Largest yet common rail diesel

The first Sulzer RT-flex96C low-speed marine engine has successfully completed its official shop test at HSD Engine Co Ltd in Korea. With an output of 45,760 kW, this is the largest engine to employ common-rail systems for fuel injection and valve actuation.

Developed by Wartsila Corporation, Sulzer RT-flex engines are the first low-speed diesel engines to have electronically-controlled common-rail systems. This gives unrivaled flexibility in the way the engines operate, to deliver benefits such as smokeless operation at all operating speeds, lower fuel consumption, reduced maintenance costs and lower steady operating speeds for better maneuvering.

With the successful testing of the Sulzer RT-flex96C engine, common-rail technology has now demonstrated its advantages for all sizes of diesel engines from automotive engines up to the largest low-speed two-stroke engines. For Sulzer RT-flex engines, a key virtue of common-rail systems has been that they can be modular with standardized hardware applicable to more than one engine bore size.

Built under licence from Wartsila Corporation by HSD Engine Co Ltd in Korea, the engine tested is an eight-cylinder engine. It is one of four ordered in 2003 for four 3700 TEU L-class containerships contracted at Odense Steel Shipyard A/S in Lind¿, Denmark, by A.P. Moller-Maersk (three vessels) and Deutsche Afrika Line GmbH & Co (one vessel).

The engine was first started on March 24, 2004 and completed testing on April 9, 2004 with its official shop test.

After being run-in, the engine was subjected to an intensive eight-day test program to check, adjust and confirm the engine control system and all aspects of engine performance. Throughout the tests, the engine ran very satisfactorily. All the tests were completed without difficulties.

Measured fuel consumptions were completely in accordance with expectations at both full load and right across the part-load range. The measured NOX emissions were sufficiently below the limit set in Annex VI of the MARPOL 73/78 convention. Smokeless operation was also clearly confirmed.

The official shop test was witnessed by representatives of the shipowner, shipbuilder and classification society. All parties were extremely satisfied with how the engine ran during the test.

The Sulzer RT-flex96C engine has been extremely successful in the market. A total of 59 engines have been ordered since the engine type was introduced at the beginning of 2003

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