesel Corporation.
Detroit Diesel has been respon-
sible for the development of the
two-liter 2000 type, derived from
the Mercedes-Benz 500, and span-
ning the 270 to 1,343-kW power
band, while MTU had primary
responsibility for the four-liter
Series 4000, covering the 735 to
2,720-kW range.
The 4000 type is the first, com-
pact high-performance series pro-
duction diesel to use the common-
rail injection system prepared in
conjunction with the L'Orange
Company. MTU occupies a leading
position in fast ferry diesel propul-
sion, through its 1163, 595 and 396
designs. Significantly, while the
2,000-kW 16V396 (TE74L) is tout-
ed as the market leader in the
131.2-ft. (40-m), high-speed ferry
segment; the 16-vee model of the
4000 offers a power setting of
2,320 kW at 2,000 rpm. MTU
reports 60-plus orders to date for
the Series 4000, and contracts for
more than 200 units of the Series
2000.
Nordic challenger
From within the Norwegian
maritime cluster, the development
of a new vee engine has added a
further element of choice in the
hotly contested 320-mm bore sec-
tor of the market.
An anchor-handling tug/supply
vessel project bred on the coun-
try's rugged western shores pro-
vides the opening contract for the
12-cylinder BVM12 medium-speed
design introduced by Ulstein
Bergen as a long-anticipated
extension to its B-series program.
The 262.4-ft. (80-m), UT722-
type newbuilding entrusted to
Aukra Industrier by Simon
Mokster Shipping of Stavanger
will be fitted with two such units
for 14,410 bhp of propulsive
power. Mokster's preceding phase
of fleet development had afforded
an important reference for the
Caterpillar marque in the North
Sea. A pair of 7,370-bhp, 3616
type 'Big Cats' had been specified
in each case for the 1997-commis-
sioned, 246-ft. (75-m) Stril Power
and sister multi-functional sup-
port vessel.
The last quarter of 1997 is like-
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82 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News
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