Optimized Solution News

MAN Energy Solutions has unveiled a dual-fuel version of its MAN 175D high-speed engine, capable of operating on methanol, that's scheduled to become available to the market by the end of 2026. The new variant, designated MAN 175DF-M, will be available both as newbuild and retrofit variants.MAN Energy Solutions states that the 175DF-M will be optimized for diesel-mechanical and diesel-electric propulsion to achieve the largest methanol share and best efficiency for various applications and load profiles.

Steerprop has been chosen to supply advanced ice-classed bow thrusters to the Canadian Coast Guard’s new Polar Icebreaker. The ship will be designed and built by Seaspan Shipyards as part of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy.Steerprop will equip the Polar Icebreaker with two arctic tunnel thrusters specially designed to meet the most demanding ice conditions, even without the protection of tunnel grids. This will be Steerprop’s first delivery of this unique ice-strengthened tunnel thruster.

The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has awarded Approval in Principle (AIP) to Samsung Heavy Industries’ (SHI) design for a one-side spread mooring system for a floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility.The system developed by SHI allows an FLNG to be safely spread moored on one side, enabling LNG carriers to berth and load on the opposite side free from obstructions, ABS said."With more than 150 floating oil and gas facilities in the ABS-classed fleet, ABS is the market leader in classification of offshore production units, which includes FLNG assets.

As naval architects and marine engineers we are familiar with the design spiral. While design is not truly a spiral, we use the concept to remind ourselves that all pieces of a ship design interact. The design spiral is not a standard figure and can be simplistic or overcomplicated.A Google search image summary provides dozens of interpretations, all investigating different variables, with the only commonality that all spirals start with the “mission” variable.Figure 1 is an old…

Framo introduced a customizable oil skimmer based on its TransRec platform. The new solution allows customers to specify a range of options to tailor their systems to fit their operational requirements.The system contains essential equipment and features required for an effective oil recovery operation in most operational conditions - including a portable electric remote-control panel that allows operators to be positioned for the best view of the operation. On top of this operators…

DNV GL announced that Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) INTELLIMAN Ship software complies with the EU-MRV and IMO-DCS regulations.The classification society said in a statement that it issued a factual statement confirming compliance in a ceremony at the SHI R&D Center in Daejeon, South Korea.SHI has been developing smart ship technology since 2016 and it has been applied to certain ships including LNG carriers and large container ships. The INTELLIMAN Ship is an integrated smart ship solution which facilitates data management from fleet operation to life-cycle service both on shore and on board with the latest ICT in a cloud data center…

Becker Marine Systems says it is continuing its successful entry into Asian countries such as China, Japan and South Korea, despite an ongoing crisis in the shipbuilding industry. Now the Hamburg-based company is opening a branch office in Kobe, Japan, and has formed a manufacturing partnership with Murakami Iron Works for producing containership rudders. Becker Marine Systems has had a presence in the Asian maritime industry for decades. Recently the company delivered the largest flap rudder in the world.

HydroComp, Inc. of Durham, N.H. Rapid Design Space Optimization (RDSO) with HydroComp NavCad Premium allows a naval architect to focus CFD resources on high-value computations and avoid irrelevant time and expense. HydroComp NavCad provides resistance and propulsion prediction for naval architects. With the recent introduction of the Premium Edition, NavCad is now able to provide integrated support for design optimization. To ensure that process efficiency and cost-effectiveness of resource-intensive CFD calculations are as high as possible…

On April 28, 2015, Sinopacific Shipbuilding Group (SINOPACIFIC) held a christening and delivery ceremony for a newly built SPA150 AHTS, constructed for shipowner FEMCO Group. This first SPA150 vessel is not only the first of this design to be delivered in the world, but is also the first of a series of four vessels contracted by FEMCO Group. Representatives from the Government, banks, shipowner, classification society, supervisors, suppliers, brokers and media, as well as other related parties, were present at SINOPACIFIC’s Zhejiang Shipbuilding base and witnessed this rather memorable moment.

At the SMM 2014 in Hamburg, Vulkan Couplings presented two new products: the TDS Plafrix, a shifting clutch and flexible coupling combination, tailored to the use of harbor tugs in particular, and The Vulkardan GBF, a coupling for generator applications featuring a solution for the so-called “blind fitting” applications. The TDS Plafrix clutch is specially designed for use in harbor tugs. To develop and market the new TDS Plafrix clutch, Vulkan Couplings and DESCH Antriebstechnik, Arnsberg, entered into close cooperation. DESCH Antriebstechnik GmbH & Co.

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has received an order worth $77 million (USD) for optimized cargo handling systems for five A-14-series and five A-18-series container vessels from Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. in South Korea. The 14,000 TEU and 18,000 TEU ships are built for the United Arab Shipping Company (UASC) and they are scheduled for delivery between 2014 and 2015. The shipyard holds options for an additional five A-14-vessels and one A-18-vessel. These new series of container…

Wärtsilä to provide integrated power, propulsion and positioning system for DP3 offshore accommodation rig for Singapore's Axis Offshore. The contract with Cosco (Qidong) Offshore is for the vessel to be equipped with a DP3 dynamic positioning system, and will feature an integrated Wärtsilä solution that includes the main power generation system, the propulsion system, the electric and automation system and the automation safety system. Wärtsilä is responsible for engineering, delivery and commissioning of the integrated solution and will also support the yard on-site during the installation phase. The vessel is expected to enter into service in February 2015 for worldwide operations. Wärtsilä will begin deliveries of its equipment in May 2013.

Managing the risks associated with a new ship acquisition, whether commercial or military, can be a daunting process. For the commercial operator, the new ship must make a reasonable profit after the cost of design and the annual operating costs are accounted for. The warfighter must fit his new acquisition into ever-shrinking fiscal budgets while ensuring that a vital mission capability is met. Programmatic Risk – Will the selected hull form and associated requirements successfully meet the owner’s needs?

In October 2010, Wärtsilä and Deltamarin announced that the two companies were co-operating to develop a series of innovative ferry designs. The Integrated Modular Customized, IMC designs are now ready for introduction to the ferry market. Deltamarin, the foremost design company in the cruise and ferry market and Wärtsilä, the marine industry's leading solutions provider, have developed a series of new IMC ferry designs which will undergo extensive model testing. The aim is to achieve considerable cost savings, both in building the ships and in operating them.

Soaring energy costs, more stringent emission regulations and conservation efforts are current topics in every media outlet. With crude oil prices around $120 per barrel, the question arises — what should the U.S. shipbuilding industry do to address those issues to its customers? Only a few years ago, consumption and efficiency were just two of many criteria when it came to the design of a new vessel. Today, however, they have great importance when a new design is on the drawing board. Before we answer the above questions, let's define the status quo. The vast majority of vessels built worldwide are outfitted with diesel propulsion and conventional shaft line. This method of propulsion for long haul trade has been proven over many years as the most efficient and cost-optimized solution.