Enlarged gear programme

Until passengers are prepared to pay very high ticket prices for speed, weight and cost will remain the most important parameters when looking at fast-ferry propulsion systems, with low fuel consumption and low emissions being the deciding design features.

Against this background high-speed diesel engines have a strong position in the fast-ferry market. But they need quality gears for reliable power transmission to waterjets or similar.

As fast ferries have become bigger, German gear manufacturer Reintjes has concentrated efforts on this part of the market. This has resulted in the recent introduction of two new models to its VLJ gear range for fast ferries. The models, 9531 and 9731, are for power transmission up to 12,000kW and 13,200kW respectively.

The standard versions of these gears are horizontally or vertically offset. They are also available with twin input/single output or in co-axial versions.

Reintjes expects diesel engines up to 13,200kW output to power fast ferries up to a length of 140m. The MAN B&W Ruston RK 280 series, presented as the most powerful 1,000 rev/min diesel engine range in the world, might be the first to reach 10,000kW as it is designed to a cylinder output of 500kW. Competitors like Caterpillar and MTU probably will follow this trend. Up to now the MTU 8000 high-speed engine series is released with a MCR of 8,200kW. It has a maximum output of 9,000kW.

The company opened a grinding centre in spring 2001 in Hameln as part of a 82 million

($75 million) investment to modernise its facilities for the manufacture of gears up to 2,000mm in diameter.