At the 28th CIMAC Congress, Helsinki, Finland, ABB unveiled a new turbocharger which is exclusively made for ship’s auxiliary engines.
Why an exclusive turbocharger for an Auxiliary engine?
MFAME asked this question to Joy Acha, Manager for Digital communications, ABB, who was present at the ABB’s grandstand at the Finlandia Hall. She said that a ship’s auxiliary engine suffer huge variation in loads and often run at less than half-load, leading to poor combustion and thus deposits in the exhaust passages. She further added that such deposits badly affect the turbocharger and thus its performance. And if such deposits continue to foul the turbochargers, then it gasps for air and thus auxiliary engines cannot take up the desired load.
“First dedicated turbocharger from ABB Turbocharging designed specifically for small bore medium-speed marine auxiliary diesel engine platforms with up to 2MW power output”.
ABB presented its first dedicated turbocharger, for marine auxiliary engine applications, in a development cooperation with IHI Corporation. Designed for ease of operation and service, it supports a condition-based maintenance concept.
We met Roland Schwarz, Head of Marine Auxiliary Product Group and ABB Turbocharging Japan – and asked him about the exclusive features and what a ship’s engineer would benefit from this new turbocharger.
The answers were stunning!
Here it is.
- These are ‘Easy-to-maintain’ turbochargers
- Very few tools are required unlike the conventional ones would require some special tool to open it up.
- Most fasteners are to be tightened to same torque whereas the conventional ones would require varying torques at various sections of the turbocharger.
- The nozzle ring size, design and geometry are designed such that it takes more time to foul the turbochargers and thus an increase in MTBO (Mean time between overhauls).
- A Ship’s engineer would easily overhaul these turbochargers and the maintenance is made more interesting by interactive mobile device apps.
- These turbochargers have very few parts and thus simplifies the maintenance.
And he kept adding up more information about these MXP turbochargers. Here is an animated version which shows how easy are these turbochargers to overhaul.
Designed for service
MXP’s robust and yet simplistic design allows for easy maintenance, based on a self-service condition-based maintenance (CBM) model, which translates into lower maintenance costs for the end customer.
Essential to the customer-centric design is the user-friendly maintenance concept of MXP that is supported with a digital self-service application. This gives crew members the flexibility to independently maintain the turbocharger wherever and whenever necessary, using standard tools while the vessel is operational.
Customer benefits of MXP
- Optimized load response behavior
- Robust design for heavy fuel oil (HFO) capability
- IMO II compliance, without any additional measures
- Designed for easy service and operation
- Easy maintenance by crew, using standard tools
- Self-service condition-based maintenance using an intuitive digital application
- Easily troubleshoot issues with intuitive digital application
- Seamless spare parts order request via the MXP digital service support application
They call the turbocharger as MXP – which stands for Marine auXiliary Power. The innovative Marine Auxiliary Power (MXP) turbocharger is a key part of the company’s strategy to focus on increased value for engine builders and operators in the large engine industry through segment and application-specific turbocharging offerings.
MXP has been designed for auxiliary engines with power output up to 2MW, operating under HFO conditions. In this dedicated product, the complexity of parts required in turbochargers with broader usage has been simplified for the specific operational requirements of this market.
These include: ease of maintenance by the crew, based on condition, as well as optimized load response behavior and improved efficiency at part load both of which contribute to fuel savings. A simplified service approach was also a significant focus in product development as MXP allows for condition-based maintenance, optimizing operational costs. As a ‘user-friendly’ turbocharger, it enables easy and fast service preparation and simplicity of replacing parts. Self-service maintenance by the ship’s crew onboard additionally lowers costs while maximizing application availability and flexibility. This will be supported by a digital, interactive solution from ABB.
MXP maintains the reliable and robust quality of ABB turbochargers, whilst delivering the required auxiliary engine operation performance for vessels such as bulkers, tankers and mid-sized container ships. In addressing emissions regulations, the new turbocharger enables IMO II compliance of the engine without the need for any additional measures.
Oliver Riemenschneider, Head of ABB Turbocharging said: “Continually pushing the boundaries of turbocharging technology is central to our offering, which translates into segment-specific products and solutions, supporting our customers to increase their productivity. With this new turbocharger, we do this through combining the roles and expertise of ABB and IHI. Highly conscious of the continuous pressures facing the global marine industry, we believe in a focus on enhancing the operation and maintenance of our customers’ applications. This is demonstrated by the launch of MXP dedicated for auxiliary operation, at the most significant meeting place of the large engine industry; the CIMAC Congress.”
Roland Schwarz, Head of Marine Auxiliary Product Group and ABB Turbocharging Japan added: “In unveiling MXP, we are delivering a dedicated product in response to true market needs for auxiliary engines: simplified and designed for service; with competitive total cost of ownership; and fully meeting load response and fuel efficiency requirements. The CIMAC Congress is renowned for sharing of technical developments across the large engine industry, so it is ideal for our first presentation of this new product.
We look forward to discussing with engine builders and operators the value this turbocharger can bring to their applications through its optimized performance matched to auxiliary engines actual operating profiles.”
As part of this technical product launch, MXP was introduced to the large engine industry through the presentation of a technical paper at the CIMAC Congress on Monday, June 6. MXP will be produced in at least three frame sizes, and commercially available in early 2017.
Disclaimer: This video is intended for informational purpose only. This may not be construed as a news item or advice of any sort. Please consult the experts in that field for the authenticity of the presentations.
Video: ABB Turbocharging on YouTube
