Page 8: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (March 1999)

INVESTMENT IN DESIGN

Geared for success by David Tinsley, technical editor

ARCO Marine's eclectic approach to the development of a mold-breaking new generation of crude carriers to han- dle coastwise shipments out of Alaska has provided a broad platform for marine engineering technology. Just as experience culled from North Sea shut- tle tanker operations helped build the technical basis for the Millennium tanker project, distinguished by its emphasis on service dependability, sys- tem redundancy and environmental compatibility, proven engineering plant design has formed the foundation for an innovative concept of oil carrier.

Reliability, durability and a tried and tested design derivation have been com- mon threads in the selection of machin- ery, albeit applied in an unusual config- uration comprising two, low-speed engines, twin propellers and shaftlines, each with a high-capacity shaft alterna- tor driven off a power take-off (PTO) gear, and twin rudders. Each main engine and allied equipment is separated from the other by a longitudinal bulk- head, and each 'side' of the power train can be operated independently of the other.

While 'proven' engineering design and practice is a watchword for the project, the nature of the ship operating criteria laid down by ARCO has resulted in the adoption of the latest or newly-developed version of each individual element in the overall package. German marine transmissions special- ist Renk, for example, has pro- vided PTO gears which indi- vidually cover a generator power of 8,600 kW, and has developed a new disconnec- tion clutch to enable the shaft alternator to be driven by the respective main engine with the propeller shaft stopped.

For Vulkan Kupplungs, another Ger- man expert in a particular discipline, the design requirement for a PTO coupling rated for 8,600 kW necessitated an extension of its range to 800 kNm nom- inal torque from the previous maximum of 630 kNm. It was able to draw on 10 years' operating experience with its 630 kNm couplings fitted in shuttle tankers

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