Caterpillar Marine Power Systems has developed a new marine dual-fuel engine platform for the commercial marine market, the MaK™ M 34 DF. The engine boasts a power rating of 500 kW per cylinder at 720 and 750 rpm in diesel and gas modes, and will share the same footprint as the M 32 C engine series. The M 34 DF will be capable of running on natural gas as an alternative to marine diesel oil or large and complex scrubber installations for shipping in Emission Control Areas (ECA). First engine deliveries are foreseen for October 2014.
“We’re pleased to continue to deliver on our commitment to bring innovative, efficient solutions to the commercial marine market,” said Carsten Seeburg, MaK product definition manager. “Our customers want a fuel-efficient, sustainable propulsion product with operational flexibility for both IMO and EPA regulated waters and we’re aiming to exceed their expectations with the M 34 DF engine.”
Driven by upcoming fuel sulfur and NOx regulations in ECA, the M 34 DF will provide flexibility for vessels operating in regulated and/or lesser regulated areas without major changes to the engine room or exhaust gas system, supporting the ease and simplicity of engine installation and certification. Although designed for unlimited operation on LNG, marine diesel oil and heavy fuel oil, the M 34 DF will reach industry- leading efficiency in gas mode.
“It was important for us that M 34 DF and M 32 C share the same footprint features, and the same system interfaces. The M 34 DF was designed to provide operators with industry-leading thermal efficiency for lowest total cost of operation,” said Detlef Kirste, MaK product definition manager. “The engine offers optimized load response and load stability in addition to numerous support features, such as remote monitoring and engine system diagnostics, helping engine operators with their daily service and maintenance work. Our target was to keep the typical MaK marine engine attributes like reliability, safety and efficiency while striving for an engine design that is easy to service and maintain.”
With a bore of 340 millimeters and stroke of 460, the engine was designed to be the preferred choice for gas electrical and mechanical propulsion applications notably in the offshore and cargo segments. The engine design features new real-time combustion monitoring, Flexible Camshaft Technology functionality as well as a lower valve train and several innovative monitoring and component solutions to ensure maximum safety during operation.
Caterpillar will offer service and support for the new MaK dual fuel engine, including installation and application, system integration support, plus customer and crew training. The M 34 DF will be pass customer acceptance tests and classification approvals in Rostock, Germany and will be sold through Caterpillar’s MaK dealer network.
Last December, Caterpillar Marine explained its extended LNG product line will ultimately provide customers with engines that are easier and less expensive to install, and will also offer a cost-effective retrofit option for engines in existing ships. Condition monitoring will be offered for shipboard engines no matter where they are operating, providing system simplicity for easier service and maintenance.
(Source: Caterpillar Marine Power Systems)
