[TheForge] a huge diesel engine

[terry l. ridder]

hello;

a marine captain that i have come to know sent me this:


http://gcaptain.com/emma-maersk-engine


The  Wartsila-Sulzer RTA96-C turbocharged two-stroke  diesel engine is
the most powerful and most  efficient prime-mover in the world today.
The  Aioi Works of Japan's Diesel United, Ltd built  the first engines
and is where some of these  pictures were taken.  It is available in 6
through 14 cylinder versions, all are inline  engines. These engines
were designed primarily for very large container ships.  Ship  owners
like a single engine/single propeller  design and the new generation of
larger  container ships needed a bigger engine to propel  them.  The
cylinder bore is just under 38"  and the stroke is just over 98".  Each
cylinder displaces 111,143 cubic inches (1820  liters) and produces 7780
horsepower.   Total displacement comes out to 1,556,002 cubic  inches
(25,480 liters) for the fourteen cylinder  version.


Some  more facts on the 14 cylinder  version:
Total  engine weight: 2300 tons (The crankshaft alone  weighs 300 tons).
Length:  89 feet
Height:  44 feet
Maximum  power: 108,920 hp at 102 rpm
Maximum  torque: 5,608,312 lb/ft at  102rpm

Fuel  consumption at maximum power is 0.278 lbs per hp  per hour (Brake
Specific Fuel  Consumption).  Fuel consumption at maximum  economy is
0.260 lbs/hp/hour.  At maximum  economy the engine exceeds 50% thermal
efficiency.  That is, more than 50% of the  energy in the fuel in
converted to motion.   For comparison, most automotive and small
aircraft engines have BSFC figures in the  0.40-0.60 lbs/hp/hr range and
25-30% thermal  efficiency range.  Even at its most  efficient power
setting, the big 14 consumes  1,660 gallons of heavy fuel oil per  hour.

basically, they build the ship around the engines.
the new ultra-container vessels will have over 1 million gallons of
diesel oil capacity. that is just under enough fuel for 1 month of
steaming.


-- 
terry l. ridder ><>