Page 40: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 1997)

PROPULSION UPDATE

Warkila Engine Unveiling: A New Contender In Hie 320-mm Bore Stakes by David Tinsley, technical editor

One of the market's most success- ful classed of medium-speed engines, the Vasa 32, has been joined by k-n^^g&iaHrbore con- tender. The Wartsila 32 brings higher unit power, enhanced fuel consumption, significantly reduced componentry and integral comput- er control to a fiercely competitive sector of the engine business.

This new type has been engi- neered to deliver 460 kW per cylin- der at 750 rpm in marine applica-

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Circle 358 on Reader Service Card tions, compared with the maxi- mum 420 kW attained with the

Vasa 32 at the same crankshaft speed. The fact that the Vasa 32 has achieved such a prominent market standing and set new stan- dards in key performance areas caused Wartsila Diesel to set rather high technical attainment levels for itself; .in regards to the new generation of machinery.

The unusually long, two-year test program for the Wartsila 32 in-line prototype testifies to the thorough preparation that preced- ed the release of the engine for commercial production m March.

An 18-cylinder V-engine was fired up on the testbed one year ago, and is now being installed in a pilot powerplant for extensive field trials.

Although the Wartsila 32 is viewed as the long-term replace- ment for the Vasa 32, sales of the latter show no sign of diminishing.

Investments at the Vasa factory in western Finland provide for eco- nomic, overlapping production of both generations of 320-mm bore machinery as long as market demand is steady. The buoyant level of business for recently intro- duced Vasa 32 models, notably the low NOx (nitrogen oxide) version, colors the company's thinking.

Offered in the usual in-line and

V-form cylinder numbers, the new

Wartsila 32 spans the power bam up to 8,280 kW. It is undoubted an attractive powering option, given its technological level Jind high output within a compact envelope, fuel-burning and exhaust emission performance, overhaul intervals and maintain- ability. Nonetheless, the continual upgrading, refinement and adap- tation of the Vasa 32 since the orig- inal series was released in 1977 has ensured the enduring competi- tiveness of the class, currently cov- ering the 1,480 to 7,380 kW range.

Last month, overall sales of the type had reached 2,621 engines of an aggregate 8.9 m kW. The marine market accounts for 1,888 engines, equating total power of 5.3 m kW. Therefore, in jjrie

Wartsila 32 project, the designers had to look to outperform^the already high-performance Vasa 32 in every key area. The fact that the latest low NOx version had achieved emission targets well below the IMO curve, while yield--

Maritime Reporter/Engineering News i\