Diesel Engines News

Engine Room Fire Sparks Request for New IMO Requirements

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its report into the engine room fire on board ro-ro passenger ferry Stena Europe as it approached Fishguard, Wales.At 2115 on 11 February 2023, a fire broke out in the engine room of the vessel while on passage from Rosslare, Ireland, to Fishguard, Wales. The fire caused significant damage to the engine room but nobody was injured and there was no damage to the environment. The fire was extinguished by the crew.The…

Basic Design Completed for Conversion of Old LNG Carriers

NYK Line, Namura Shipbuilding and Sasebo Heavy Industries are collaborating to replace the main propulsion on steam turbine driven Moss-type LNG carriers to dual-fuel diesel engines and have now completed the basic design step.In October 2023, NYK was granted Approval in Principle (AiP) from ClassNK for the concept, and the three companies will now proceed with a detailed design.The aim is to improve environmental performance, make efficient use of existing vessels and contribute…

ORNL, Caterpillar Collaborate on Methanol as Fuel for Marine Engines

A collaboration between Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Caterpillar Inc. will investigate using methanol as an alternative fuel source for marine vessels.Members of the research team kicked off the project with the installation of a 6-cylinder engine at the Department of Energy’s National Transportation Research Center at ORNL.The ORNL and Caterpillar collaboration focuses on a four-stroke internal combustion marine engine that will be modified to run on methanol.Although methanol has many advantages, it is more difficult to ignite than diesel.

MAN Provides Gensets for Hybrid Cable-Laying Vessel

Shipbuilder and designer VARD has ordered 4 × MAN 12V175D-MEM gensets in connection with the building of a new purpose-built, cable-laying vessel (CLV) for Danish subsea specialit NCT Offshore.The gensets will form part of the vessel’s diesel-electric DP2 propulsion system, which also includes a hybrid battery package.The high-speed 175D gensets will each come accompanied by compact MAN selective catalytic reduction systems. Furthermore, MAN Energy Solutions states that the engines…

WinGD Wins First AiP for Ammonia Two-Stroke Engine

WinGD has secured the first ever approval in principle (AiP) for two‑stroke engines fuelled with ammonia.Lloyd’s Register awarded the AiP to WinGD’s X-DF-A dual-fuel range, and WinGD says this gives shipowners the assurances they need to realise vessel designs using ammonia-fuelled main engines. The first engine to be developed, the 52-bore X52DF-A, will be available for delivery from Q4 2024 and is applicable to a range of vessels including gas and bulk carriers.WinGD was able…

ABS, DSME Working to Replace VLCC Diesel Generators with Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Maritime classification society American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and South Korea's shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) have signed a joint development project to use Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) technology to replace at least one of three diesel generators typically onboard a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC)."It’s the second SOFC-focused JDP between ABS and DSME, with the first collaboration in 2019 revealing the high efficiency of a SOFC and gas turbine hybrid system due to the re-use of hot exhaust off-gas…

Fairbanks Morse Wins Contract to Supply Main Engines for LPD 31

U.S.-based Fairbanks Morse said it has been awarded a purchase order by Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) to build and deliver the four main propulsion diesel engines that will power the U.S. Navy’s newest San Antonio Class Landing Platform/Dock (LPD) ship, LPD 31. The ship is the second of 13 in the LPD Flight II class of ships.The four sequentially turbocharged 16-cylinder FM | Colt-Pielstick PC 2.5 diesel engines feature common rail fuel injection technology and will deliver over 31 MW of propulsion power.

Making the Case for Diesel Outboards

Now more than ever, professional operators are opting to run outboard engines on a various small military craft, patrol boats, multi-mission workboats and other vessels that have traditionally been powered by small to midsized inboard engines.Using engines that can be mounted on the outside of a vessel instead of those requiring placement inside the hull presents a number of advantages, including space savings on board, easier access for maintenance as well as simpler, quicker replacement…

Cox’s Diesel Outboard Enters Production

UK-based engine manufacturer Cox Powertrain said its purpose-designed 300hp CXO300 diesel outboard engine has entered production following several years of development and testing.Production will commence in Cox Powertrain’s headquarters and assembly and test facilities in Shoreham, West Sussex UK. The assembly plant boasts a turnkey Production System developed by QM Systems Ltd, a maker of manufacturing and test systems across all industries. The production line's ‘no faults forward’ design removes the possibility of assembly error…

INSIGHTS: Sean Fernstrum, President, R.W. Fernstrum

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.

ClassNK Concludes CBM Research Agreement

Classification Society ClassNK has concluded a joint research agreement for developing advanced condition-based maintenance (CBM), a new maintenance and management process for engine machinery plants, and establishing a new classification survey scheme based on CBM.In the joint research project, engine conditions will be continuously monitored and involve the real-time sharing of detailed data acquired from sources including SIMS2 developed by NYK Group and the newly installed sensors of large main engines.

First LP-SCR System Successfully Completed in M/V Southern Pearl

The first commercial Low Pressure SCR system (LP-SCR)system from Japan Engine Corporation (J-ENG) has entered service onboard a major Singaporean container lines, PDL International’s 600TEU container vessel, M/V Southern Pearl.The system has supplied to a 6UEC33LSE-C2 engine, manufactured by J-ENG’s Chinese licensee, China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation Diesel Engine Co., Ltd. (CSE) and the vessel was built by Taizhou Kouan Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.Since J-ENG’s SCR system is compactly designed, the flexible arrangement can be realized and this time it was actually confirmed with the full scale vessel that the system is relatively easy to be installed in a small-size vessel with limited space for installation.Further…

New Deere Marine Engine Ships

John Deere Power Systems is shipping the new PowerTech 4045SFM85 marine engine to boat owners and builders. The manufacturer touts the PowerTech 4045SFM85's power-to-weight, torque and compact size, saying it is suited for planing and semi-displacement hulls.The PowerTech 4045SFM85 engine has two ratings:--  M4 rating with 205 kW (275 hp) at 2600 rpm and--  M5 rating with 235 kW (315 hp) at 2800 rpm. These ratings are ideal for light-duty commercial vessels, high-speed governmental applications and high-speed pleasure crafts.