Hamburg`s E-Powered Marine Solutions (E-MS) has completed its first project in the Chinese market by jointly providing design and engineering work for research vessel Shen Kuo. In co-operation with Chinese project partner SFHI, E-MS carried out all electrical design and engineering work for small waterplane area twin-hull vessel Shen Kuo`s diesel-electric power supply and propulsion system.
Th research vessel mounts four diesel generators, powering two permanently excited electric motors that have a capacity of 1,000 kW apiece. E-MS says its patented electric power pack (E-PP) network and propulsion technology allows for higher-precision control of electrical energy than conventional onboard supply networks provide.
“We can operate the generators with variable speed and use the entire speed range of diesel engines,” said E-MS chief executive Peter Andersen. “This not only reduces fuel consumption, but also pollutant emissions and structure-borne vibrations, especially in the case of electrical outputs with marked dynamic fluctuations.”
Mr. Andersen also noted that the electrical propulsion power supply used aboard Shen Kuo has been tested aboard river cruise vessels and megayachts. The E-PP saves about 11 square meters and nearly 12 tons compared to conventional diesel-electric systems, E-MS says. The scope of work covered by E-MS and SFHI included producing electrical and mechanical plans and 3D design drawings for all technology in the power generation and distribution systems aboard the vessel, as well as the electrical aspects of the vessels` two main propulsion systems. The shipyard and client then used these designs to order the equipment directly from SFHI.
Shen Kuo is currently under construction at Zhejiang Shipbuilding Tianshi`s shipyard for a consortium comprising two Chinese firms, Tehe Ocean Technology Group and the Shanghai Rainbow Fish Ocean Technology. The vessel measures 64.2 m in length, 22.6 m in width and has a draught of 5.7 m. Its displacement is 2.06 tonnes.
© marine propulsion, August/September 2018
