[ IN DETAIL MARINE ] Twentyfour7.

[ RT-FLEX35 ]

A 6-cylinder Wärtsilä RT-flex35 with

simple platform arrangement.

THE ATTRACTIVE OPTION FOR

LOWER-POWER APPLICATIONS
T E X T: R I C K M c A R T H U R | P H O T O S : W Ä R T S I L Ä

n global terms, the two-stroke engine fleet Industrial Operations in Switzerland. “Even

I
WÄRTSILÄ IS EXTENDING
consists of some 21,000 vessels. Of these, so, the 35/40-bore segment still has plenty of
its product portfolio by about 4500 are older than 25 years which potential.”
introducing two new means that they are candidates for replacement, About 2000 of these 6500 vessels, close to a
and this means new engines. The number of third, are 25 years old or more. “If you calculate
low-speed two-stroke vessels with two-stroke engines having a power that the fleet is renewed every 25 years that means
engines, the RT-flex35 output between 4000 kW and 9000 kW - the some 260 new vessels each year, and that has been
range covered by the RT-flex35 and RT-flex40 the average rate over the last 12 years,” he says.
and the RT-flex40. Both - is about 6500, about 30% of the total two- “So there’s a large number of vessels and a lot
offer an efficient direct stroke fleet. of them are old. That’s what makes this market
“When Wärtsilä decided to go into this bore interesting.”
drive propulsion solution size, market conditions were forecast to be much “Another aspect is that we expect that the
for a wide range of small better, but then came the financial crisis and market for smaller engines will recover soon,
we had to rearrange those expectations,” says which means we’ll be right on time with both
and medium-sized cargo Daniel Schmid, Product Manager, Wärtsilä new engines.”
vessels such as break-bulk
and bulk carriers, tankers
and container feeder 182 Fuel efficiency
vessels. 180
RT-flex Standard
of the RT-flex35 RI (Tier II)
178
RT-flex Delta
176
bsfc, g/kWh

RT-flex Low-load
174
172
170
168
166
40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
load

64 Twentyfour7. 1.10
01.2010.
Modularity keeps the price competitive
The first order for RT-flex35 engines was received
in January 2010 when Ningbo Donghai Shipping
Co. Ltd signed a contract with YMD for the
delivery of Wärtsilä 6RT-flex35 common-rail
diesel engines for five new 17,000 dwt chemical
tankers. The vessels are being built by the Ningbo
Shipyard Group in Fujian, China and will
operate in international trade between the Far
East, the Middle East and Europe. Delivery of
the first engine is scheduled for August 2011.
The RT-flex35/40 is a single project which
covers the development of two engines.
“We’re using similar concepts, and one of
our development targets is a certain degree of
modularity - using the same parts helps in getting
the right quantity and keeping the cost down.
‘Engines with attractive total cost of ownerhsip’
would be a good way to describe these new units,
as the technology they incorporate offers real
value for money,” says Schmid.
Wärtsilä’s cooperation partners in developing
the RT-flex35/40 series are Japan’s Mitsubishi
Heavy Industries Ltd. and China’s Yichang
Marine Diesel Engine Co., Ltd. (YMD). Wärtsilä
and YMD have been investigating small-bore
engine markets in China since 2006 as the
engines are tailor-made for the Chinese market.
As Wärtsilä does not manufacture two-stroke
[ IN DETAIL MARINE ]
[ RT-FLEX35 ]
engines in-house, RT-flex35/40 series engines
will be manufactured by the company’s licensees.
ENGINES WITH
ATTRACTIVE
Extensive testing at Winterthur
Wärtsilä is developing a new common-rail TOTAL COST
system optimised for this small-bore engine by OF OWNERSHIP
adapting four-stroke technologies for two-stroke
applications. In essence, the new Wärtsilä RT- IS A GOOD WAY
flex system is the best of both worlds. A great TO DESCRIBE THESE
deal of effort has gone into this and plenty of
testing has been required. At the Wärtsilä Diesel NEW UNITS
Technology Centre in Winterthur, there’s a test
rig simulating the RT-flex technology on a 6RT-
flex35 engine. The results of long-term tests on
12 sets of injectors are providing the information
necessary to ensure reliable operation.
As well as ensuring compliance with the IMO
Tier II regulations, Wärtsilä’s RT-flex technology
also allows optimisation of the engine tuning
for reliable, economical and stable operation
at part load. Key to this is the fact that the
engine’s injection and the exhaust valves are
electronically rather than mechanically driven.
Power to operate the valves comes from the servo
oil system, but the timing can be varied to save
fuel and control emissions.
“Compared to Standard Tuning, Delta tuning
offers benefits if engine loading is below 90%,” RT-flex engines are able to run very
says Schmid. “The Low-Load tuning option stably at very low speeds.
1.10 Twentyfour7. 65
 [ IN DETAIL MARINE ]
[ RT-FLEX35 ]
Turbocharging system of the RT-flex35
offers optimum fuel performance at 55-70%
loading. In both, there is no significant increase
in emissions. This is a huge benefit of RT-flex
technology and provides complete flexibility to
ship operators.”
Lowest possible auxiliary power
consumption
Another central concept in the RT-flex35/40
series engines is that of achieving the lowest
possible auxiliary power consumption. Rather
than employing electrically-driven units which
require auxiliary gensets to provide their motive
power, the supply units are mechanically driven.
Attractive total cost of ownership
The Wärtsilä RT-flex35 is a low-speed two-stroke crosshead-type marine diesel engine with
uniflow scavenging. Designed from the outset with an electronically-controlled common-
rail system for fuel injection and valve actuation, it has a 350 mm cylinder bore and a piston
stroke of 1550 mm. Built with 5-8 cylinders in-line, it provides maximum continuous power
outputs between 3475 and 6960 kW at 142 to 167 rpm.
Key benefits of the Wärtsilä RT-flex35 include:
Optimum fit to ship
High reliability
Five years’ operation between overhauls
Economical fuel consumption over
the whole operating range
Low total cost of ownership
Supply pump unit
RT-flex35 rail unit
66 Twentyfour7. 1.10
Both the pumps which pressurise the fuel up to
1000 bar and the servo oil pumps which provide
oil at a pressure of 300 bar to control the exhaust
valves and other items are driven directly by the
main engine through a gearbox.
Wärtsilä is also applying its UNIC control
system to a two-stroke engine for the first
time in RT-flex35/40 series engines. Taking the
opportunity presented by the merging of four-
stroke and two-stroke technology, a control
platform based on the one already widely used
in four-stroke installations is being constructed
for two-stroke equipment. There are multiple
benefits. “One is spare part handling,” says
Schmid. “The four-stroke sector is also world-
wide, and we’ll be using the same electronic
modules for the control system.”
Other benefits include the user interface -
the “look and feel” of the engine control system
for operators. “Merging four-stroke and two-
stroke technology and combining this into the
UNIC platform means that potentially the type
of engine you’re handling won’t matter,” says
Schmid. UNIC communicates directly with the
ship’s machinery control system and allows full
integration into propulsion packages (PROPAC).
“Our focus is on delivering a user-friendly
interface which allows crews to understand their
engines easily and act quickly when necessary.”
Low cylinder oil consumption
Low ancillary power requirements
Low exhaust gas emissions
Capable of extremely low,
stable running speeds
Maintenance friendly design.
Twentyfour7.
The RT-flex35 common-rail systems
Wärtsilä RT-flex35 engines have fully
electronically-controlled systems for fuel
injection, valve operation, starting and cylinder
lubrication. Fuel oil and servo oil are delivered
at regulated pressures to common-rail pipes
arranged in a rail unit along the side of the
cylinders.
Heated fuel oil is delivered ready for injection
at pressures up to 1000 bar. Servo oil is drawn
from the engine lubrication system and delivered
at pressures up to 300 bar. Both fuel oil and
servo oil pumps are mounted at the aft end of
the engine and are driven through gearing from
the crankshaft.
Flexibility and environmental compliance
Precise control of injection, optimised injection
pressures, optimised valve timing, and shutting
off individual injectors at low speeds means that
RT-flex engines are able to run very stably at very
low speeds, slower than camshaft-type engines.
RT-flex35 engines are fully compliant with
the IMO Tier II exhaust-emissions regulations
set out in Annex VI of the MARPOL 73/78
convention. The flexibility provided the RT-
flex system facilitates compliance with NOX
regulations and delivers smokeless operation at
all engine speeds.
THE LOWEST POSSIBLE
AUXILIARY POWER
CONSUMPTION IS A
CENTRAL CONCEPT