MAN Introduces the 'Game Changer'

 

What would Rudolf Diesel say if he could see and compare his engine versus todays’ newest diesel engine development from MAN Diesel & Turbo?

 

As the Augsburg based engine maker claims, “A cylinder output of 1,300 kW this engine puts us to the top.” The largest version of the new engines is a 20-cylinder unit (20V45/60) comes with a limit-pushing power output of 26 MW.

 

The new MAN 45/60CR range is a striking combination of top performance, operational flexibility and reliability. Due to the high power output, best-in-class fuel consumption and very low emissions this new development makes it perfect for every kind of marine application, with a particular focus on Cruise, RoPax, RoRo and Dredger segments, that will be particularly affected by new edicts in designated emission control areas (ECAs). According to MAN the new engine can be used with a mechanical or diesel-electric propulsion drive.

 

“This ‘from scratch’ design enables ship owners to satisfy future, even tougher emission legislation by offering a best-in-class fuel efficiency of more than 50%,” said Lex Nijsen, VP, and Head of Four-Stroke Marine.

 

It was Sokrates Tolgos, Head of Sales Cruise&Ferry, who explained the new engines engineering start. “When we embarked on this engine program, we knew we could deliver a set of real performance improvements by moving to a new design. But were these changes what our customers wanted? So, before we put ‘pen to paper’ and we went out and asked a broad range of operators quite a number of questions.”

 

“Our overall number one design goal was to develop an engine that offers our customers reduced lifecycle costs (best efficiency combined with high power density), a very compact design (required by some applications), and low emissions (e.g. World Bank 2007/2008, IMO Tier II, IMO Tier III with SCR),” said Tolgos.

 

The MAN 45/60CR has a bore of 450 mm and a stroke of 600 mm resulting in around 9% increase in power per cylinder, compared with the predecessor 48/60. With a displacement of 103 liter per cylinder the 45/60 CR is set to deliver 1,300 kW/cylinder at 600 rpm (7,800 to 26,000 kW) with a bmep of only 25.24 bar, ensuring that the well-known traditional reliability and robustness of MAN marine engines is maintained. Mean piston speed is of moderate 12 m/s.

 

The engine is a two-stage turbocharged, charge air cooled, non-reversible, medium-speed four-stroke diesel engine which can be operated with all kinds of liquid fuels up to heavy fuel with 700cst.

 

The so called “game changer” will follow a modular design for ease of production and maintenance. The in-line engine platform for marine use will consist of 6-, 7-, 8-, 9- and 10-cylinder variants spanning a power range from 7,800 to 13,000 kW. The V-type engines consists of a 12V and a 14V powering 15,600 to 18,200 kW. For land applications 12V and 14V provides a power range of 15,600 to 26,000 kW. 

 

The company is making the 45/60CR engine available first as 12V and 14V versions with 6L to 10L variants to follow later. It reports that the engine has been conceived from the beginning as a family concept that will accommodate future derivatives, for example, such as a dual-fuel derivative.

 

The first set of V-type engines will be available from end-2020 with delivery of the first L-type engines due from 2022.

 

Alexander Koerber, General Project Manager, who presented the new engine during an event at the Augsburg premises, said, “Next to a frontloading approach, using thermodynamic engine process calculations, we used computational fluid dynamics to simulate and optimize the combustion process. Also, finite elements analysis was used to optimize the engine’s mechanical strength and vibration behavior. We then put the power unit to the test on the world’s largest, four-stroke, single-cylinder test engine and started the experimental optimization and validation phase.”

 

The new engine is also a new centerpiece of MAN’s extended systems approach which reflects in the company’s latest generation digital Safety and Control System, SaCoS 5000. Following a decentralized design concept, SaCoS 5000 offers unprecedented data availability and optimized alarm visualization and diagnosis. “Thanks to the new SaCoS, the MAN 45/60CR is not only online-ready but also equipped for the digital future of power generation,” said Koerber.

 

The two-stage turbocharger module rounds off the MAN 45/60CR’s superior profile. As MAN Diesel & Turbo describes itself being the pioneer in developing and operating two-stage turbocharging for large-bore engines, a concept which achieves excellent efficiency thanks to a low-pressure and a high-pressure turbocharger arranged in series. “We are the only company in the market that develops both engine and turbochargers,” said Koerber. “This unique, in-house competence allows us to truly tailor-design this engine for optimized two-stage turbocharging and to unleash its full potential. It’s also noteworthy that, despite the turbo-charging being two-stage, load pick-up behavior is the same as for the single-stage turbocharged 48/60CR engine. Operators thus profit from maximized peak pressure and optimal utilization of the Miller Cycle.”

 

The use of the Miller Cycle enables the engine to reduce the temperature peaks which promote the formation of NOx by early closure of the inlet valve causing the charge air to expand and cool before start of compression. The resulting reduction in combustion temperature reduces NOx emissions.

 

Modern shipping faces constant demands to increase efficiency and comply with ever more stringent emissions regulations, amid growing public awareness of its environmental role. The MAN V45/60CR engine enables owners and operators to meet such demands, while simultaneously optimizing operating expenses with unrivaled, low levels of fuel-consumption. Through increasing standardization and using modular sub-components, the new MAN V45/60CR engine also allows faster installation and easier maintenance.

 

The new four-stroke unit meets IMO Tier II, while IMO Tier III is met with MAN’s in-house, compact SCR system; the engine is shortly scheduled for approval by all major classification societies.

 

“We made calculations, based on a representative load-profile of a cruise vessel, which show that a ship operating with an MAN 45/60CR engine can enjoy a fuel cost benefit of 5 to 12% in comparison with a vessel powered by an equivalent engine from other manufacturers,” said Nijsen. “For a cruise vessel of around 120,000–50,000 gross tonnage with 60–65 MW of installed power and an assumed fuel price of $595/t, this translates into annual savings between $1 million and $2.9 million when employing the 45/60CR. And that is what our customers want.”

 

Extending the Possibilities 

The new engine combines the proven characteristics of its predecessor – the MAN 48/60CR – including its in-house common-rail injection system, with the latest innovations in diesel-engine technology such as two-stage turbocharging as previously mentioned here. 

 

The MAN 45/60CR can also be combined with the innovative MAN ECO-MAP 2.0 technology that grants operators the flexibility to run an engine following different SFOC power characteristics, facilitating optimal efficiency at different load points. The latest development with this innovative technology is the integration of the MAN SCR system into ECOMAP, offering even further possibilities to optimize the efficiency of the propulsion system, taking into account fuel and urea prices.

 

“The Ecomap function can be described as follows: a conventional engine has standard fuel consumption and power output characteristics at 85% load, we program the 45/60CR engine to operate along different performance curves having their optimum efficiency at different loads,” said Tolgos, digging into the details. “This offers owners a huge potential for fuel savings in combination with an intelligent power management system, enabling the engines to run around optimal efficiency points regardless of the power requirements.”

 

For the future, gas and dual-fuel versions of the engine are currently under preparation. Also, more cylinder configurations will be added to the 45/60 engine family in the next future.

 

 

(As published in the October 2017 edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News)