Page 24: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 1999)

Propulsion Updates over the whole load range. In addition, the cylinder unit ? cylinder head, water jacket, cylinder liner and connecting rod ? can be replaced as one complete unit ... but it is also possible to take the indi-vidual components apart, while the marine head bearing remains on the crankshaft. The company has pointed out that previous problems with ovaliza-tion of the big-end bore, resulting in fretting between bearing shell and bear-ing bore with consequential damage, are completely eliminated. In terms of controlling engine size, to better conserve precious onboard space and weight, the company has introduced the Front-End-Box which reportedly contributes substantially to the shorten-ing the overall length of the unit as much as possible. All external pipe con-nections are positioned on the sides of the Front-End-Box, and space is only required for exchange of the plug-in type oil and water pumps, etc. The Front-End-Box also has cast ducts for cooling water and lube oil, which means a minimum of piping on the engine. Standing Watch Following the trend toward increas-ingly sophisticated electronic monitor-ing and control, the L27/38 package integrates a fully electronic and redun-dant local instrumentation concept for both the engine and the gearbox, pro-viding extensive monitoring and excel-lent overview for the operator. The operator panel for the engine is placed next to the governor in order to give the operator the best possible con-dition for controlling and monitoring the complete engine from one position only. Also, the operator panel for the gearbox and propeller is found next to the operator panel for the engine. Local monitoring and control are divided into two systems, one for the engine and one for the gearbox and pro-peller. The computer units ? dubbed Alphacomm units ? are all acting as data collection devices, interconnected via a redundant bus. Additionally, one Alphacomm unit serves the engine-related controls and one Alphacomm unit acts as a redundant safety system. The local monitoring systems and the safety system are based on three identi-cal computer units mounted on engine and gearbox. Only one unit will thus be required as a spare part. If a unit needs to be replaced, the programming of the new unit is done automatically by trans-ferring a copy of the program from one of the other two units on the network, a fully automatic programming feature, which was patented by MAN B&W. Circle 25 on Reader Service Card cWc Water Cooling Conditioners Pass Tidewater's Test In 1992, Tidewater Inc. installed a pair of cWc cooling water conditioners sup-plied by Marine Equipment Corp. aboard the S/V Gulf Fleet 61 in a long-term test to determine if the products could provide a chemical free alterna-tive for cooling water treatments. One mRRIHE Experience is the difference. For the name of your nearest dealer contact: Marine Travelift, Inc., 49 E. Yew St., P. O. Box 66, Sturgeon Bay, Wl 54235-0066, USA. Phone:920-743-6202. Fax: 920-743-1522. E-mail: [email protected]. Web site: www.marine-travelift.com Model 300 BFM, West Palm Beach, Florida Model F2700, Green Bay, Wisconsin mmmmmm?mmmmmmmmmm?mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm-mmmmm?m?mm?m Wsm ?The Most Valuable Part of Our Lifting Systems is the Experience Behind Them. When it comes to mobile boat hoists and forklifts, nobody offers you more experience than Marine Travelift. For 40 years Marine Travelift has dedicated itself to leading the marine industry with highly reliable, top-performing lifting systems and die kind of skilled, knowledgeable dealers that make customer satisfaction their first priority. No wonder Marine Travelift has more repeat customers than any other manufacturer of marine lifting systems. From 15- to 1,000-ton boat hoists to our line of 15,000- to 27,000-pound capacity Mariner* forklifts, the Marine Travelift name is your assur-ance of state-of-the-art technology applied to innovative design and backed by Old World dedication to quality construction and service. If you're in the market to upgrade or add to your boat handling capa-bilities, you owe it to yourself to contact your Marine Travelift dealer. He has valuable local knowledge and the resources of one of the most expe-rienced engineering departments in the industry to help you successfully plan for the future of your business. Model 150 AM0, Saint-Tropez, France 24 Circle 292 on Reader Service Card Maritime Reporter/Engineering News