Workboat engines unveiled for stringent emission controls

Engine manufacturers revealed propulsion solutions for tugs, workboats and passenger vessels that comply with more stringent emissions legislation at the SMM exhibition

Engine manufacturers used the SMM exhibition in Hamburg, Germany in September to reveal new engines for efficient workboats and tugs operating in areas of strict emissions regulations.

Cummins unveiled an environmental engine series for tugs, offshore and passenger vessels and workboats. Its QSK60 engine package has been certified to comply with IMO Tier III emissions requirements when connected to a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) aftertreatment system to eliminate nitrous oxides. Cummins also introduced the X15 engine at Tier II level for vessels operating in inland waterways.

QSK60 Tier III four-stroke diesel engines can also be used as an auxiliary system and generator set, said Cummins segment leader for commercial marine Eddie Brown. This V-16 cylinder engine series will be available in a power range of 1,491-2,013 kW with torque between 990-1,357 Nm. It has Cummins’ modular common-rail fuel system, a counterclockwise facing flywheel, turbocharger and aftercooler.

Mr Brown focused on the SCR’s flexibility and lifetime in an SMM presentation. He said that when a ship is in emission control areas the SCR is turned on to be Tier III compliant, but, “outside these areas the master can halt the urea as QSK60 is IMO Tier II-compliant without any exhaust bypass.”

He added that existing QSK60 engines can be retrofitted with an SCR to become Tier III-compliant. “There has been additional demand for Tier III engines, so we are getting in front of the regulations,” said Mr Brown. “This is the first of a number of engines we are certifying for IMO III.”

He told Tug Technology & Business that Cummins is working with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to secure approval that QSK60 engines are Tier 3-compliant. “We are also working on getting them approved for EPA Tier 4,” he said.

Cummins’ selected SCR for QSK60 Tier III would be fully serviceable, meaning the Vanadia-based catalysts can be removed without special tools and easily replaced when needed, said Mr Brown.

Cummins anticipates the catalyst life would match the engine life until a periodic overhaul, which would minimise downtime. The catalyst can tolerate up to 5,000 ppm of sulphur in fuel, so workboat operators will not need to change the quality of fuel they use.

Mr Brown said the capacity and power of the QSK60 would depend on the type of vessel and requirements. QSK60 engines are already in use in Tier II on high-speed passenger vessels, smaller car carrying ferries, offshore support vessels, tugs and crewboats.

For example, azimuth stern drive (ASD)-tug, Brutus, which started operating in Buenos Aries, Argentina in 2016, has QSK60 Tier II engines that each generate 2,013 kW of power at 1,900 rpm. This 28.8-m vessel has 75 tonnes of bollard pull and a maximum speed of 12 knots.

QSK60 Tier III engines are suitable for tugs with bollard pulls of 60-80 tonnes “depending on the drive line and naval architecture of the tug,” Mr Brown said. QSK60 Tier II engines are also installed on platform support vessels and crewboats operated by Seacor and Bordelon.

In addition, Cummins has introduced the X15 marine engine platform for commercial marine applications. It is designed to withstand continuous high-speed daily operations with variable and fixed speed ratings of 330-447 kW. “X15 will be cost efficient for customers, come in a compact package and have best-in-class power density,” said Mr Brown.

Initially X15 will meet IMO Tier II and EPA Tier 3 requirements. Mr Brown expects the engines of this platform to be used for crewboats, fishing vessels, patrol boats and other workboats.

The first installation of a Cummins X15 is on a crewboat in Louisiana, US, where it replaced a non-Cummins engine. “Feedback from the field tests on the crewboat in the US is positive,” said Mr Brown. “The owner is happy with the power. It has gone from being the slowest boat in the fleet to the fastest and most powerful.”

More applications for X15 will be coming in H1 2019. “We will look at expanding the power ratings for X15 for small harbour tugs and working barges – this will be a phased approach,” said Mr Brown.

X15 uses the latest Cummins XPI fuel system while the common rail system provides high injection pressures for efficient fuel burning, clean emissions and optimised consumption.

Cummins will also offer engine control module CM2350 to provide engine monitoring and diagnostics capabilities and an automated engine shutdown to prevent any catastrophic failures. CM2350 is linked to sensors that monitor fuel consumption, gear pressure and temperature. This module has digital engine start/stop functionality.

SMM propulsion launches

Moteurs Baudouin introduced its latest four-stroke diesel engine that complies with IMO Tier III and EPA Tier 4 requirements. This version of Baudouin’s I2 M263 engine comes with an SCR to minimise NOx emissions.

This 12-cylinder engine has direct fuel injection and a power range of 883 kW at 1,800 rpm to 1,214 kW at 2,300 rpm. It has a common-rail fuel system, displacement of 32.8 l and a counterclockwise facing flywheel.

Baudouin said its SCR was designed so that its maintenance was in line with the engine’s overhaul period. It said this is a cleaner engine than its predecessors with up to 2% reduction in average fuel consumption and up to 25 dB noise reduction without affecting the power output.

Anglo Belgian Corp unveiled a hybrid propulsion system to accompany its main engines. It has concluded co-operation agreements with several partners to provide a package that includes main engines, generator sets, power management systems and alternative power sources. Its main product range includes six- and eight-cylinder inline engines and 12- and 16-cylinder V-engines.

Scania presented the latest addition to its engine range for workboats, a V8 engine with 850 kW of power in a 13-l or 16-l capacity for lower emissions. Scania has developed an aftertreatment system for this series of engines to comply with IMO Tier III requirements.

Its 13-l Tier III engine has a power range of 257-405 kW, or 269-426 kW at 50 Hz as an auxiliary. Scania is developing methods of introducing hybrid propulsion technology to supplement its main engines for workboats.

Gearing up

Finland-based integrated gearbox manufacturer, Katsa Oy, introduced its L350 range of slimline gearboxes. These have multiple power take-off solutions and the ability to distribute power from other sources, such as an electric motor. This gearbox can be installed vertically or horizontally and is class-approved by Lloyd’s Register.

L350 has maximum power of 1,200 kW, maximum speed of 4,000 rpm and gear ratios of 0.5 to 2.0. There are twin clutch and hydraulic clutch options to control the take-up of power. There is also an intermediate shaft, allowing the output shaft rotation to be reversed. The gearbox can be connected to the Katsa digitalisation package, which ranges from a simple two-signal output to a four-signal output.

In other news, Mitsubishi engines have been installed on a tug operated by Vidalia Dock & Storage in Louisiana, US in a repower project. Laborde Products provided two fully mechanical Mitsubishi S6R-Y3MPTAW engines that comply with EPA Tier 3 on Sonny J tug. These engines are rated at 510 kW at 1,800 rpm and each come with Twin Disc 7:1 transmissions.

QSK60 particulars:

Engine manufacturer: Cummins

IMO: Tier II and Tier III

Cylinder: V-16

Power range: 1,491-2,013 kW

Torque range: 990-1,357 Nm

Fuel: diesel, modular common rail

Additional: turbocharger, SCR, aftercooling

Bore & Stroke: 159 X 190 mm

Displacement: 60.2 l

Overall length: 329 cm

Overall width: 175.5 cm

Overall height: 241.5 cm

Weight: 8,750 kg