MES Completes Natural Gas-Fired High Efficiency Large Low-Speed Diesel Demonstation Plant

Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co.

(MES) recently completed its natural gasfired large low-speed diesel engine demonstration plant.

Built in its Chiba Works—and reportedly the first of its kind in the world — an inauguration ceremony was held in mid-July as the Gas-Injection Diesel Research Laboratory.

The laboratory is designed for demonstration research and establishment of gas injection technology by conduction loaded trial runs of the diesel power plant using a Mitsui-MAN B&W 12K80MC-GI-S type low-speed diesel engine (gas-injection diesel engine) as prime mover, to which a generator is directly coupled.

In operating a gas-injection diesel engine — in which its cylinders, at high temperature and high pressure inside under compression, receive the injection of natural gas fuel compressed to even higher pressure (this stroke is the same as in conventional oil-fired diesels) — a small quantity of pilot liquid fuel is used in combination for ignition, because the gas fuel has too high a fire point to begin combustion without such aid.

The plant uses pollution-free natural gas as fuel because the Tokyo Bay area, where the Chiba Works is located, is under stringent environmental control.

The demonstation plant to be installed in this laboratory is intended not only to demonstrate the effectiveness of high-efficiency, low-pollution diesel-drive power generation, but also as a full-scale model of the main engine for future LNG carriers.

For more information on Mitsui Engineering Circle 45 on Reader Service Card

Other stories from September 1994 issue

Content

Maritime Reporter

First published in 1881 Maritime Reporter is the world's largest audited circulation publication serving the global maritime industry.