Propulsion

An optimised stern tube assembly and improved shaft bearings aim to improve yard installation time.

An estimated 4.6 to 28.6 million litres of stern tube lubricant entering the sea each year means that biodegradable oils and water lubrication are likely to figure more definitively on the regulators…

Goltens Worldwide Group of companies describes its repair process for in-situ annealing of medium speed four-stroke diesel engine crankshafts, for which it has been awarded worldwide approval.

Propulsion solutions for navigation in ice have been augmented by Wärtsilä’s development of a steerable, pulling thruster designed to 1A Super Ice Class or higher standards, known as the Icepod. David Tinsley…

In response to rising industry demand for more sustainable shipping, the industry is turning to LNG as a primary fuel. But with inadequate LNG infrastructure, engine manufacturers are working with other industry…

A Dutch company has developed a new, particularly compact, electric drive propulsion system, writes Dag Pike.

Traditionally, four-stroke medium speed prime movers have been used to power ships operating in the offshore support sector, either as part of a mechanical propulsion system or, as is increasingly the case,…

Towboats used on the US waterways tend to have particularly long service lives, meaning that repowering is not uncommon as original engines wear out or become obsolete, and the increased efficiency and…

It is not only in the offshore and passenger sectors that gas and dual-fuel four-stroke engines are believed to offer a viable option for future propulsion requirements.

Alongside the flourishing offshore support ship industry, the ro-ro sector has been picking up some welcome orders, which has been good news for the major four-stroke engine companies.

Volvo Penta of Sweden reports that its propulsion and genset engines are used onboard the ‘MTS Duandra’, described as the first semi-hybrid inland waterway tanker.

All sectors of the maritime market are concentrating on cutting costs and regulatory compliance, and even markets such as naval vessels, largely coming outside MARPOL jurisdiction, are showing a desire to be…

A composite propeller for smaller ships has been launched by UK-based Axiom Propellers. The Axiom propeller’s composite construction is design primarily to save fuel and increase efficiency, through its light weight and…

Augmenting a remarkably broad portfolio of machinery for both marine applications and stationary power generation plant, Niigata Power Systems has developed two new, medium-speed gas-burning engines in the spark ignition (SI) and…

The RDPS Alpha piston sealing system has been developed to counter problems resulting from the effects of emission regulation and slow steaming on cylinder lubrication, as described by Ernie Terry of Marine…

Wärtsilä’s so-called ‘new generation’ – the Generation X series – of two-stroke engines was introduced in May 2011, with the aim of significantly contributing to lowering marine engine fuel costs and improving…

At the recent SMM exhibition in Hamburg, Caterpillar Marine Power Systems announced that it is currently developing a high speed gas engine based on the 3500 engine platform.

The pressure to find alternative fuels, driven by both emissions legislation and the resulting commercial pressures that threaten to drive up the cost of low-sulphur fuel oils, is impacting on the low…

Caterpillar Marine Power Systems has announced a new high-speed propulsion engine based on its 3516 platform, but optimised to deliver clean-burn combustion along with an up to 15% power increase in its…

MAN is adding a new string to its bow in the dual-fuel stakes through the development of the 35/44DF marine engine, to serve a broad power band in 10 configurations, writes David…

Some are still on the drawing board, but a range of new propulsor designs are expanding speed and manoeuvrability limits for high speed vessels, says Wendy Laursen.