Next generation SMGT

The

re have been a number of driving forces behind the development of the Super Marine Gas Turbine (SMGT) ? a primary one being protecting the environment. This has seen a major effort by the Japanese developers of the SMGT in trying to reduce emissions from ships by developing a thermally efficient (38-40%), low NOx (less than 1g/kWh) turbine that is competitive with diesel engines in terms of cost.

Marine gas turbines developed by GE and Rolls-Royce are of the aero-derivative type but the SMGT project is ? like Alstom?s marine gas turbines ? based on industrial gas turbine technology.

The

SMGT under development by the Super Marine Gas Turbine Technological Research Association, comprising Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ishikawajima Harima Heavy Industries, Daihatsu Diesel Manufacturing and Yanmar Diesel Engine, has already tested the performance of coatings, including ceramics to prevent corrosion caused by burnt gas.

The

re was meant to be a full-scale public test of a prototype 2,500kW SMGT at KHI?s Akashi Works on August 22 this year but

The

Motor Ship understands it was rescheduled because of extreme hot weather.

Super-Eco Ship

The

Super-Eco Ship

project, which was launched in 2001, has been designed to exploit the development of the SMGT in a revolutionary coastal ship.

A new hull design in combination with gas turbines and a highly efficient electrical propulsion system featuring a contra-rotating propeller are being developed and in 2005, the final year of the project, it is planned to build a vessel for demonstration purposes.

Once this low NOx vessel, designed to have reduced operating costs, dramatically reduced noise and vibration levels, and requiring no onboard maintenance, becomes available for commercial service, it is hoped it can revitalise coastal shipping in Japan and help a modal shift from trucking to waterborne transport, further reducing the environmental burden.

Today?s Japanese coastal shipping has 40% share of the total domestic logistic volume. This is spread between some 3,753 operators operating 4,953 ships of 3.67 million gross tonnes.

The

re are a number of factors affecting the future of this business:

l Effect on the globalisation in the international shipping industry

l Commitment to the improvement of environmental issues such as CO2

l Introduction of Information Technology

l Ageing and decreasing of staff numbers

l Change of industrial structure (No of companies 11,000 > 3,700 / Size of average ship 426g < 740g)

The

aim of the new generation of coastal shipping is to reduce logistic costs, improve safety and the efficiency of the service, and make the ships more environmentally friendly.

The

technical targets of the Super Eco Ship project are to increase load capacity by up to 20%, and improve manoeuvrability in port by the utilisation of contra rotating podded propeller systems. Further aims are to reduce onboard maintenance, reduce noise levels for an improved working environment, and to reduce NOx, SOx , and CO2.

The

re are a number of ongoing related projects including that of the SMGT project, as well as a Contra Rotating Pod Propeller System, New Hull Design and Advanced Ship Safety Management System projects.