Generator Applications News

30 years ago shaft generators with PTI capability kept container ships sailing at top speed. That purpose gone, PTI/PTO is making a new comeback in more cargo shipping segments, this time for reducing emissions.Retrofitting a shaft generator is not an insignificant undertaking. Around 50 tons of equipment needs to be installed into the engineroom through a hole in the hull. A new section of shaft is usually required.That a few shipowners are undertaking such projects - Klaveness Combination Carriers on the Ballard…

A new line of aftermarket genuine oil from KOHLER is engineered specifically for generator applications. The fully-synthetic premium oils are available in three formulations for different fuel types and are optimized for use in industrial, mobile, marine and home generators. “Generators have to run when they’re needed – there’s no room for downtime,” said Patricio Iligaray, Manager of Aftermarket Parts for Kohler Power Systems. “And, the oil you choose makes a real difference. Generators are subjected to unique conditions that are different from engines that power other applications.

WE Tech Solutions (WE Tech), an energy efficiency solutions provider in the marine industry, and The Switch, a technology specialist of permanent magnet machines for advanced marine drive trains, have been chosen to deliver their permanent magnet shaft generator solution to Australian Toll Shipping for a series of two 12,000 dwt RORO vessels. The Sinotrans & CSC affiliated Jinling Shipyard in China will build the ships. Delivery of advanced equipment solution from WE Tech and The Switch will commence in August 2017.

The Switch, a specialist of megawatt-class permanent magnet (PM) machines for advanced marine drive trains, has been selected to deliver its PM shaft generator for an LNG carrier with a 45,000 cubic meter cargo capacity, allowing the vessel to gain greater efficiency over its entire speed range. This order is part of a complete energy efficiency system being delivered by WE Tech Solutions (WE Tech) of Finland to Saga LNG Shipping Pte. Ltd. The vessel will be built by China Merchants Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. Earlier this year, The Switch received a PM shaft generator order with an option of one more from the energy-efficient solution provider WE Tech for an LNG carrier owned by Saga LNG Shipping Pte. Ltd. Deliveries are scheduled to commence in October 2016.

Floscan Instrument Company’s fuel monitoring and measurement tool eliminates reporting hassles but provides much, much more for inland operators. FloScan Instrument Company has been in the fuel monitoring and measurement game for a long time. Since FloScan flow meters were first introduced 40 years ago, more than 750,000 Floscan sensors and systems have found their way onto almost every make of gasoline and diesel engine in the world rated from 25hp to 6000hp. Floscan got started in the aircraft industry and worked its way into the recreational marine markets.

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.

Caterpillar Marine announced the launch of the MaK M 25 E engine platform at the 2014 SMM Exhibition, held September 9 -12 in Hamburg, Germany. Developed for state-of-the-art vessel designs with an emphasis on fuel savings, the platform was specifically designed to address the evolving global marine industry requirements while maximizing operators’ bottom line. Key product features include optimized engine performance as well as an efficient part load range, which can help to save up to 40 tons of fuel a year when operating vessels at variable engine speed.

By any yardstick, remote monitoring is fleet optimization in the new millennium. You’re all over it: optimizing your fleet. But, what does that mean? For some operators, it means making sure their mix of vessels meets the needs of their customers and the prevailing winds of the economy. For others, it entails reading the tea leaves just right when it comes to deciding on time charters or dipping one’s toes into the spot markets. Still others focus on the closely linked Holy Grail of reduced bunker consumption and minimal stack emissions. For all of these cool customers, however, “remote monitoring” will also be part of that equation. That said; defining what remote monitoring means is another thing altogether. Remote monitoring of on board metrics or data points is here.

VULKAN Couplings is launching the VULKARDAN G 84 at the Koremarine in Busan (26th to 29th October 2011, Hall LB, Stand Number 0.58), and this coupling has especially been designed for generator drives and electric motors in the medium power range. With the arrival of this product innovation, the company has supplemented the VULKARDAN G product range that has been recently launched for marine drive components in order to be able to cater for a higher torque range up to 63 kNm. The flexible VULKARDAN G series has been developed for modern auxiliary drives and generator applications.

German predilection for technological advance permeates all areas of primary business and industrial activity, to the undoubted benefit of the competitive standing of its international market players. In the maritime domain, a clear appreciation of the long-term operating benefits promised by the application of electronic regulation to massively powerful, two-stroke propulsion engines is denoted by Hapag-Lloyd's selection of K98ME diesels for its next generation of linehaul vessels. In explaining some of the rationale in opting for electronically controlled, 'cathedral' engines of the largest size produced to date, an article in a recent edition of the in-house publication Hapag-Lloyd News illustrated the pragmatic approach to state-of-the-art technology.