Wärtsilä introduces the 46F

The Wärtsilä 46F is the latest in the highly successful marine engine series launched in 1987 with the Vasa 46, as it was then called. Though visually similar to the original Wärtsilä 46, with similar bore and stroke, the Wärtsilä 46F is a new engine with the latest technology applied to all major components. It is packed with new features including common rail injection and scaleable embedded control, for high performance and record-low exhaust emissions, regardless of fuel quality. It is ideally suited to applications which place a premium on optimum space layout, savings in operating and maintenance costs, superior environmental performance and fuel adaptability.

The new engine initially covers the output range from 7,500 to 11,250 kW at 600 rpm in 6-, 7-, 8- and 9-cylinder in-line configurations. The 1,250 kW cylinder output results in a high and therefore attractive power-to-weight ratio that has been realized with efficient use of materials but without compromising on reliability, user comfort or maintenance friendliness.

The higher output of the Wärtsilä 46F compared to the original Vasa 46 has been achieved by increasing engine speed instead of mean effective pressure, allowing full exploitation of the latest developments in turbocharger technology for efficiency and environmental optimisation. In full-load operation, early closure of the inlet valves makes it possible to use a low effective compression ratio, resulting in a work cycle characterized by low combustion air temperature, which keeps the rate of NOx formation low.

The high output also contributes directly to operational and maintenance savings. For example, many typical single main engine applications, such as general cargo vessels and container feeder vessels, could use a Wärtsilä 46F main engine with one or two fewer cylinders compared to current ship designs, yielding maintenance savings in the region of 20%.

Compactness offers shipbuilding advantages through optimum use of space in the vessel layout. A compact machinery can in many ship types yield more cargo capacity or, in the case of passenger and cruise ships, a higher degree of billable capacity. Alternatively, the vessel’s material costs can be reduced for a fixed cargo capacity.

The Wärtsilä 46F enters the market as the first engine to have continuous temperature monitoring of the big end bearings as standard. This patented feature, in addition to main bearing temperature monitoring and exhaust gas temperature monitoring, now standard for many years, provides a complete set of reliable real-time data to monitor the engine performance in all its crucial areas – a prerequisite for Condition Based Maintenance that is becoming the standard in maintenance practice today.

The monitoring system on the Wärtsilä 46F is configured for easy hook-up to Wärtsilä’s CBM system, a data analysis and condition evaluation service that Wärtsilä provides for its customers. The CBM service advises operators on how to perform engine fine-tuning in varying operational conditions and allows owners to get the maximum service lifetime between overhauls. This approach balances extended service times with maintaining reliable operation. The benefit to owners is minimum operational costs with traceable reliability. Wärtsilä offers all Wärtsilä 46F customers the CBM service for a free trial period during the warranty period of the engine.