MAN Diesel Turbo completes tests of turbocharger for small bore two strokes

A turbocharger specifically designed for small-bore, two stroke engines has completed an extensive test program on MAN Diesel & Turbo’s turbocharger test bed in Augsburg, Germany.

The TCA44 completes MAN’s TCA turbocharger range for two-stroke engines at its lower end. Stefan Mayr, Project Engineer responsible for the TCA44, said: “This new turbocharger has been specifically designed to meet the needs of small-bore, two-stroke engines and provides optimized turbocharging solutions for engines that exceed the capacity limits of the smaller TCR22 turbocharger.”

Until now, the turbocharger used for such engines has been the TCA55 with a small turbine and compressor wheel. Though thermodynamically feasible, the TCA55’s larger size and weight was a cost disadvantage on. In contrast, the TCA44 – which weighs 1,970 kg – is some 40 percent smaller and lighter.

The new turbocharger comes to the market just in time to enhance small-bore, two-stroke engine applications to meet the predicted development of Chinese short-sea and coastal shipping operations.

MAN Diesel & Turbo has already taken in a significant number of orders for the TCA44 from its two-stroke licensees and says that serial deliveries will start in the second half of 2011.

The TCA44 follows the principal design philosophy of the TCA series, but with some major innovations to facilitate production, installation and maintenance, including:

• 45 steel turbine blades with new airfoil profile
• attachment of turbine blades by one retaining ring instead of 45 individual fixing-plates
• oil supply and discharge integrated in turbocharger feet as integral part of the bearing casing
• new compressor-wheel profile
• simplified IRC design
• modified silencer

Some of these innovations, such as the turbine blade attachment, will gradually be introduced to the other frame-sizes of the TCA family.

March 14, 2011