Abstract
High-speed four-stroke trunk piston engines are widely specified for propelling small, generally specialized, commercial vessels and as main and emergency genset drives on all types of tonnage. Marine high-speed engines traditionally tended to fall into one of two design categories: high-performance or heavy-duty types. High-performance models were initially aimed at the military sector, and their often complex designs negatively affected manufacturing and maintenance costs. Applications in the commercial arena sometimes disappointed operators, the engines dictating frequent overhauls and key component replacement. In developing new models, high-speed engine designers have pursued essen-tially the same goals as their counterparts in the low- and medium-speed sectors: reliability and durability, underwriting extended overhaul intervals and component longevity and hence low maintenance costs; easier installation and servicing; compactness and lower weight; and enhanced performance across the power range with higher fuel economy and reduced noxious emissions. In 1945 a bore of 400 mm-plus and a speed of around 400 rev/min were necessary; in 1970 typical medium-speed engine parameters resulted in a bore of 300 mm and a speed of 600 rev/min, while typical high-speed engine parameters were 250 mm and 1000 rev/min to yield 200 kW/cylinder. Today, that specific output can be achieved by a 200 mm bore high-speed design running at 1500 rev/min. This chapter presents examples of these type of engines manufactured by different companies.
Published Version
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