Amsterdam bound

This year?s Motor Ship Marine Propulsion Conference takes place in Amsterdam on March 29 and 30.

This year?s Marine Propulsion Conference will examine the key issues affecting marine propulsion today, with presentations from all sides of the industry, ensuring that the two-day meeting will be of great value to anyone involved with marine propulsion systems.

Keynote address

The conference opens with a keynote address on the newbuilding market from Dr Martin Stopford of Clarkson Research Studies, who will discuss future demand for different ship types and sizes.

Modern computer controlled electronics offer tremendous potential for improvements in the control and operation of diesel engines, and both MAN B&W and Sulzer have experienced tremendous interest in the electronically controlled camshaft-less engine technology which will soon be making its way from the test bed into full-scale commercial operation. Peter Sunn Pedersen of leading two-stroke licensor MAN B&W will present a paper examining progress with the company?s so called ?Intelligent Engine?, its ongoing project to burn VOCs in the main engine and other computer controlled systems such as electronic cylinder lubrication.

MaK Motoren?s John Phipps and Peter Nissen will then discuss the market for four-stroke diesel engines, looking at potential demand by market sector.

Several large bore engine designs have been introduced in the past few years, and the second session will examine service experience with three new models. Wartsila NSD Italia?s Alberto Guglia will discuss the first marine installation of the Wartsila 64, drawing on operational experience with the 7L64 installed on the 954 TEU container vessel ?Containerships VI?.

Ole Grone of MAN B&W and Klaus Marek of Hapag Lloyd will then discuss the selection criteria, test bed and sea trial results for the 7K98MC engine installed in a new generation of Hapag Lloyd container vessels being built at Hyundai.

Wartsila NSD?s Sulzer RTA96C has logged significant operating hours on a number of ships, and with 40 engines installed or on order it has the largest market share in its sector. After outlining the engine design and its development, Kaspar Aeberli, head of technology in Winterthur, will report fully on the behaviour of the engines in liner service.

Proper lubrication is key to engine performance and four papers have been scheduled to examine developments in this important area. Castrol Marine?s Bob Allen will discuss the challenges in lubrication today and into the future, with particular emphasis on the concerns of the ship operator. BP Marine?s John Liddy and KC Lim will look at the key functions of cylinder oils and how their performance can be improved, and Elf?s Jean-Philippe Roman will present details of the research work into marine lubricants that is underway at the company?s research centre. A fourth paper, co-written by Jorn Dragsted of AP Moller and Texaco?s Andre Verhelst, will highlight operator concerns and how to improve engine operation by optimising the lubrication process.

The final session on the first day will examine some of the common problems encountered with modern propulsion systems, and suggest possible solutions. This session will be of particular interest for anyone operating modern tonnage or working on newbuilding projects.

MAN B&W?s Uffe Mikkelsen will discuss common problems and countermeasures for the company large bore two-stroke designs, and Wartsila NSD will do the same for the RTA series. Piet Kloppenburg of consultancy Techno Fysica will discuss reliability of the propulsion system as a whole, with case studies of problems they have encountered, and suggestions on how to improve reliability. The papers will be followed by a discussion session incorporating the views and experiences of the CIMAC Engine Users Working Group.

Day Two starts with papers devoted to applications and machinery selection. Astilleros Espanoles? Javier Romero will discuss the feasibility of using diesel engine propulsion plant on LNG carriers, comparing steam, two-stroke diesel and four-stroke diesel electric machineries. Kvaerner Masa-Yards and Wartsila NSD will present papers concerning machinery selection for large cruise ships, establishing the selection criteria and considering areas such as emissions, costs and fuel consumption. The final paper in the session will describe a diesel electric propulsion plant in a cargo carrying application.

The next session focuses on turbocharging. ABB Turbo Systems Volkmar Haueisen will cover turbochargers for two-stroke engines, looking at the impact of engine development on turbocharger design, and the performance possibilities and boundaries offered by the latest turbomachinery technology, with particular reference to the new TPL-B. Ken Win of Napier Turbochargers will examine the challenges in turbocharging four-stroke engines, looking at the improvements in engine performance offered by modern turbocharger designs, and the likely demands on the charger in the future. Research group MET and the University of Rostock will then present the results of a study into high temperature corrosion in turbochargers of modern four stroke diesel engines.

The emissions issue is still probably the hottest topic in the propulsion business today, and an extensive session is planned to look at developing legislation, its impact on the ship operator, and different methods of reducing engine emissions.

Capt. De Keyzer of the Port of Rotterdam will highlight emission reduction objectives, giving an overview of current legislative activity. Andy Wright of ABS will then look at how MARPOL Annex VI air pollution controls will effect the ship operator, and the actions that are required to ensure compliance today and in the future.

MAN B&W?s Georg Wachtmeister will discuss the company?s emission reduction philosophies for its medium-speed engine range, covering technology developments and the impact on fuel consumption. Viking Line?s Kaj Jansson will present a paper concerning trials the company has conducted with the Humid Air Motor NOx reduction method onboard a Baltic ferry, while the final paper will focus on experience of NOx reduction with Direct Water Injection.

Podded drives are being specified for a growing number of applications, and the final session will highlight some of the possibilities offered by this new type of propulsion system. ABB Azipod?s Jukka Kuuskoski will discuss utilising the CRP concept by way of a podded drive aft of the propeller to improve manoeuvrability and give redundancy to a single shaft hull; Peter Andersen of Siemens will present machinery studies for ropax ferries with podded drives; and consultant Hans van Mameran will describe the new generation of COSCO heavylift ships which have been ordered with podded propulsors.

Further information can be obtained by contacting The Motor Ship on telephone number +44 20 8652 8183, fax +44 20 8652 8183, e-mail motor.ship@rbi.co.uk or on The Motor Ship website at www.motorship.com. The delegate fee is £695 plus VAT at 17.5% per person.