Electric Machinery News

Finland is a traditional marine tech hub, with almost 90 company members in the Finnish Maritime Industries association. While the country has a storied maritime history across many sectors, based on geographic locale, it’s Arctic and ice marine technology is second to none, and it’s hoping the U.S. Coast Guard is taking notice.The Finnish maritime industry is hoping to get involved in developing the new icebreakers for the U.S. Coast Guard polar icebreaker program. Ulla Lainio…

Diesel electric technology, as part of a comprehensive engineering design process, should be considered by the inland towboat sector. Diesel electric propulsion is not a new concept. Like azimuthing drives, its application to the inland marine market has lagged behind other areas of the marine industry. Diesel electric has gained traction in industries where fuel economy and redundancy of propulsion systems for safety is paramount. In particular, vessels like passenger ferries and offshore supply vessels have enjoyed the benefits of the diesel electric systems.

Sølvtrans orders the world’s largest live fish carrier from Havyard. The world’s largest shall, in addition, offer the best fish welfare in the world. The live fish carrier, to be named Ronja Storm, will be 116 meters long with a breadth of 23 meters. The vessel will feature fish tank capacity of 7,450 cubic meters of water, more than twice the amount of normal-sized live fish carriers. In addition, the vessel has capacity for carrying 5,000 cubic meters of freshwater. After delivery, the ship will enter a 10-year contract for the fish farming company Huon in Tasmania, outside of Australia. Tasmania is short on freshwater both in terms of quality and availability. This is solved through equipment within the new Havyard design that can produce nearly 17 million liters of freshwater a day.

AVIC shipyard in Weihai, China launched Jan De Nul Group’s new multipurpose vessel Adhémar de Saint-Venant. The sister vessel, Daniel Bernoulli, will be launched in March 2017. To perform a variety of functions, different mission equipment is available and can be installed on the vessels: subsea rock installation through an inclined fall pipe or a flexible fall pipe; subsea trenching, installation of cables and umbilicals; installation works by means of a heave compensated crane etc ... This definitely makes them unique. To safely and efficiently perform these functions the vessels are provided with Dynamic Positioning (DP2), a fully diesel-electric machinery arrangement, a comfortable accommodation for 60 persons and a SPS notation.

Deltamarin launched its new ro-pax vessel DeltaChallenger concept during the Nor-Shipping 2015 exhibition in Oslo. The design incorporates the latest technologies available, many of which are not yet used on any other ro-pax vessel, Deltamarin said. To reduce fuel consumption the vessel has six rotor sails by Norsepower, giving ca. 10 percent of the total propulsion power (1.3 MW). Fuel economy and maneuverability is gained through the combination of dual-fuel electric machinery, four power plants (2 x 6 MW and 2 x 3 MW) and the new compact Azipod D pod propulsion system from ABB.

Corvus Energy announced today the award of $1.3 million in repayable assistance from the Western Innovation (WINN) Initiative for its project to further develop the Corvus Energy Storage System. The Corvus Energy system provides industrial scale energy storage to enable customers to power or hybridize fully electric heavy equipment. Designed for use in extreme environmental conditions, the Corvus lithium battery is also built to perform at an industrial scale. Used in vessels ranging from oil platform supply vessels to passenger ferries, the Corvus system enables fuel consumption, maintenance and emission reductions, the company said. Andrew Morden, CEO and President of Corvus Energy stated, “This WINN funding will take Corvus to the next phase in its evolution.

The STX Turku Shipyard in Finland recently lost the order for a third Oasis class cruise ship and an option for a fourth to ”sister” shipyard STX France, when neither the owner, the financially troubled STX Group, nor the Finnish government wanted to inject a missing $64.3m to the capital of the shipyard. The yard is currently building two 97,000gt cruise ships for TUI Cruises. In January the shipyard delivered the world’s first LNG-fuelled big size passenger-car ferry, the Viking Grace for Baltic ferry operator Viking Line.

The Finnish Transport Agency signed a contract with Aker Arctic Technology Oy for design of a new icebreaker for the government. Aker Arctic in cooperation with ILS Oy will design the vessel and prepare the technical documents needed to hold tender for its construction in compliance with the performance requirements for the vessel, and will assist the Finnish Transport Agency in negotiations with shipyards later this autumn. The government has already taken earlier a decision in principle to procure a new icebreaker; and 125 million euro has been earmarked for its construction by winter 2016.

Wärtsilä contracted to supply power systems of four modern diesel-electric tugs building for Australian owner Svitzer. The vessels are being built at the ASL shipyard in Singapore and are scheduled to be in operation by early 2014. Each of the four 80 Ton Bollard Pull (TBP) harbour tugs will be fitted with two 9-cylinder and one 8-cylinder in-line Wärtsilä 20 engines. The use of the Wärtsilä 20 engines as diesel-electric generating sets is a new development in the tugs market.

The motto at Guido Perla & Associates, Inc. (GPA) for over thirty years and continuing to this day has always been: Engineering Ideas into Reality. For clients worldwide, no matter how large or small the project, from single vessels to an unprecedented number of vessels in one series, the adage rings true. Behind the company’s success and commitment to each and every client is a team of over 70 professionals on four continents, led by the company’s Chairman Guido Perla and supported by his management team.

Wärtsilä has signed a contract to deliver a ship power system for a 38,000 tonnage semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel for Chinese customer Zhejiang Share-ever Business Co., Ltd. Zhejiang Share-ever Business Co., Ltd is a privately owned company with more than 20 large-size vessels, including 236-ft offshore platform supply ships, ocean cargo carriers of between 27,000 and 50,000 tonnes, and drag-suction dredgers. The company seeks to utilize the latest marine technologies and works closely with domestic vessel design institutes. This vessel will operate in offshore waters around the world, and will be mainly used in loading and transporting large-size offshore equipment required by the offshore oil and gas industry.

Kvaerner Masa-Yards has delivered the $375 million, 2,124-passenger Carnival Miracle, to Carnival Cruise Lines - its 20th Fun Ship - in the traditional handover ceremonies in Helsinki. For anyone who has ever had the privilege to attend such a delivery, seeing a new cruise ship rolled out in the middle of the Finnish winter is truly an awe-inspiring, if not one of the most ironic, sights. However, it is a testament to accrued cruise industry expertise and a stable infrastructure of equipment and system suppliers that keeps the shipyard at the forefront. Carnival Miracle is the sixth cruise ship in the Spirit class series of new Panamax-size cruise ships for Carnival Cruise Lines (four ships) and Costa Crociere (two ships).

Recent orders for Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engines for two LNG carriers, eight engines in all, are no coincidence. This engine type promises benefits for LNG operators including larger cargo capacity, lower fuel consumption, higher flexibility in operation, and lower emissions. Gaz de France is the first to take the plunge. Until now, steam turbines have dominated as propulsion machinery for LNG carriers, with their apparent reliability and the ease with which they can burn the boil-off gas from the ship's cargo tanks while at sea. The low fuel efficiency of steam turbines, however, has already encouraged almost all other shipping segments to switch to diesel-powered ships.

MS Carnival Pride, newbuilding no. 500, was delivered to Carnival Corporation at the Kaverner Masa-Yards’ Helsinki shipyard. Carnival Pride is the third cruise ship in a series of new Panama-Max size cruise ships under construction for Carnival Corporation and operated by Carnival Cruise Lines and Costa Crociere. The first ship in the series, MS Costa Atlantica was delivered in June 2000 and the second ship, MS Carnival Spirit, in April this year. Production began in winter 2000, and the assembly of the hull begun in the covered newbuilding dock the following summer. Carnival Pride was launched in late March this year, after which the cruise ship was transferred to the outfitting quay in front of the yard’s outfitting terminal. The successful sea trials took place in October this year.

Wärtsilä, in conjunction with the Finnish research project SEATECH 2000+, has been developing some new machinery solutions for RoPax vessels. A promising concept is a semi-diesel electric machinery, where mechanical propulsion is combined with a diesel electric power plant. This new RoPax concept was presented for the first time at the Europort 2001 exhibition. The RoPax vessel has a semi-diesel electric machinery featuring a diesel mechanical part driving a conventional CP propeller and a diesel electric power plant powering a contra rotating electric pod and the entire hotel load of the ship. The machinery features Wärtsilä EnviroEngines equipped with Common Rail and compact SCR units.

Italian prowess in the field of passenger vessel design, outfitting and technology is near legendary status in the international marine community. Even as the grip on these high-value, niche vessels loosens — largely due to cost-cutting competition from the Far East — a quick peak a the world orderbook and recent deliveries of cruise ships quickly tells who currently reigns supreme in the cruise shipping market. Evidence of Italian influence in the passenger vessel segment is undeniable, and over the years the country's shipbuilders have catered to some of the world's most discerning and quality demanding customers, such as U.S.-based Disney Cruise Line.

Japan's second-largest steelmaker, NKK Corp agreed with two other Japanese firms to consider future integration of their steel plant operations in a bid to combat severe competition. The alliance with heavy electric machinery maker Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd. and heavy machinery maker Hitachi Zosen Corp. was prompted partly by the emergence of giant overseas rivals, the three companies said. As the first step of the alliance, the companies will set up a joint venture in March, capitalized at $1.74 million, for sales of a variety of heavy machines used in the steel-making process to the domestic and overseas markets. The new company, which plans to launch operations in April, will be owned 34 percent by NKK, 33 percent by Sumitomo Heavy and 33 percent by Hitachi Zosen.

Wärtsilä has received an order from Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. of Korea to supply four sets of Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engines to power a series of 155,000 m3 dual-fuel-electric LNG carriers, with an option on four more sets. The ships were ordered last month by BP Shipping of the UK and are scheduled for delivery from Hyundai Heavy Industries' shipyard in Ulsan and Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries' shipyard in Mokpo from the middle of 2007 onwards. Each ship will be equipped with two twelve- and two nine-cylinder Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engines with an aggregate power of 39.9 MW. Delivery of these engines from Wärtsilä's Trieste factory will commence in early 2006.

With its bid for commercial marine power applications strengthened by the addition of the MT30 aeroderivative gas turbine to its range, Rolls-Royce is pushing the concept of gas turbo-electric powering in the buoyant LNG carrier market. gas turbine-based system. A saving of around 40-percent in installation man-hours is claimed by Rolls-Royce for its powering solutions using either simple cycle or combined cycle arrangements, along with significant savings in weight relative to steam turbine, dual-fuel diesel-electric and low-speed diesel alternatives, all of which have now been embraced by the LNGC sector. Capable of dual-fuel operation…

American Superconductor Corporation and its partner, Northrop Grumman announced the completion of factory acceptance testing for the world's first 36.5 megawatt (49,000 horsepower) high temperature superconductor (HTS) ship propulsion motor at Northrop Grumman's facility at the Philadelphia Naval Business Center. This is the final milestone before the Navy takes possession of the motor. The motor was designed, developed and manufactured under a contract from the U.S. Navy's Office of Naval Research (ONR) to demonstrate the efficacy of HTS primary- propulsion-motor technology for future Navy all-electric ships and submarines. The power and torque of this HTS motor is comparable to the requirements for the Navy's new Zumwalt class of destroyers, known as DDG 1000.

tdw Arctic shuttle tankers. design developed by Aker Arctic. vessels. onshore oil fields. twin 10 MW pod drives.

Tenders are out for the May 2004 refit of Cunard's 34-year-old QE2. It is understood that various European yards are on the list, including some Spanish facilities as well as A&P Southampton, which carried out the vessel's last UK refit at her home port in 1996. But Germany's Lloyd Werft, Bremerhaven, which undertook the cruise ship' last refit in 1999, must be high on Cunard's list. No major structural work to the ship's exterior will be involved, we understand, but carpets, furniture and other out-fitting work will be required in the passenger areas, as well as technical repairs and maintenance down below. The vessel, whose diesel electric machinery delivers 130,000 bhp and gives her a top speed of 32 knots, consumes 600 tons of heavy fuel a day at her 26-knot service speed.

It is incredible to consider that from the icy environs of Turku, Finland, emerge great ships of steel that are designed to spend their lives transporting passengers to and from mostly tropical paradises. Such was the feeling upon boarding the nearly 140,000-gt Navigator of the Seas — newbuilding 1347 — just three days before its Nov. 18, 2003 hand over to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Navigator is the fourth, latest and arguably greatest of the five-ship Voyager series. While the first ship of any series is, indeed, special, particularly so in the Voyager-class series as it was a world record setter based on its enormous size and onboard amenities…