Propulsion Packages for Largest Ro-Pax Ferries

The two new ferries are to be built by the Aker Yards Group for Stena Line and will feature the new common rail medium speed 48/60 CR engines.

At 62,000 gt and measuring 240m LOA, the newbuildings feature a record breaking 5,500m of trailer lane, 700m of car lanes and facilities for 1,200 passengers. They are due to be delivered from Aker Yards’ facilities in Germany during the first and third quarters of 2010.

Under MAN Diesel’s programme of progressively introducing common rail fuel injection technology onto its four stroke medium speed engines, the common rail version of the well established 48/60 engine closely follows the launch last September of the all new 560 kW per cylinder 32/44 CR engine.

The 48/60 CR engines for the new Ro-Pax ferries offer 1,200 kW per cylinder at 500 rpm and are used in a four engine, twin propulsion train diesel-mechanical system. In a ‘father and son’ engine arrangement, each train consists of one in-line eight cylinder 8L48/60 CR and one six cylinder 6L48/60 CR connected by a twin input shaft, single output shaft type NDSHL-3400 double reduction gear from the Rheine works of MAN Diesel’s sister company Renk AG. The gears also feature shaft alternators driven from 3,000 kW PTOs.

The MAN Diesel propulsion packages includes twin 5.2m diameter type VBS1560 controllable pitch propellers from the company’s Frederikshaven works, 41m shaft lines and ODF servo systems, together with the Alphatronic 2000 propulsion control and management system for engine room control, main bridge and wing bridge consoles.

The overall package is completed by MAN Diesel gensets, with each vessel receiving one genset bsed on the 7L21/31 engine and three gensets based on the 6L21/31. The gensets and main engines are all resiliently mounted.