Cummins takes aim at medium speed market

The QSK95 is claimed to be the most powerful high-speed engine ever built, with ratings from 2,386kW to 3,132kW (3,200-4,200hp), and is said to be more efficient and more compact than medium-speed engines of similar power. Marketed as a propulsion solution for vessels including OSVs, PSVs, AHTSs, crewboats and passenger ferries, it also has potential applications as an auxiliary engine on bigger vessels.

The engine has already been proved in around 100 non-marine applications, including power plant and locomotive operations, and around 300 engines are expected to be manufactured at Cummins’ facility in Seymour, Indiana this year. A handful of those will be test marine engines, ahead of a commercial roll-out in late 2017.

The QSK95 provides 95 litres of displacement in a 78-litre package. Nested cylinders and a 60-degree V enable a short, narrow engine block relative to other engines of comparable displacement. The engine weighs just over 13,000kg, 25-70% less than medium-speed platforms of similar power output.

The new platform has also been designed for optimal lifecycle cost, Cummins noted, with ease of serviceability provided by use of components common to other Cummins engines. Single-piece friction-welded steel piston and rings showcase the focus on durability, with Cummins-designed anti-polish rings intended to reduce liner wear.

Named ‘The Hedgehog’ in reference to the specialist expertise of that animal championed in management bible ‘Good to Great’, the QSK95 is the result of Cummins’ greatest ever investment in a single engine – around US$1.5bn. The project involved more than 3,000 customer voices, 750,000 engineer hours and over 60,000 testing hours.