Marine Log - March 2008 - (Page 23)

DIESELPOWER Each of four new RO/RO carriers ordered by Wallenius Lines and Wilh. Wilhelmsen will be outfitted with a Kawasaki MAN B&W 7L70ME-C8 main engine LESS FUEL, B alancing improved fuel economy while building in flexibility to meet ever stricter future emission requirements is no small task. However, those were the goals MAN Diesel A/S set for its ME/ME-C Series electronically controlled camshaft-less, low-speed engines. The first ship to be fitted with MAN Diesel’s ME technology was the 77,636-gt M/T Ice Explorer, which was equipped with the 7S65ME-C prototype engine in October 2006. However, MAN Diesel’s development of electronically controlled, low-speed diesels can be traced back to the early 1990’s. The first engine featuring the ME technology was a 6L60MC/ME, which was originally developed as a conventional MC engine with a camshaft, then later rebuilt as a true camshaft-less ME engine. The ME version of the engine has now logged more than 30,000 running hours and has been used to fine tune ME technology. The main goals of the ME series are: • Improved fuel economy at all loads; • Flexibility to meet current and future emission requirements; • Easy engine balancing/adjust- LOWER EMISSIONS abililty; • System integration; • Smokeless operation; • Stable running at very low load. As of Jan. 2007, there were 82 ME engines in service and 300 on order. Earlier results from ship operators have been promising. For example, ship operators have reported that in rough weather there has been less fluctuation in engine RPM with an ME engine as compared to an engine with camshaftdriven fuel injection. More importantly, operators with ME engines in service for a longer period of time report savings in fuel oil consumption in the range of up to 4% when comparing with a series of sister ships that have camshaft-equipped counterpart-type engines. Apart from the inherent better part-load fuel oil consumption of an ME engine, one reason for the reported improved fuel consumption figures is that the ME engine makes it easy to always maintain correct performance parameters. ME ENGINES IN LARGEST RO/RO’S One of the latest orders for an ME series engine was placed for a new generation of Roll-On/Roll-Off carriers that will be built by Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for Wilh. Wilhelmsen ASA (WW) and Wallenius Lines (OW). The vessels will have a cargo volume of 138,000 m3, making them the largest of their type. MHI will deliver the ships in 2011 and 2012. The series will be about 10% larger than the most recent series of carriers built for WW/OW. Each RO/RO will have a single Kawasaki MAN B&W 7L70ME-C8 main engine delivering 22,890 kW at 108 rev/min, with an MEP of 20 bar. Lube oil consumption will be 0.15 g/kWh and cylinder oil consumption 0.7 g/kWh. The four new RO/RO’s will be employed by Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL), a joint venture of WW and OW. The carriers are designed for efficient transportation and the handling of high and heavy cargo (H&H), non-containerized cargo (NCC) and cars. CUTTING SOX WWL has been cultivating its sustainable shipping image by pushing ahead of international environmental MARCH 2008 MARINE LOG 23 www.marinelog.com http://www.marinelog.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Marine Log - March 2008

Marine Log - March 2008 Contents Editorial Second Thoughts Update Inside Washington Navy's Toughest Battle Building Future Fleet Less Fuel, Lower Emissions A New Generation of Mariners Training for the Future LNG Security: Resources Needed Models of Perfection Tech News Newsmakers Contracts Events Infodirect Website Directory ML Marketplace Opinion

Marine Log - March 2008

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