Waterjet Technology News

Australian shipbuilder Incat Tasmania is setting a record for the largest, lightweight battery electric ship in the world with a new 130-meter (427-foot) ro-pax ferry under construction for South American customer, Buquebús.The aluminum ferry will be the first fully electric vessel in South America when delivered in 2025, operating between Argentina and Uruguay. It will have a capacity for 2,100 passengers and crew and 225 cars and will feature a duty free shop of over 2,000 square meters (21…

Ben Reed is a mechanical engineer from the U.K. now leading New Zealand-based waterjet manufacturer HamiltonJet as managing director.Raised in Shropshire, Reed graduated from Loughborough University of Technology in 1995 and later became a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering. He’s worked for a U.K. gas utility company developing natural-gas-powered engines; Ford Motor Company as a Systems Analyst, and 17 years for Caterpillar UK in diesel engine and transmission development for off-highway machinery and military products…

Waterjet propulsion specialist HamiltonJet said it is currently working with Norway-based Offshore Windservice AS to convert five vessels from controllable pitch propeller (CPP) to waterjet propulsion and advanced control technology.At project completion, all five vessels will feature twin HM721 waterjets coupled with HamiltonJet's intuitive AVX controls.While HamiltonJet has already supported more than 80 offshore wind farm vessels globally, the company's CEO, Ben Reed, says…

The technology group Wärtsilä has announced that its LJX series of modular waterjets has been upgraded to deliver even greater efficiency with low levels of cavitation and underwater noise. Following this upgrading, the company’s modular waterjets will be redesignated as the Wärtsilä WXJ series.The development is based on a new axial pump design, which boosts performance with an increased thrust of as much as 3 percent, while the improved cavitation margins help reduce the environmental impact by lowering noise levels.

Marine Jet Power (MJP) has unveiled its latest advancement in waterjet technology, the X Series, at the SeaWork International exhibition in Southampton, UK. Featuring the latest advancements in waterjet propulsion, the X Series is the culmination of precision engineering and years of experience creating stainless steel mixed flow propulsion solutions. The new range of waterjets capitalize on MJPs successful duplex steel product line by offering a highly efficient, highly durable product at a much lower price point. The unique technology behind the X Series reduces power demand by up to 20 percent and can reduce weight by up to 10 percent compared to axial flow jets.

Rolls-Royce said it has added three larger stainless steel Kamewa waterjets to its product range. The new waterjets are designed for use in bigger (30m+) vessels. With fewer components, the new range is easier to install reducing the time and specialist skills required to fit them with consequent reductions in vessel build time and cost, Rolls-Royce said. The waterjets are supplied with an entire inlet, including main hydraulics, valves and even factory calibrated electronics where necessary. The pump technology uses proven waterjet technology. The whole package is pre-built and tested at the company’s Kokkola factory. The three new sizes being introduced are the S71, S80 and S90. This completes the larger steel-series size range.

Longtime waterjet propulsion equipment provider NAMJet introduces key advancements for the workboat sector. Back in 2011, when boat builder Birdon went looking for a propulsion system that they could utilize in the bid phases of a multi-boat contract with the U.S. Army, they landed on NAMJet propulsion systems and its TRAKTOR Jet line of high-thrust marine jets. Subsequent to that, and because their Army Bridge Erection boat (BEB) concept, powered by NAMJet, performed so well, Birdon went ahead and purchased the company. Since then, NAMJet has gone on to blaze its own trail for propulsion solutions over a wide range of workboats. Denver-based NAMJet provides waterjet technology designed for a wide variety of commercial…

Rolls-Royce has secured a contract to supply waterjets for two Spanish Police Guardia Civil 20m Patrol boats in Spain. These vessels will be built by Astilleros Gondan Shipyard. This is the first time Rolls-Royce waterjets will feature on Guardia Civil boats, which operate in challenging conditions of strong winds and currents in demanding circumstances. The stainless steel series waterjets have high fuel efficiency due to good towing capability and acceleration as well as excellent durability. This enables them to have low servicing requirements, helping to meet the demands made of them during the lifetime of the vessel. Jose Antonio Losada…

Waterjet systems manufacturer Jet Edge, Inc. celebrated its 30th anniversary Sept. 3 with a special open house celebration. Jet Edge’s anniversary event included a special ribbon cutting ceremony courtesy of the I-94 West Chamber of Commerce, a barbecue lunch, factory tours, and live 5-axis waterjet cutting demonstrations. Jet Edge President Jude Lague and TC/American Monorail President Paul Lague were honored by St. Michael Mayor Jerry Zachman. They also received recognition letters from U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann.

Chukar Waterjet, Inc., a leading manufacturer of ultra-high pressure waterjet technology for the deepwater subsea environment, is exhibiting at OTC Brasil, 29-31 October, 2013 at Riocentro in Rio de Janeiro. Chukar Waterjet clains to be the only waterjet manufacturer in the world that offers ultra-high pressure (UHP) waterjet equipment capable of operating in the deepwater subsea environment. Operable at depths up to 3000 meters (10,000 feet), Chukar’s deepwater subsea waterjet system has numerous applications for deepwater emergency response operations…

Chukar Waterjet, Inc. has released a new brochure highlighting its subsea waterjet equipment. The brochure outlines Chukar’s deepwater subsea waterjet skid capabilities and highlights the many applications and advantages of subsea waterjet technology. It also includes Chukar Waterjet’s topside waterjet equipment and its advantages. Chukar Waterjet’s Deepwater Subsea Waterjet Skid is operable to 3000 meters and powers a variety of ultra-high pressure waterjet cutting and blasting tools. It can cut steel as thick as 8” (203 mm) or quickly blast away hydrate ice crystals. Its many applications include decommissioning, salvage, inspection, cleaning, and hydrate remediation. Chukar Waterjet also recommends this equipment as an emergency response preparedness asset.

Jet Edge, Inc. has announced  that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued the waterjet manufacturer a patent for a high pressure fluid sealing mechanism designed by Jet Edge R&D Engineer Michael Wheeler. Jet Edge’s proprietary high pressure fluid sealing mechanism (U.S. Patent 8,333,387) improves waterjet seal life by providing robust Metal-on-Metal sealing without the use of conventional plastic seals. This technology uses two convex curved surfaces in single line contact with one another to seal ultra-high pressure (UHP) fluid at static pressures up to 130,000 psi.

Doen Pacific as one of only 5 marine waterjet manufacturers in the world matching engines to 4,000kW, and CSIC, one of the two largest shipbuilding conglomerates in China, together with its Member WMMP, have jointly signed a license agreement for the manufacture and sale of WMMP‐DOEN Waterjets in China. The signing ceremony took place on October 29, in Wuhan, China, and was attended by representatives of each company, headed by Mr. He Jiwu, Board Chairman and President ‐ Wuhan Marine Machinery Plant; Mr. Wu Jing, Vice‐Executive General Manager ‐ China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co. Ltd, as the Technology Import channel for CSIC; Mr. Mark Peters, Director ‐ Doen Pacific Pty. Ltd; and Mr. Timothy Udvary, Director and Chief Engineer ‐ Doen Pacific Pty. Ltd.

Wärtsilä won the contract to supply the waterjet propulsion system for two US Navy's Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Independence Class vessels with an option for an additional eight ship sets expected to be exercised later. The system employs Wärtsilä's axial waterjet technology matching the needs for fast vessel accelerations and high manoeuvrability. The vessels are being built by Austal USA in Mobile,  labama. The orders currently on hand are for four WLD 1720SR and four WLD 1500SR Axial Waterjets to be supplied to the first two vessels. The first vessel is expected to be delivered in autumn 2012, and the second in spring 2013. The WLD series is a continuation of Wärtsilä's proven design approach for reliable waterjets with a minimum of moving parts…

High pressure waterjetting/waterblasting and industrial vacuum equipment play an integral role in industrial cleaning/recovery and surface preparation. The 2011 WJTA-IMCA Conference and Expo, to be held September 19-21, 2011, at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas, will focus on sharing information about the technology, equipment, and safety practices with industrial cleaning contractors and company representatives who contract for these services. “We invite all industrial cleaning contractors and end users who use the equipment or who are considering purchasing or renting the equipment to attend,” says association manager Ken Carroll.

Rolls-Royce Marine International Inc., Walpole, Mass., is being awarded a $5,672,842 cost plus fixed fee contract for a Compact High-Power High-Density Waterjet. The objective of this contract is for research to implement the waterjet technology developed in Phase I to resolve the anticipated cavitation erosion issues. This includes the preparation of the detailed design and fabrication of two full-scale waterjet prototypes for demonstration. The work will be performed in Walpole, Mass. (90 percent); Pascagoula, Miss. (7 percent); and Sweden (3 percent), and work is expected to be completed September 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $2,217,410 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

Versatile, small high-speed craft are becoming an essential tool for modern naval and paramilitary forces, however the roles of these vessels are expanding. Rolls-Royce's Andrew Rice looks at the evolution of the Combat Boat 90. More than 10 years ago, revised Swedish defense planning called for a radical increase in the mobility of coastal defense forces. As a result, the Combat Boat 90 project began, developed by the Swedish Defense Material Administration (FMV). A concept that is proving to be a world beater. The prototype contract for two units required Swedish shipyard Dockstavarvet to produce all calculations and engineering/construction drawings based on the FMV project design. Within 10 months of contract award, trials on the first prototype were a success.

JET, for the first time. Department in Bayview, Idaho. working without rudders, shafts and propeller struts. wake and improving stealth. waters. at low speeds.