Propulsion of VLCCs

Contents Page

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Engine Programme Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Power Requirement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Design Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Exhaust Gas Emission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Propulsion of VLCCs

Introduction Engine Programme The present MC programme now in-

Development cludes unit powers of 93,120 bhp for
the largest model, the 12K98MC-C. The
Freight rates for crude oil carriers have Over the years, the market leading MC entire MC programme is shown in Fig.
not recently left any scope for an attrac- engines, which date back to 1982, have 2, and a reference list can be seen in
tive payback time for newbuildings. Nev- been developed continuously to cater for Fig. 3.
ertheless, there is an increasing demand such changing market requirements.
for environmentally safer vessels. Major milestones in this development Pecent models, which have been
can be seen in Fig. 1. added to the MC programme when
Many of the vessels from the 1970s will
have to be scrapped within a short pe-
riod of time. Usually, it is not profitable to
take a vessel past the 25-year classifica-
tion test, and to maintain the current vol- Mk mep Cm
ume of sea transportation capacity, bar m/s
1981 L35MC introduced
some 30-40 VLCCs will have to be deliv-
ered per year, over a period of as much 1982 Full L-MC programme 1 15.0 7.2
as 7-8 years.
1984 L-MC upgraded 2 16.2
In view of the above factors and pros- 1985 L42MC introduced 2 16.2 7.2
pects, MAN B&W in 1998 added new
VLCC-dedicated propulsion engines to 1986 K-MC introduced 16.2
the MC programme. S-MC introduced 17.0
L-MC upgraded 3 16.2 7.6

1987 S26MC introduced 16.8 8.2

1988 K-MC-C introduced 16.2 8.0

1991 MC programme upgraded
K and L-MC 5 18.0
S-MC 6 17.0

1992 S26MC and L35MC upgraded 18.5 8.2

1993 S35MC and S90MC introduced

K90MC/MC-C upgraded 6 18.0 8.0
1994 S42MC introduced 6 18.5 8.0
1994 K98MC-C introduced 6 18.2 8.3

1995 K80MC-C 6 18.0 8.0

1996 L70MC upgraded 6 18.0 8.2

1996 S70MC-C, S60MC-C, S50MC-C 19.0 8.5

and S46MC-C introduced 19.0 8.3
1996 S80MC upgraded 19.0 8.0
1997 L80MC upgraded 6 18.0 8.0
K98MC introduced 6 18.2 8.3
1998 S80MC-C introduced 19.0 8.1
S90MC-C introduced 19.0 8.1
L90MC-C introduced 19.0 8.1
S35MC upgraded 7 19.1 8.2

Pmep = mean effective pressure Cm = mean piston speed

Fig.1: The MC programme development

3
 r/min
250 S26MC
210 L35MC
173 S35MC
176 L42MC
136 S42MC
129 S46MC-C
148 L50MC
127 S50MC
127 S50MC-C
123 L60MC
105 S60MC
105 S60MC-C
108 L70MC
91 S70MC
91 S70MC-C
104 K80MC-C
93 L80MC
79 S80MC
76 S80MC-C
104 K90MC-C
94 K90MC
83 L90MC-C
76 S90MC-C
104 K98MC-C
94 K98MC
0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 kW

Fig. 2: The 1999 MC engine programme

called for by the market, are the The K98MC and the K98MC-C offer
Number of engines S-MC-C compact engines, which re- the highest unit powers available on the
Type On order or delivered In service spond to requirements for high power market today at the right engine speed
98 15 0 and high propeller efficiency together required by the very large and fast
90 162 129 with low fuel consumption. post-panamax container vessels.
80 436 378
70 686 560
60 1,415 1,213
50 1,120 919 The main data for the three new engines:
46 28 10
42 196 172 Cyl.
35 937 800 Engine Stroke Speed bhp/ mep pmax SFOC Cm No. of
bar g/bhph spacing
26 167 155 type mm r/min cyl bar m/s cyls
mm
Total 5,162 4,336 L90MC-C 2,916 83 6,650 19 150 123 8.07 6-12 1,602
Total: 79,157,300 BHP ~ 58,220,194 kW
S90MC-C 3,188 76 6,650 19 150 123 8.08 6-7 1,602
As at 1999.01.26
S80MC-C 3,200 76 5,280 19 150 123 8.11 6-8 1,424

Fig. 3: Reference list, MC engine

4
The S80MC has been widely used in
VLCCs, originally in the six-cylinder ver-
sion and, as the ship speed require-
ment has grown, the seven-cylinder
has become the dominant version.
7L90MC engines have also been used
in a number of VLCCs.
As an increasing demand for higher
power has been seen, an uprated ver-
sion of the 7S80MC, referred to as the
Mk 7, was made available. The mean
effective pressure of this engine is 19
bar, and the maximum firing pressure
is 150 bar, thus securing an SFOC of
123 g/bhph.
Now, with the successful introduction
of the compact S-MC-C engines with
46, 50, 60 and 70 cm bores, of which
more than 40 are in service and more
than 150 have been ordered, the natu-
ral approach has been to expand the
S-MC-C range and introduce an
S80MC-C of similar design to the
smaller S-MC-C engines.
Today, most VLCC projects are of
more than 300,000 dwt, and have
speeds in excess of 16 kts.
To cater for the increased power requi-
rement of such vessels, we have also
updated the S and L90MC as
S90MC-C and L90MC-C versions, with
different engine speeds to cater for dif-
ferent propeller characteristics. Thus, if
a large propeller diameter is used, the
low engine speed of the S90MC-C is
an advantage whereas, if the propeller
diameter dictates a slightly higher en-
gine speed, the L90MC-C is the right
choice.
Altogether, the L/S90MC-C engines
supplement the S80MC-C for power
requirements in excess of what can be
delivered by a 7S80MC-C.
The competitive SFOC is achieved by
applying state-of-the-art technology in
the fuel injection system together with
the use of mini-sac fuel valves in con-
junction with an improved combustion
chamber configuration.
Power Requirement
As mentioned above, current VLCC
projects involve larger and, in particu-
lar, faster vessels than earlier specified.
With the latest additions to the MC
programme, virtually all power require-
ments for foreseeable ship speeds can
be met.
The situation is illustrated in Fig. 4
where the power requirement is shown
as a function of ship speed and dead-
weight.
The ship speeds obtainable from the
various engines are, of course, subject
to differences in hull design and to a
tolerance. Nevertheless, the figure
gives a good indication of what is
needed for different ship sizes to reach
various speeds, inclusive of the nor-
mally applied margins.
It will be noted from the above that we
have introduced both an S90MC-C
and an L90MC-C engine, both offering
the same power, but at different speeds,
76 and 83 rpm respectively. The rea-
son for this decision is that we want to
Shaft power
BHP
50,000
7S90MC-C 46,550 BHP
7L90MC-C 46,550 BHP
45,000 8S80MC-C 42,240 BHP
6S90MC-C 39,900 BHP
40,000
7S80MC-C 36,960 BHP
7S80MC Mk 6
35,000
34,650 BHP
30,000
25,000
20,000
14.5
14.0 15.0
15.4 15.8
Fig. 4: Estimated SMCR power requirement
cater for different wishes regarding pro-
peller layout. The issue is illustrated in
Fig. 5, which shows that if the propeller
diameter normally used on a 15.5 kts
VLCC is maintained, and the speed re-
quirement is raised to, say 16.5 kts, the
propeller speed will have to increase
from some 75-76 rpm to 83 rpm.
Hence the need for the 7L90MC-C.
If, on the other hand, the propeller di-
ameter is increased, the optimum pro-
peller speed remains at about 75 rpm,
thus making the 7S90MC-C the opti-
mum choice.
It is worth noting that the L90MC-C
can also be used on containerships
that can accommodate fairly large pro-
pellers.
Fig. 4 shows that the diversity of the
MC programme is substantial, also
when it comes to VLCC propulsion,
thanks to the many different models to
choose from. For a number of years,
7-cylinder engines have been the pre-
ferred choice in VLCCs, but due to the
need for increased power, they might
be replaced by the 6S90MC-C or, if
even more power is needed, the
Incl.: 10% engine margin dwt
15% sea margin 320,000
300,000
280,000
Ship speed
15.5 16.0 16.5 17.0 knots
16.1 16.4 16.9
5
 7S90MC-C. Some owners may prefer
7-cylinder engines owing to the ex-
pected vibration behaviour. However,
the 6S90MC-C, like all other MC en-
gines, can be fully balanced for the ex-
ternal second-order moment, and
torsionals can in virtually all cases be
controlled without using a torsional vi-
bration damper, which means that vi-
brations are easy to handle.
The technology of vibration abatement
on a 6-cylinder engine is fully develop-
ed, a fact underlined by statistics re-
vealing that approx. 55% of all of the
some 5,200 MC engines in service are
6-cylinder engines.
Yet another possibility for modern
VLCCs is a twin-skeg hull design with
twin engines and twin propellers. Such
vessels have just recently been con-
tracted in Korea.
The vessels are specified with very
shallow draught which will make it
BHP Shaft power
When going from 15.5
45,000
to 16.7 knots and with
M0 and M'0 as two
different basic points: 40,000
The increased SMCR
power is based on 35,000 -curve
either
1. Modified propeller 30,000
with bigger diameter
Modified Unchanged
or 25,000 propeller propeller
(curve)
2. Unchanged propeller
(bigger diameter is 20,000
not possible) 60 65
Fig. 5: Propeller performance at increased SMCR power output M for 300,000 dwt VLCC
6
possible to transport large cargoes
into ports where draught is restricted.
The vessels differ from the large tank-
ers so far built in the world in that they
have in addition to double hulls
double, completely separated engine
rooms, double rudders and steering
gears and double propellers. All these
double functions represent an extra
safety factor and provide the vessel
with a manoeuvrability superior to that
of other large tankers.
The vessels will be equipped with 2 x
7S60MC-C engines with a combined
power of 42,980 bhp, giving them a
maximum speed of about 15% above
that of most other large tankers.
A similar concept is used for vessels
which are presently being built in US at
Avondale Shipyard for the US oil major
Arco. This is the socalled 125,000
dwt millennium tanker featuring 2 x
7S50MC-C, also in completely sepa-
rate engine rooms.
M2 M'2
-curve M1 M'1
1 1'
1 1' 2 2'
M0 M'0
2'
2 ring pack should be mentioned. The
(curve)
70 75 80
76 83
S80MC-C
79 L90MC-C
S90MC-C
S80MC Mk 6
Design Features
In recent years, a number of features
have been successfully introduced,
primarily with the aim of further im-
proving the cylinder condition and in-
creasing the time between overhauls.
In this context, we are in particular ad-
dressing features such as the high-
topland piston which protects the pis-
ton rings against the thermal load from
the combustion gases. This improves
the performance of the piston ring
pack significantly, and the gradual loss
of tension in the piston rings is reduced,
resulting in higher TBOs for the piston.
A further benefit is that the high topland
has made it possible to lower the mat-
ing surfaces between cylinder liner and
cylinder cover, thus reducing the ther-
mal load on the cylinder liner and thus
improving the conditions for the lube
oil film. The high heat input is absorb-
ed by the steel cylinder cover, which
has a higher thermal stability than the
grey cast iron used for cylinder liners.
As a consequence, the reliability of the
cylinder liner is further enhanced by the
introduction of the high-topland piston.
Tests with high-topland pistons were
started about four years ago on an
S80MC engine and showed a signifi-
16.7
cant improvement in the general com-
knots
bustion chamber condition and an
increase in the time between overhauls
by a factor of 3, making biannual over-
hauls sufficient.
15.5
Of other important features, the piston
knots
reliability of the combustion chamber
components and the cylinder condi-
tion depends very much on the perfor-
mance of the piston ring pack which,
Propeller/
accordingly, is continuously being opti-
engine
mised.
speed
85 90 The two uppermost piston rings are
86.4 r/min higher, giving these rings greater
strength and thermal stability. The pis-
ton ring material has been optimised
to cope with the increased thermal
load that results from the higher rating
of the engines.

Top piston ring with double-lap
S-seal and 6 Controlled Pressure
Relief (CPR) gaps
Even heat distribution on
2nd piston ring
2nd, 3rd and 4th piston rings
with oblique cut ring gaps
New piston ring material:
RVK-C with Alu-bronze coating
Fig. 6: Piston rings for S-MC-C
Piston high topland
Cylinder cover
Piston
Piston cleaning ring
Cylinder liner
Fig. 7: Cylinder liner, piston cleaning ring
Some years ago, we tested and subse-
quently introduced a special patented
CPR (Controlled Pressure Relief) piston
ring as the top piston ring, see Fig. 6.
This ring has a double lap joint, and an
optimal pressure drop across the top
piston ring is ensured by relief grooves.
For ease of running-in, an Al-bronze
coating is applied on the lower rings.
A third feature introduced is the Piston
Cleaning (PC) ring. The purpose of this
ring, shown in Fig. 7, is to control ash
and carbon deposits on the piston
topland and thus prevent contact be-
tween the cylinder liner and these de-
posits, which would remove part of the
cylinder oil from the liner wall. Long-term
tests on an S80MC engine since 1994
have shown positive results, verifying
the hypothesis that bore polish may
be a decisive factor in the deterioration
of the cylinder condition, especially in
high-rated large engines. PC rings are
therefore now standard on the most
recent large bore MC engines.
More than 80 cylinder units with PC
rings are currently in service.
Protecting and controlling the heatex-
posed parts in the combustion chamber
have always been design priorities.
By virtue of a modified combustion
chamber geometry, this has been fur-
ther enhanced. This development was
prompted in particular by the K-MC(-C)
engines with the narrow combustion
space.
Over the years, the pistons in these
engines have been provided with a
welded-on layer of inconel to increase
the heat resistance. Even so, heat ex-
posure effects have been experienced
on the K-MC(-C) engines in certain
cases, indicating that the margins
should preferably be higher.
With the new geometry shown in Fig. 8,
we have obtained more space around
the fuel nozzles, and thus a greater
distance from the nozzles to the piston
top. This means that the fuel injection
and combustion give rise to smaller
heat input to the piston top and un-
changed heat input to cylinder cover
and exhaust valve. Measurements have
confirmed a temperature reduction of
the piston top of some 100 C as well
as unchanged temperatures on other
combustion chamber components.
The heat load on the piston in the new
combustion chamber is shown in Fig. 9.
The simple shaker cooling principle
traditionally applied for the piston can
thereby be maintained.
This new combustion chamber design
has already been introduced on a num-
ber of MC engines being produced for
container vessels and is the present
standard on large-bore MC engines, in-
cluding MC/MC-C engines applicable
7
 for VLCCs, i.e. S80MC, S80MC-C,
S90MC-C and L90MC-C. Even though
Previous MC design New design the heat exposure of the piston is less
pronounced in these engines, the addi-
tional margin has been introduced also
on these engines.

Exhaust Gas Emission

It goes without saying that, as stan-
dard, the new VLCC engines will, like
all other MC/MC-C engines, comply
with the IMO speed-dependent NOx
emission cap of 17 g/kWh.

Conclusion
To meet the increasingly more diversi-
fied propulsion requirements, MAN
B&W Diesel has continuously intro-
duced up-to-date engines to supple-
ment the well-known MC engine series.

Hence our company offers the most

comprehensive and versatile engine
programme in the market for virtually all
commercial vessels, over the full range
Fig. 8: Combustion chamber, previous MC design vs. new design of sizes and types.

Previous piston design z x New piston design

Fig. 9: Heat load on piston crown