ABB takes two-stage turbocharging to wider market

The Power2 platform was unveiled at Nor-Shipping 2015 and was selected for the Wärtsilä 31 engine, claimed to the world’s most efficient four-stroke diesel engine. The new frame size grants the range access to a greater spectrum of vessel types, including OSVs, drill and semi-submersible vessels, ro-pax, ferries and medium-sized tankers, container ships and bulk carriers.

Power2 800-M will first be commercially applied on a state-of-the-art icebreaker to serve the Yamal LNG project in the Russian Arctic. Fuel efficiency and reliability were the two major deciding factors in the design specification. Other key considerations were operational flexibility as well as performance in extreme environmental conditions as the vessel will operate in temperatures down to -50°C.

Other forthcoming marine applications of Power2 800-M include a Danish-built purse seiner/trawler to operate in the North Atlantic, North Sea, and Norwegian waters, and a car and passenger ferry to be built in Finland for a Danish operator. Further Power2 800-M units are also on order for marine and stationary power applications.

Marco Burgwal, product line manager, medium-speed, ABB Turbocharging said: “Two-stage turbocharging responds to the most important technology value drivers in the development of modern four-stroke medium-speed engines, reaching beyond the parameters of single-stage turbocharging. In extending our Power2 portfolio, we are achieving our product development goal of bringing these values of high efficiency for fuel savings, system compactness and flexible operation to a greater number of engine builders’ customers.”

Power2 800-M is said to achieve an overall turbocharging efficiency of more than 75% – some 10% higher than conventional single-stage models. For vessel owners, this can translate into yearly six-figure savings in fuel as well as significant cuts in emissions – up to 60% lower NOx emissions.

With engine room space at a premium on modern tonnage, ABB Turbocharging says that careful attention was given to optimizing the layout with dedicated components for two-stage turbocharging application, resulting in a 20% smaller footprint than a solution based on conventional single-stage components.

Power2 800-M comes with an extractable cartridge for ease of service, reducing overhaul time by 30%. “Based on our experience, lower service costs and maximising availability are crucial for operators in optimising total cost of ownership,” explained Burgwal.