Diesel Electric Systems News

Cummins received Approval in Principle (AIP) from DNV for its methanol-ready QSK60 IMO II and IMO III engines, available in power ratings from 2000 to 2700 hp (1491 - 2013 kW). The approval validates Cummins' retrofittable methanol dual-fuel solution for the global marine market.Cummins plans to launch the retrofit kits post-2028 to align with market demand and infrastructure readiness. Designed for diesel-electric systems, these kits can be integrated with battery technology…

The ocean sector finds itself in a critical moment, especially as the demand to decarbonize grows. Though long-haul is still the biggest emitter in the maritime industry, the need to decarbonize smaller commercial and coastal vessels, including cruise ships, passenger ferries, platform supply vessels (PSVs), offshore service vessels (OSVs), and research ships, is on the rise. Particularly, passenger ferries are pushing into uncharted waters, increasingly being scrutinized by municipal, state, and federal regulators for their environmental impact.

As the world looks to renewable energy sources to combat climate change and reduce reliance on fossil fuels, offshore wind has emerged as a promising frontier in the United States. A report by the University of California Berkeley released in August concluded that due to the nation’s long coastlines with sustained winds in many areas and falling turbine costs, offshore wind could feasibly supply between 10% and 25% of the country’s energy demand by 2050.While that may paint a rosy picture of a cleaner…

The Netherlands-based shipbuilder Kooiman Marine Group is building a new trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) for German Detlef Hegemann Aktiengesellschaft. The 1,500-cubic-meter dredger is designed to execute multiple types of dredging activities at specific locations. Hegemann V is scheduled for delivery in July 2022.The Hegemann V was developed by Kooiman Engineering, part of Kooiman Marine Group, in close collaboration with Hegemann Dredging. With a suction pipe on the starboard side and an inboard dredge pump, the vessel is able to fill the 1,500-cubic-meter hold with silt or sand.

This month, listen in as Sean Fernstrum weighs in on how his firm arrived at its enviable market position, what comes next, and why.Sean Fernstrum is a third-generation owner of R.W Fernstrum & Company. He graduated from Michigan Technological University in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Scientific and Technical Communications. After college, he came home to Menominee, Michigan and began working as a Technical Writer at R.W. Fernstrum & Company. He has been President of the company for the last 8 years.

ExxonMobil is supplying Mobilgard ADL 40 engine oil for Color Hybrid, Color Line’s latest addition to its fleet of ferries. The vessel is the world’s largest plug-in battery hybrid ship and was recently named ‘ship of the year 2019’ by Nor-Shipping.The vessel, which is already in service between Sandefjord, Norway, and Strömstad, Sweden, is capable of carrying 2,000 passengers and 500 cars. It combines four conventional Rolls-Royce Bergen B33:45L in-line diesel engines with electric…

Volvo Penta gensets are powering the largest electric-hybrid ferry in Sweden. The Tellus ferry operates the 1.8km-wide Gullmarsleden waterway between Uddevalla and Lysekil – one of Sweden’s busy maritime routes. We take a look at the motivations, collaborations, and technology behind this installation.The Tellus ferry was commissioned by the Swedish Transport Administration and built by Baltic Workboats Shipyard – an Estonian company that’s made over 200 workboats and who currently have 30 workboats on order.

Long a staple for offshore service providers, a more compact and carefully designed version of the diesel electric option is now available for inland pushboats. For budget conscious operators (and who isn’t, in this environment?), the stars may finally be aligned.For many years, electric propulsion has proven to be a viable propulsion solution for many different types of vessels. Most familiar to workboat stakeholders would be the advent of the ‘diesel electric’ offshore serve providers (OSV) that became commonplace during the offshore boom era. Those vessels operated in a different regulatory environment, with the emphasis more leaning towards operational efficiencies and fuel economy.

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.

Louisiana-based Karl Senner widens its propulsion solutions toolkit with two options, both designed to provide economics, efficiencies and lower emissions. In the increasingly competitive marine propulsion markets, workboat operators now have many choices from which to select an appropriate, long term solution for their propulsion needs. Paramount in that process is the need to meet regulatory requirements without breaking the bank. In response, propulsion distributor Karl Senner LLC offers two different electrical system arrangements; both of which will allow operators to remain tier compliant without the use of after-treatment. Way back in 1967, Karl H. Senner sold the very first Reintjes Gearbox in the North America to Dickie Gonsoulin of LeBeouf Towing.

The marine industry is now recognizing the potential of utilizing hybrid power and innovative propulsion systems. Certain maritime sectors are potentially well suited to hybrid systems. These include ferries, pilot boats and workboats that have relatively consistent duty cycles. For military applications, hybrid systems are relevant for patrol, intercept and autonomous vessel duties. Submarines have utilized batteries and stored energy for many years. Diesel/electric systems have long been in use, but these are not hybrid systems.

Caterpillar Marine announced it will supply complete propulsion packages for two liftboats under construction at Jiangsu Dajing Heavy Industry Co Ltd in China. Two identical diesel-electric systems comprising four Cat Propulsion MTA-523 1500kW azimuth thrusters driven by electric motors and soft starters as well as eight Cat C32 generator sets will be delivered for each vessel. The two vessels, designed by Shanghai Bestway Marine Technology Development Company Ltd, are being built for Chinese owner Mekers Offshore Company Ltd and are due for delivery in summer 2016.

ZF Friedrichshafen AG is celebrating its centennial in 2015. Founded in the city of Friedrichshafen at Lake Constance in 1915 as “Zahnradfabrik GmbH,” the company developed from an aviation specialist with regional roots to an international technology company active on the global mobility markets, including maritime. MR recently visited with Daniel Härter, Vice President Industrial Technology, Head of Business Unit Marine Propulsion Systems, who took over responsibility for ZF Marine as of September 1, 2014. ZF is obviously large and diverse across many markets.

In 2015 two significant developments are going to make many operators, owners and builders of professional vessels consider hybrid marine power. First, the new emissions laws in ports and second, there is now an incentive for high technology manufacturers to invest in developing highly efficient batteries. Hybrid is ‘here and now’ technology that is being utilized by many industries around the world. The marine industry is now recognizng the potential of utilizing hybrid power and innovative propulsion systems for vessels in the sub IMO / sub 24 meter (80 feet) professional sector.

In 2015 two significant developments are going to make many operators, owners and builders of professional vessels consider hybrid marine power. Firstly the new emissions laws in ports and secondly there is now an incentive for high technology manufacturers to invest in developing highly efficient batteries. Hybrid is ‘here and now’ technology that is being used by many industries globally. The marine industry is now recognizing the potential of utilizing hybrid power and innovative propulsion systems for vessels in the sub IMO / sub 24 meter professional sector.

In 2015 two significant developments are going to make many operators, owners and builders of professional vessels consider hybrid marine power. Firstly the new emissions laws in ports, and secondly there is now an incentive for high technology manufacturers to invest in developing highly efficient batteries. Hybrid is ‘here and now’ technology that is being utilized by many industries around the world. The marine industry is now recognizing the potential of utilizing hybrid power and innovative propulsion systems for vessels in the sub IMO / sub 24 meter professional sector.

The first international Hybrid Marine Power & Propulsion Conference will be held at the RNLI Lifeboat College, Poole UK from October 6-8, 2015. Shock Mitigation will bring together an international group of experts, armed with the latest knowledge that will identify the potential of utilizing hybrid power and innovative propulsion systems for vessels in the sub IMO / sub 24 meter professional sector. Conference organizer and workshop lead for the Hybrid Marine events, John Haynes of Shock Mitigation, said, “Changes are coming fast in the sub IMO professional sector.

Hybrid marine power and propulsion systems for workboats isn’t farfetched. In fact, it may be essential. In 2015, two significant developments are going to make many operators, owners and builders of professional vessels consider hybrid marine power. The new emissions laws – here and abroad – and the incentives for high technology manufacturers to invest in developing highly efficient batteries are the primary drivers. That said; dramatically reducing pollution in both water and…

For decades, Vulkan  has been a supplier of couplings, not only for Brazilian offshore industry, but also for military applications. Here business mainly focused on conventional drives such as diesel-electric systems for military ships and submarines. Now Vulkan is positioning itself on the Brazilian market as a system solution provider for nuclear propulsion and supply the Centro Experimental Aramar in Iperó with a RATO S 731T and 14 elastic mounts. The Brazilian government is currently planning the construction of a fleet of six submarines with nuclear propulsion.

Caterpillar Marine Power Systems announce the development of the MaK M 32 E, a new high performance marine diesel engine platform for the commercial marine industry based on the M 32 C engine series. The M 32 E engine boasts an increased power rating of 550 kW per cylinder @ 720 and 750 rpm and with total output ranging from 3,300 kW for the six cylinder configuration to 4,950 kW for the nine cylinder configuration. First engine deliveries are foreseen for fall 2014. Offering both 720 and 750 rpm and the higher power output ideal for the offshore market in diesel electric and auxiliary applications with multi-engine concepts, the M 32 E is the first MaK “5 Mega Watt” power solution in the 320 mm bore segment.

ABB won a $26m order to supply electrical power and propulsion systems for two next generation ‘Ramform’ vessels, capable of three-dimensional (3D) seismic data acquisition for deep sea resource exploration. The ships will be constructed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and delivered in 2015 to Norway’s Petroleum Geo-Services ASA (PGS), a leading company in marine seismic and reservoir data acquisition, processing and analysis/interpretation services. Oil and gas companies use this data to explore for hydrocarbon accumulations, develop new oil and gas fields, and manage their producing fields.

Offshore Ship Designers has sealed ten new design contracts for large diesel-electric Platform Supply Vessels for two major offshore operators building at three shipyards in Brazil, Japan and Spain. Swire Pacific Offshore Operations (Pte) Limited has ordered four IMT-997 Platform Supply Vessels to be built by Universal Shipbuilding Corporation in Japan and four sister vessels to be built at the EISA shipyard in Brazil. The 97 m LOA 5,000 dwt vessels will be classed with DP2 capability and have diesel-electric propulsion systems with azimuth propulsion units.

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.