Propulsion

It is not only in the offshore and passenger sectors that gas and dual-fuel four-stroke engines are believed to offer a viable option for future propulsion requirements.

Alongside the flourishing offshore support ship industry, the ro-ro sector has been picking up some welcome orders, which has been good news for the major four-stroke engine companies.

In recent years, surface drives have been applied almost solely to small, fast, specialist boats, but, as Dag Pike recounts, the concept is being revisited for large vessel propulsion.

Volvo Penta of Sweden reports that its propulsion and genset engines are used onboard the ‘MTS Duandra’, described as the first semi-hybrid inland waterway tanker.

All sectors of the maritime market are concentrating on cutting costs and regulatory compliance, and even markets such as naval vessels, largely coming outside MARPOL jurisdiction, are showing a desire to be…

A composite propeller for smaller ships has been launched by UK-based Axiom Propellers. The Axiom propeller’s composite construction is design primarily to save fuel and increase efficiency, through its light weight and…

Augmenting a remarkably broad portfolio of machinery for both marine applications and stationary power generation plant, Niigata Power Systems has developed two new, medium-speed gas-burning engines in the spark ignition (SI) and…

The RDPS Alpha piston sealing system has been developed to counter problems resulting from the effects of emission regulation and slow steaming on cylinder lubrication, as described by Ernie Terry of Marine…

Wärtsilä’s so-called ‘new generation’ – the Generation X series – of two-stroke engines was introduced in May 2011, with the aim of significantly contributing to lowering marine engine fuel costs and improving…

At the recent SMM exhibition in Hamburg, Caterpillar Marine Power Systems announced that it is currently developing a high speed gas engine based on the 3500 engine platform.