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Rolls-Royce has launched a V-line version of its B33:45 engine series. At 600 kilowatts (kW) per cylinder, the new design is said to deliver 20 percent more power than the B32:40 in a compact design that provides more power in the same footprint as its predecessor.

The new V12 is the first variant in the new V-series - with the V16 and V20 set to follow. Typical marine applications will be larger fishing vessels, drilling units, heavy lift and construction vessels as well as medium sized cruise and passenger, cargo and tanker vessels.

The V12 engine, delivering 7.2 megawatts (MW), is designed for both propulsion with fixed or controllable-pitch (CP) propellers or as a generator set. One hundred percent of the power can be taken out of either end of the crankshaft. For generator drive, the engine runs at either 720 rpm (60Hz) or 750 rpm (50 Hz) and for direct propulsion at between 450 and 750 rpm on propeller law. At 750 rpm, the fuel consumption at 100 percent load is 176g/kWh, and on propeller law, specific consumption is 175g/kWh at 85 percent load, Rolls-Royce says.

The engine is designed for invisible smoke at low load and is said to comply with Tier II requirements with no exhaust after treatment and with Tier III with a selective catalytic reactor. To ensure low emission levels and optimum thermal efficiency throughout the power range, variable inlet valve timing is used to optimize both fuel economy as well as premium transient response.

The engine series includes features for improved part-load performance and torque at lower loads.

Both the In-line and V-series are designed for up to 30,000 running hours between major overhaul when operating at average loads within a specified window, enabled by dynamic service counter. This feature is a part of the Human Machine Interface system and the Ship Intelligence offerings currently being introduced by Rolls-Royce.

The mounting system has been simplified, and allows variable speed generating sets for premium fuel economy and lowest possible emissions, Rolls-Royce says. Furthermore, this eliminates the need for welding on board during installation - saving time for the ship yard and costs for customers. The pipe connections to the built-on pumps have been standardized and framed as a part of the front-end module, thus enhancing operational lifetime of bellows and connectors.

Thor Humerfelt, Rolls-Royce, Head of Engineering - Bergen, said: "This V-engine series completes the B33:45-engine family and gives our customers freedom to select their optimum power choice in the range between 3.6 MW and up to 12 MW. This will give them an excellent opportunity to reduce life cycle costs."

Sales and installations

The Bergen B33:45 In-Line diesel engine was introduced at SMM Hamburg in September 2014. Available with six, eight or nine cylinders in line, close to sixty engines have been sold to date.

The engine series has been chosen by a variety of owners and yards for a range of ship designs and applications, including fishing vessels, a seabed mining vessel, two cargo transfer vessels, medium-sized cruise vessels, and research vessels such as the RSS Sir David Attenborough.

The first vessel equipped with the B33:45 was the trawler Holmoy, which entered service in April 2016. The lead engine has logged more than 8,000 running hours in service.