Team Camaro Tech banner

Most powerful diesel in the world

6.2K views 25 replies 20 participants last post by  BERRY251  
#1 ·
Got this from a friend and WOW this is some huge HP and Torque. Look at the size of the cylinders and pistons.
Its built in Japan... stats are...

The Wartsila-Sulzer RTA96-C turbocharged two-stroke diesel engine is the most powerful and most efficient prime-mover in the world today. The Aioi Works of Japan's Diesel United, Ltd built the first engines and is where some of these pictures were taken.
It is available in 6 through 14 cylinder versions, all are inline engines. These engines were designed primarily for very large container ships. Ship owners like a single engine/single propeller design and the new generation of larger container ships needed a bigger engine to propel them.
The cylinder bore is just under 38" and the stroke is just over 98". Each cylinder displaces 111,143 cubic inches (1820 liters) and produces 7780 horsepower. Total displacement comes out to 1,556,002 cubic inches (25,480 liters) for the fourteen cylinder version.
Some facts on the 14 cylinder version:
Total engine weight:
2300 tons (The crankshaft alone weighs 300 tons.)
Length: 89 feet
Height: 44 feet
Maximum power: 108,920 hp at 102 rpm
Maximum torque: 5,608,312 lb/ft at 102rpm

Fuel consumption at maximum power is 0.278 lbs per hp per hour (Brake Specific Fuel Consumption). Fuel consumption at maximum economy is 0.260 lbs/hp/hour. At maximum economy the engine exceeds 50% thermal efficiency. That is, more than 50% of the energy in the fuel in converted to motion.
For comparison, most automotive and small aircraft engines have BSFC figures in the 0.40-0.60 lbs/hp/hr range and 25-30% thermal efficiency range.
Even at it's most efficient power setting, the big 14 consumes 1,660 gallons of heavy fuel oil per hour.

Image

Image

Image
 
#6 ·
How can that thing be good for that level of HP - it's got a Cast Crank - look at the parting lines ... :D
 
#8 ·
Is it going to use a 3/4 race cam.
 
#15 ·
Very cool, it kind of reminds me of a steam turbine generator on a large power plant. I hope somebody could post some pictures of one of those. They appear to be in that general size, only steam driven.
 
#16 ·
I used to be the engineering manager for a company that made the manifolds for the Siemens Westinghouse W501F and W501G power generation gas turbines - we also made some parts for the steam turbines you mention. I had a tour of their facility in Hamilton Ontario where they assemble the 501F gas turbine engine, I literally felt like I was about 6" tall, absolutely Lilliputian, as if I was in Gulliver's Travels. It was particularly impressive since I was there recently after having a tour of Pratt & Whitney where they build jet engines - they looked basically the same, but the Siemens engines were several orders of magnitude larger, like some enormous jet engines for a plane the size of a small city. I wish I had some pics, but at the time I didn't think it would be appreciated if I were to bring a camera into their plant! I think the steam turbines might be even larger.

Those pics are awesome, I hadn't seen them either. Thanks for posting them!
 
#21 ·
The Salt River Project Navajo plant has three GE steam turbine generators. There were four things that stood out for me.

1) It consumes 3000 tons/hour of coal at full tilt.
2) It produces 3 million horsepower.
3) Of the five compressor stages, the last four counteract the axial force produced by the first.
4) One of the long turbine housing bolts costs $27,000 each.

And how do you tighten bolts like the engine above or the GE turbines? The GE turbines have a mandatory induction heating process where the fastener is heated to a specific temperature, then the nut is seated to remove any axial clearance. When the heat is reduced, the fastener tensions due to the reduction in heat expansion. There are two ways to mechanically tighten a fastener that size, using either a hydraulic stretching tool or hydraulic wrench. The hydraulic tensioner screws onto the exposed thead above the nut, pressure applied, the fastener stretches, seat the nut, release pressure. Very fast, very accurate. Wrenches are also hydraulic, and due to the lack of exposed threads on the engine likely this is the tool used. Likely for something the size on that engine would take a wrench with a 50,000 - 60,000 ft-lb capacity that weighs about 150 lbs with the socket.

Here's a smaller one (not me) with only a 10,000 ft-lb capacity but no hoses attached.

Image
 
#22 · (Edited)
OK now you're sorry you asked for some turbine photos! I spent my youth as a Field Engineer doing turbine projects and am now a turbine sales engineer. Most of my activity is heavy duty gas turbine or fossil steam (not Nuke) but provided some Nuke photos because of the size and interest in big iron.

My most interesting job occurred after Chernobyl in the mid 80's. It was a turbine controls retrofit at N reactor's back up steam turbine used for emergency purposes. Guarded with machine guns I managed to trip half the plant on start up! The nuclear safety engineers told me I was involved in a serious incident. I said huh?

Photo 1- 2 unit plant overview- typically 3 low pressure (LP) rotors with an HP and intermediate section 1200 megawatt (MW) typical. Turbine overhaul typically 30 days around clock during reactor refuel. 1000+ tons at 1800 rpm!

Photo 2- LP rotor- forgings for these come from Kobe Japan with 1+ year backlog weight approx 200ton, last stage blades 33"-52" depending on manufacturer and source of cooling water. $8-10MM per rotor. Last stage blades typically 12 Chrome with stellite inlay for erosion protection. Internal clearances as tight as .015-.025 between rot and stationary elements. generator cooled in hydrogen- Pressures 15psi to 60 psi. Hydrogen fire a concern if lube oil lost and shafts drops thru babbited bearings. 1600 psi lift oil used on bearings to allow shaft to ride on oil film so it can roll without bearing damage.

Photo 3- 3 LP rotors await installation

Photo4- Skidding generator out of stator

Photo 5- Generator pick after skidding gen field out of gen stator. Often times the heaviest pick in a plant.

Photo 6- Overview of 800 MWfossil (gas fired boiler) steam turbine. A cross compound unit with LP sections on left driving a generator at 1800 rpm and HP/reheat units on right turning 3600 rpm with their own generator.

Photo 7- HP rotor from unit above. Double casing design with an inner casing and outer casing. 3500 psi steam inlet at 1000F steam cannot be seen if leak. Called supercritical where a square foot of water weighs same as steam.

Photo 8- Ship improperly loaded (rolled and sank) with two generator fields- Port of Albany unfortunately two men died.



The US spent about half of GDP building out our electrical infrastructure from the 1950's to present. The workforce is greying as new jobs focus on technology etc. If you are a young gearhead and enjoy rotating machinery and are considering a career but not sure what to do... the electric utility industry may be for you...ok I'm done.
 
#24 · (Edited)
That Diesel engine is fitted in the largest containership in the world, the Emma Mærsk, here are some pictures:

Image


Image


Details:

Emma Mærsk
Homeport:Taarbæk
Built:Odense Staalskibsværft. Hull no. 203
Owner:
A.P. Møller-Mærsk A/S
Length o.a.397.71 m
Width 56.40 m
Draft 15.5 m
Height of hull 30.2 m
Gross tonnage 170,974 bt
Net tonnage 55,396 nt
Deadweight156,907 DWT
Main engine:Wärtsilä 14RT-Flex96c, 80,080 kW (109,000 hp) Speed>25.5 knots
Auxiliary engines:
5 x Caterpillar 8M32, 40,000 hp
 
#25 · (Edited)
And here is the largest stationary diesel engine in the world, a 12 cylinder 900mm bore, 2300mm stroke 52355kw or 71150bhp @ 103.4 rpm
At maximum output it consumes 11000 liters ~ 2900 gallons of heavy fuel per hour, that comes to 250 t per day.

Image


A similar but older engine below:

Image



These engines are, like the ones in ships, started with 30 bar compressed air. The ship engines can also be started "in reverse".