Content

Introduction.................................................................................................. 5
Organisation and Cooperation....................................................................... 5
Service Experience........................................................................................ 6
Cylinder incidents – L16/24 units............................................................. 6
Exhaust gas temperature – L16/24........................................................... 8
Valve adjustment procedure – L16/24, L21/31, L27/38 . .......................... 8
Excessive wear on valve – L21/31 and L27/38......................................... 8
Cavitation – L21/31 and L27/38............................................................... 8
Pressure fluctuations in the fuel system – L21/31 and L27/38................... 9
Exhaust gas sensors – L21/31................................................................. 9
Cracked piston – L23/30 ...................................................................... 10
Oval/cracked connecting rod – L23/30 and L28/32................................ 11
Broken gear wheel – 9L27/38................................................................ 12
Liner and ring groove wear – L27/38...................................................... 12
Bush for cam follower – V28/32S .......................................................... 13
Prolonged Service Interval L23/30.......................................................... 14
New roller on valve cam – L28/32H........................................................ 15
HFO service experience......................................................................... 16
Leak oil.................................................................................................. 17
Engine Programme..................................................................................... 17
Monocoque design - L23/30.................................................................. 19
New engine types.................................................................................. 19
Conclusion.................................................................................................. 20

MAN B&W Diesel

A New Perspective for Small Bore Four-stroke Engines 10.3
 A New Perspective for Small Bore Four-Stroke Engines

Introduction
The decline of European shipbuild-
ing has resulted in a situation where
MAN Diesel & Turbo’s own production
of two-stroke main engines and small
four-stroke GenSets is no longer eco-
nomically feasible. Consequently, the
decision was made to cease produc- MAN Holeby
tion of those engines in Germany and Gensets
in Denmark, which means that all two-
stroke main engines and all small four-
stroke GenSets are licence-built today.

This situation has prevailed during many

years for two-stroke engines. Therefore,
we have concluded that rather than
thinking in terms of two and four-stroke
engines, it makes better sense to have
an organisational structure distinguish- Fig. 10.1: Focus on licence business for MAN Holeby engine types

ing between own-built and licence-built

engines.
that it will improve the position of our small bore four-stroke engines will be
It was therefore decided to transfer design of small bore four-stroke engines taken care of by a dedicated Produc-
the responsibility for all applications of in the market, with increased business tion Support department, integrated in
the engine types 16/24, 21/31, 23/30, opportunities for the licensees. our Production Support department for
27/38 and 28/32, see Fig. 10.1, to two-stroke engines. Both new depart-
MAN Diesel & Turbo in Denmark, which Organisation and Cooperation ments will also handle on-site related
is already 100% focused on the licence Consequently, since 1 July 2011, Busi- matters for small bore four-stroke en-
business. ness Unit Low Speed (BU-L) has been gines and, of course, take advantage
responsible for the small bore four- of the synergy with colleagues from the
For the small four-stroke engines, con- stroke engines. Although, as mentioned, two-stroke area.
siderable know-how is already avail- a lot of know-how is already present in
able in Denmark within the Holeby or- Denmark, we have changed the Danish In addition to this initiative, we have set
ganisation, which will continue to be the organisation so as to handle this new re- up a small bore Four-stroke Engineer-
day-to-day cooperation partner for our sponsibility. Further, as will appear from ing department consisting of three indi-
licensees for component sales, techni- this paper, we are launching a number vidual departments, called Four-stroke
cal support, GenSet and engine design, of initiatives to reach the goal of improv- Engine Design, Four-stroke GenSet De-
etc. This will also be reflected in the re- ing our position in the market. From an sign and Four-stroke Order Design.
introduction of the well-known Holeby organisational point of view, we have
brand. introduced a new department in charge A major reason for these organisational
of operation-related matters: the Four- changes is of course to ensure suffi-
We are convinced that this new ap- stroke Operation department, which cient manpower and know-how to cope
proach will smoothen and strengthen is integrated in our Operation depart- with the new challenges, but also to en-
the daily cooperation between licen- ment for two-stroke engines. Similarly, sure that our two-stroke business is not
sees and licensor, and we firmly believe production-related issues concerning burdened by the new, small bore four-
MAN B&W Diesel
A New Perspective for Small Bore Four-stroke Engines 10.5
stroke responsibilities. With the new engines, where benchmarking has been gines in service are in need of updating
organisation and increased manpower, carried out. The result of this exercise to be able to perform satisfactorily, and it
we can ensure that our licensees will has given rise to uprating of an exist- is necessary to improve their condition in
not experience that two-stroke matters ing engine type and may lead to new order to regain the trust of the operators.
are given less attention than before. engine types, as described in the latter
part of this paper. But most important Cylinder incidents – L16/24 units
Furthermore, we are in the process of to us has been to listen to the opinion It is well-known that the L16/24 engine
intensifying the cooperation with and of the licensees, on the above issues as has experienced cylinder incidents over
support to our four-stroke licensees well as other important issues in relation the last years. At the same time, similar
where needed, both with regard to de- to small bore four-stroke engines. From engines have logged 50-80,000 running
sign, production and operation. In the a number of talks, we have gained valu- hours in service and never experienced
past, regular contact between the small able advice for our future actions. such problems. The investigation of the
bore four-stroke engineers and the li- incidents revealed that most cases were
censees was rare. We are now in the Service Experience related to extremely low load operation
progress of strengthening the relation- Service experience of two-stroke en- in combination with fuel of poor ignition
ship to our mutual benefit. gines has been closely monitored and properties. Because the fuel fulfilled the
reported for decades at licence meet- standard, even with the poor ignition
In this important field, it is our intention ings and in papers. In the following, we properties, we had to make some modi-
to closely follow the model that we have will report about some of the important fications. From the beginning, the modi-
used on the two-stroke side for many findings regarding service experience fications were concentrated on pre-
years. Thus, our aim is to provide quick of small bore four-stroke engines. We venting sticking valves, better charge
replies to questions, organise frequent have identified and will rectify a number air preheating, better turbocharger and
interchange of engineers with the pur- of technical problems on the small bore adjustment of valve stem clearance, see
pose of exchanging views on design four-stroke engines in service. Some en- Fig. 10.2.
aspects and, certainly, form personal
relations between our designers and
the licensees’ engineers.

It is a fact that for some of us at MAN

Diesel & Turbo in Denmark, the world
of small bore four-stroke engines dif-
fers significantly from the world of two-
stroke engines. For this reason, we have
for a long period been engaged in what
can be called a fact-finding mission with Design changes:
the aim of establishing knowledge of Improved turbochargers
Pre-heating valve
many important aspects. This includes Retrofit clamp/shark fin

such aspects as the present status with

■ New rotocap
respect to technical problems prevailing ■ New valve springs
in engines in service as well as to which ■ New valve guides
■ Valve pockets in piston
extent solutions to these technical ■ Camshaft with reduced valve lift

problems already exist. Such problems

and solutions will be outlined in the next
chapters. Other important issues are for
example in relation to the competitors’ Fig. 10.2: L16/24: higher safety against sticking valves, i.e. sticking valves will not cause engine breakdown

10.6 A New Perspective for Small Bore Four-stroke Engines

 With the low-lift cam, stronger spring
valve, etc., the risk of collision with the First version of new clamp
piston has been eliminated. After the
introduction of the low-lift cam (Mk 2),
we have not experienced valve damage
related to sticking valves in service.

Unfortunately, incorrect valve adjust-

ment still resulted in valve bridges get-
ting out of place during operation of
engines. Therefore, we recently intro-
duced a valve bridge guide to align the
rocker arm and valve bridge as a retro-
fit, see Fig. 10.3.

For new engines, the solution to prevent

the valve bridge from turning is a so-
called “shark fin”, see Fig. 10.4.
Cost-optimised version. Price reduced with 25%
A new valve clearance procedure has
also been introduced to minimise the Fig. 10.3: L16/24: new rocker arm and self-aligning valve bridge introduced

possibility of incorrect adjustment. This

new valve adjusting procedure is com-
mon for L16/24, L21/31 and L27/38,
and it was introduced to the operators
with the service letter: SL12-559/MIKA.

Fig. 10.4: L16/24: valve arrangement, new serial solution

MAN B&W Diesel
A New Perspective for Small Bore Four-stroke Engines 10.7
To summarise, the Mk 2 package the required accuracy. This has largely This observation has been made on a
launched in the beginning of 2012 com- been the case for the L16/24 type en- very small number of engines, but still
prises: gine, but only to a very limited extent we have decided to introduce counter-
„„ low-lift cam for the L27/38, and very seldom for the measures.
„„ insulation of the front-end box top L21/31 engine.
„„ improved turbochargers This kind of wear has never been seen
„„ pre-heating valve For this reason, we simplified the ad- on HFO-running engines or on most
„„ retrofit clamp/shark fin justment procedure and safeguarded a common diesels. To overcome the
„„ new rotocap correct tightening torque by means of a problem, we are currently testing a new
„„ new valve spring new special tool, see Fig. 10.5. armouring of the valve seats.
„„ new valve guide
„„ valve pocket in piston. Cavitation – L21/31 and L27/38
Ever stricter requirements on exhaust
Exhaust gas temperature – L16/24 gas emissions imply that more marine
On some 5L16/24 engines, the exhaust engines and power plant engines oper-
gas temperature is too high. Generally, ate on gas oil. Operationally, this can
the temperature was acceptable when have a negative influence on the fuel in-
the engines were tested at the shop trial jection equipment. Marine gas oil (MGO)
and after cleaning of the turbine side has a lower vapour pressure than HFO,
on board, but the time between nec- and the system pressure is also lower.
essary cleaning is unacceptably short, This may lead to cavitation, and cavita-
and many operators are not cleaning Fig. 10.5: Tool for correct tightening torque tion on the plunger leads to lower ca-
(L16/24, L21/31 and L27/38)
efficiently. pacity of the fuel pumps, with a lower
power output as a possible conse-
The problem has been solved on many Excessive wear on valve – L21/31 quence. Cavitation of plugs and valves
engines by introducing a valve cam with and L27/38 in the pump may result in larger particles
a longer overlap. The turbocharger has We have experienced heavy wear on the blocking the nozzle holes. Erosion of the
proven to have better long-term per- inlet valve seat for engines running on delivery and constant-pressure valves
formance with the longer valve overlap. low-sulphur diesel, see Fig. 10.6. can result in loss of residual pressure

Our next step is to test different turbo-

charger characteristics for better part
load performance. This may include
different valve timing and different tur-
bochargers. We expect this will result
in satisfactory cleaning intervals without
increased exhaust gas temperature.

Valve adjustment procedure –

L16/24, L21/31, L27/38
Service experience has revealed that,
from time to time, valve clearance ad-
justment was not done properly or with
Fig. 10.6: Wear on valve seat (L21/31 and L27/38)

10.8 A New Perspective for Small Bore Four-stroke Engines

 in the high-pressure system. This may Pressure fluctuations in the fuel sys- perience looks promising, but we need
result in cavitation of the high-pressure tem – L21/31 and L27/38 more running hours to close the topic.
pipes and nozzle parts, see Fig. 10.7. MGO operation may also lead to pres- Matching on different nozzles is still on-
sure fluctuations in the low-pressure going.
fuel system. At the end of each injec-
tion, the high pressure is released to the Exhaust gas sensors – L21/31
suction chamber in the fuel pump. On In connection with the L21/31 Tier II re-
HFO, the viscosity of the fuel absorbs lease and introduction of the SaCoSone
most of the pressure peak, whereas on system, the exhaust gas temperature
MDO/MGO, the pressure peak is trans- PT1000 sensor type was released.
mitted to the fuel piping.
On the L21/31 engines, licensees and
This has been experienced on ma- operators have often reported a failing
Fig. 10.7: Cavitation of high-pressure pipe (L21/31 rine engines and power plant engines temperature signal. The problem was
and L27/38)
with low-volume fuel systems, and has claimed to MAN Diesel & Turbo, and an
caused damage on pressure transduc- investigation of the root cause was initi-
Actions taken to minimise cavitation: ers and other components in the system. ated.
„„ supply system pressure increased The problems with the exhaust gas
„„ circulation flow increased Actions taken to decrease pressure measurement turned out to be complex:
„„ temperature kept as low as possible. fluctuations:
„„ installation of gas dampers (Fig. 10.8) 1. Sensors were not sufficiently reliable
We have implemented these actions on „„ matching of fuel pump inlet and out- from the manufacturer
several plants, and subsequent service let nozzles. 2. Junction box connections suffered
experience looks promising. However, from loose wires and failures
we still need more running hours to We are testing the gas damper on sev- 3. Longer sleeves had not been fitted
close the topic. eral plants, see Fig. 10.8. Service ex- correctly

Junction boxes have been removed

Cable tray has been moved down

Fig. 10.8: Gas dampers being tested in service (L21/31 and L27/38)

Fig. 10.9: Exhaust gas sensors on L21/31

MAN B&W Diesel
A New Perspective for Small Bore Four-stroke Engines 10.9
 Initial damage Next level of damage Final level of damage

Fig. 10.10: Cracked pistons on L23/30

4. Teflon cables had not been intro- Cracked piston – L23/30 Primary cracks start from the inner con-
duced correctly In mid-2010, we received a report from necting bar towards the piston bottom.
5. Insufficient exhaust gas pipe insula- a vessel claiming cracks in the L23/30 Consequential cracks run from the lat-
tion resulted in sensor cable failure. pistons. After further inspections, eral piston bolt accommodation in cir-
cracks were found in all pistons on all cumferential direction to the piston skirt
To solve the problems, the following three genset engines on board. During or through the pin boss. Investigations
countermeasures were introduced: the second half of 2010, the same type into the origin of the problem proved
1. Junction boxes removed of failure was reported to MAN Diesel & that a too small rounding and poor cast-
2. Sensors with full cable length applied Turbo (MDT) from more than ten differ- ing quality of the surface roughness had
3. Washer applied on engines in serv- ent vessels and ship operators. In some led to an excessively high stress level.
ice, and long sleeves applied on new cases, fatigue cracks caused total pis-
engines ton failure with consequential damage All engines affected were equipped with
4. Service Letter with photo documen- to the engine. The cracks were found pistons from the same maker. Nearly
tation of the exchange procedure in pistons that had been in service from 21,000 pistons were in service world-
issued 20,000, but also up to 50,000 hours. wide. According to an agreement be-
5. New assembly drawings and parts tween the licensees involved and MDT,
lists introduced (new cable route, no The pistons were sent for material exam- service letters were issued from all par-
junction box and full cable length on ination, which revealed that the pistons ties involved. One general service letter
sensors). always had a primary initial crack, and from MDT, and one from each licensee
one or two typical consequential cracks. to the specific operator with pistons

10.10 A New Perspective for Small Bore Four-stroke Engines

 installed from their engine production. rod is disassembled, then this is re-
The service letters strongly recom- lated to incorrect machining of the
mended to replace the pistons due to serration by the maker of the con-
the potential risk of engine damage and necting rod. The geometry of the ser-
serious personal injury for people who rations on both sides of the big end
are near the engine. was measured, and there was not
correct correspondence between the
After issuing the service letters regard- upper part and the lower part. The
ing the pistons, we received reports incorrect geometry of the serrations
from operators with pistons from other will have a negative influence on the
licensees, using other sub-suppliers, ovality and the occurrence of cracks.
stating that they had also found cracks
in the pistons. The connecting rods are from engines
built by different licensees, but the
Thorough investigations of the pis- connecting rods are mainly from one
tons from the involved makers are still sub-supplier. The serrations are, how-
in progress to eliminate any future risk ever, not made by this sub-supplier. Fig.
of engine damage and injury of people 10.11 shows an example where the re-
around the engines. During the inves- quirement of 80% contact between the
tigations, all involved licensees will be mating surfaces between the teeth is
approached/involved to eliminate the not fulfilled.
problem in cooperation before issuing
new service letters. According to our We always recommend full measure-
knowledge, there are around 15,000 ment and reporting when a connecting
high-risk pistons in service from differ- rod is disassembled to ensure the cor-
ent makers. Fig. 10.11: Connecting rod serration (L23/30 and rect quality of the connecting rod.
L28/32)

Oval/cracked connecting rod – 2. If the ovality or cracks are found af-

L23/30 and L28/32 ter the second disassembly or later,
In 2011, we received notice from op- this is related to failure during the last
erators claiming that their connecting assembly of the connecting rod. The
rods had an ovality at the big end bore failures are often related to inappro-
exceeding the limit of 0.08 mm. When priate tightening of the connecting
the connecting rods were sent for re- rod and/or lubrication of the serration
conditioning, they were often found with before assembly.
cracks in the serrations, and recondi-
tioning was therefore not possible. As another important issue related to
connecting rods, see Fig. 10.12, we
After thorough investigation of connect- have seen broken connecting rods
ing rods from various engines, we found causing serious damage to the engine
the following two root causes, which and the risk of personal injury. These
depend on the running hours: failures are due to machining errors of
1. If the connecting rod is found with the thread in the connecting rod result-
high ovality and/or cracks in the ser- Fig. 10.12: L23/30 connecting rod ing in a fatigue crack initiated in the bot-
ration the first time the connecting tom of the thread hole.
MAN B&W Diesel
A New Perspective for Small Bore Four-stroke Engines 10.11
Broken gear wheel – 9L27/38
The problem with broken gear wheels is
cracks between the teeth of the inter-
mediate wheel driven by the crankshaft.
See Fig. 10.13.

The conclusion is that the crankshaft

of a 9-cylinder engine has a small up-
and-down movement during rotation,
thereby pressing the teeth of the gear
wheels so close to each other that they
get into full contact. Thus, the stress in
the bottom of the teeth becomes high
and the resulting fatigue may initiate a
crack. Statistics show that only 9-cylin- Fig. 10.13: Broken gear wheel from L27/38

der engines with single bearing alterna-

tors are affected.
1998 to 2002 2006 →
New two-part gear rings for installation
on the crankshaft are in production. The
new gear rings will increase the clear- 3.000 hrs., HFO 6.200 hrs., HFO
ance, thereby overcoming the problem. Propulsion Propulsion

Today, two-bearing alternators are the

standard for new 8 and 9L27/38 en-
gines and, thereby, the problem has
been eliminated.

A circular letter (CL001-2012) alerting

the operator about the issue has been
sent out, and new gear wheels will be
delivered to the relevant operators.
Fig. 10.14: L27/38: improvement on hardware
Liner and ring groove wear – L27/38
A high liner and ring groove wear on the
L27/38 engine was a problem earlier, 3. Improved scraper ring groove drain Nevertheless, some operators were
and various solutions have been tested 4. Changed compression ring shape still claiming high wear rates in the ring
in the field. As a result, the liner wear and material grooves, i.e. more than 0.25 mm within
is now kept below 10 µm/1,000 hours, 5. Cooling jacket with controlled water 12,000 hours.
and the ring groove wear rate can be flow
kept below the target limit, i.e. less than 6. Low-sac fuel nozzle. Investigation of these cases showed
5 µm/1,000 hours. The entire solution that not all engines built after 2006
package consists of: All the changes were tested and intro- were equipped with the mentioned
1. Changed cylinder liner support duced in 2006, see Figs. 10.14 and package, which effectively will cure the
2. Changed piston top land clearance 10.15. problem.

10.12 A New Perspective for Small Bore Four-stroke Engines

 Bush for cam follower – V28/32S
wear rate
Due to cracks in the engine frame in the [mm 1000 h] 2000
0.12 1st customer engine
area of the roller guide’s 12-o’clock stud
2001
(see Fig. 10.16), as well as cost-down liner worn out
0.1
after 1500 hrs
considerations, the original roller guide
2003
design was simplified and integrated in 0.8 LTC-Ring
new piston rings 2005
the engine frame. free liner
0.06 2006 package
free liner
low sack nozzle
Original roller guide design:
0.04
„„ mounted in the roller guide housing,
which is mounted in the engine frame 0.02
„„ steered by a pin on the roller guide 0.01

stud and a groove in the housing. 0

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
year
The original roller guide design was
working very well, but the frame was Fig. 10.15: 27/38 liner wear rates

weakened by the cut-out for the hous-

ing, and cracks developed around the
lower cylinder cover stud. Especially the
gas engine version was affected. V28/32H Original design

Service experience revealed afterwards

that, with an improved design of the
roller guide, the wear rates of roller
guides and bushings were not as low as
expected and the required lifetime was
not achieved.

Crack position

Fig. 10.16: Original roller guide design on V28/32H

MAN B&W Diesel

A New Perspective for Small Bore Four-stroke Engines 10.13
 V28/32S New Design (2006)

Fig. 10.17: V28/32S: present roller guide design

A re-introduction of the guiding bush in 7L23/30H auxiliary engine, following Fig. 10.18 shows the good condition of
combination with enforcement of rel- an interval of 21,199 hrs. in operation, the piston rings from the 7L23/30H aux-
evant wall thicknesses was introduced confirmed that the L23/30H can oper- iliary engine after 21,199 hrs. in service.
as the new standard and retrofit solu- ate for 20,000 hours on HFO between
tion, see Fig. 10.17. main overhaul. The specific wear rates To achieve this prolonged service inter-
recorded for the cylinder components is val, regular maintenance cleaning of the
New roller guide design (2006) listed below: turbocharger, lube oil, and fuel oil is re-
„„ mounted in bushes that are shrink- „„ Cylinder liners, TDC 1st ring: quired. Furthermore, the main overhaul
fitted directly into in the engine frame 5 µm/1,000 hrs. must be carried out according to the in-
„„ steered by a pin on the roller guide „„ Piston, 1st ring grove: structions and with correct spare parts,
stud and a groove in the bushes. 2 µm/1,000 hrs. and the engine performance must be
„„ Piston rings: all with intact Cr-layer brought back to “shop test level”.
The new roller guide design was based and no side face corrosion.
on the old one from the V28/32H,
L28/32H and L23/30H, etc. Now, a
bush is mounted in the engine frame,
with a steering groove similar to the
housing on the above-mentioned types.
In this way, the frame strength is main-
tained.

The new design requires correct posi-

tioning of the bush and the roller guide
stud. Otherwise, the roller guide, cam,
etc., will fail.

Prolonged Service Interval L23/30

A recent inspection of exchanged en-
gine parts after main overhaul of a Fig. 10.18: Piston ring condition after more than 20,000 hrs. in service (7L23/30H)

10.14 A New Perspective for Small Bore Four-stroke Engines

 The inspection revealed that the ex-
haust valves and seat rings seemed to
have reached their limit, while bearings,
pistons and connecting rods had even
more hours left, see Fig. 10.19.

New roller on valve cam – L28/32H

A number of damaged valve cams (bal-
listic type) were claimed from the op-
erators, and the root cause has been
identified to be insufficient material
properties and/or an incorrect harden-
ing process, see Fig. 10.20.

Fig. 10.19: Main bearing condition after more than 20,000 hrs. in operation (7L23/30H)

Fig. 10.20: Camshaft pitting – L28/32 fuel cam with 5,000 operating hours

MAN B&W Diesel

A New Perspective for Small Bore Four-stroke Engines 10.15
 A solution involving the release of “soft
shoulder” cams (see Fig. 10.21) has
been introduced, similar to the ones
used on newer engine types, as this de-
sign is easier to handle production-wise.

The below production procedure must

be followed to obtain the best soft
shoulders:
1. Roller is pre-machined.
2. Roller is hardened to a specified
Fig. 10.21: L28/32 soft shoulder cam design hardness and, more importantly, to
a specified hardening depth
3. Roller is grinded to specified dimen-
From report: sions
4. Area to create soft shoulders to be
machined away. This machining en-
sures that hardened material is re-
moved and that the remaining non-
hardened material has the wanted
flexibility.

This design variant will also mean a cost

reduction for some engine producers.

HFO service experience

Sticking fuel pumps have always been
an annoying problem for engines oper-
Fig. 10.22: L21/31 pump ating on heavy fuel. Lacquer deposits
on the lower part of the plunger reduce
the clearance and can lead to sticking
of the plunger, especially after standby
From report: periods and change to diesel fuel.

High viscosity and low-quality HFO

leads to a higher temperature to achieve
the correct injection viscosity. The high-
er temperature increases the tendency
to lacquering in the lower drain grooves.
Furthermore, when the drain bores are
filled/blocked by coke, the leak oil will
be trapped there, see Figs. 10.22 and
10.23.

Fig. 10.23: L21/31 pump plunger

10.16 A New Perspective for Small Bore Four-stroke Engines

 The L16/24 does not have this problem,
and it seems that a special sealing oil
system with controlled oil flow in the
lower part of the pump element mini-
mises the problem.

In response to the above, investigations

are ongoing to eliminate the problem
also on engines larger than the L16/24.

A similar system for the other small four-

stroke engine pumps has been func- Fuel oil inlet
tion-tested and will go into field test.
Another approach to lower the risk of Waste oil outlet (closed circuit)
To day tank
lacquering is to keep the fuel tempera-
Fuel oil outlet
ture in the pumps as low as possible
within the limits for viscosity and to have
Waste oil outlet (open circuit)
a high-circulating fuel flow to maintain a To sludge tank
sufficient standby temperature.

Leak oil
When operating engines on MGO, the Fig. 10.24: L21/31 split drain

leak oil amount increases to nearly 1%

of the full load fuel consumption. The Engine type
increased leak oil flow is caused by
the lower viscosity of MGO compared V28/32S
with HFO. The main part of the leak oil L/V28/32SI
comes from the fuel nozzle, and a minor L27/38
L/V28/32A
part comes from the fuel pump drain.
L28/32H
All this oil can be reused directly. A new L21/31
system is in the design phase where L/V23/30A
leak oil from the fuel nozzle and pump L23/30H
L16/24
will be separated from leaks in the low-
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000
pressure system and engine frame top, Engine output / kW
see Fig. 10.24.
Fig. 10.25: Small bore four-stroke engine portfolio
Engine Programme
On the engine programme-side, we sary. The small bore four-stroke engine continuously over the years. A few years
have analysed the competition situation, portfolio consists of two groups of en- back, it was decided to discontinue the
benchmarked our small bore engine gines: The classic generation (23/30 and 23/30 as it was considered that the
portfolio against that of our competitors, 28/32) and the new generation (16/24, market requirements were better met
and scrutinised the feedback from our 21/31 and 27/38), see Fig. 10.25. by other engines belonging to the new
licensees. Against this background, we generation. But the classic generation
have concluded that further develop- The classic generation was developed was still, at that time, very popular in
ment of certain engine types is neces- in the sixties, but it has been developed the market, and for that reason a re-in-
MAN B&W Diesel
A New Perspective for Small Bore Four-stroke Engines 10.17
 1. Design changes needed:
Ref. Additional up-dates compared to latest IMO Tier II design
 Piston (2-part)
 Cam profiles
 TCR turbocharger  Fuel injection system
 Gear drive
 Jet-assist pipe arrangement
2. Components to be checked :
 Nozzle cooling system as std  Engine frame
 Crankshaft
 Engine frame In GGG40  Bearings
 Connecting rod
 Piston pin
 Cylinderhead (incl. valve train)
 Cylinder liner
 Charge air cooler
 Damper
 Water pumps / coolers
 Tie rods
General arrangement up-dated a ccordingly  Piping
 Turbocharger matching
Actual rating 130kW 142kW 156kW
Current rating 2h/day 3. Test run / Measurement:
 Stresses
Actual rating
New rating 1h/lifetime  Vibrations
 Engine performance/
Temperatures
Fig. 10.26: L23/30H +10% up-rating
Ref. Additional up-dates compared to
latest IMO Tier II design + up-dates
related to 10% up-rating
troduction was effectuated. The 23/30 tion need to be changed. This uprating
engine is still very popular, and for that has been communicated in a licence
reason it has been decided to update it. letter and engines with the new rating
are on order.
We have increased the mean effective
pressure so as to increase the power to As shown in Fig. 10.27, we have also
142 kW (720 rpm, 60 Hz), 148 kW (750 started to look into a 20% uprating of
rpm, 50 Hz) and 175 kW (900 rpm, 60 the L23/30 engine, as requested by
Hz), see Fig. 10.25. certain licensees. No final decision re-
garding such a step has been made yet
Through a design review, we have con- but, compared with the 10% uprating
cluded that the design modifications already introduced, it is evident that
necessary are limited, see Fig. 10.26. more significant design changes will be
Actually only the material of the frame necessary.
as well as the turbocharger specifica-
Fig. 10.27: L23/30H 20% up-rating

10.18 A New Perspective for Small Bore Four-stroke Engines

 Monocoque design - L23/30
Top bracing Another update available now is the
so-called monocoque design for the
classic generation of GenSets. See Fig.
10.28.

The benefits of this new design are:

„„ Easy installation
„„ Weight reduction up to 60%
„„ Price reduction
• less material
• manufacturing/handling
• assembly (alternator)
Easy three-point installation „„ Decreased vibration level
„„ Reduced number of components
„„ New flywheel cover
• integrated bracket for turning
Easy adjustment of alternator device
• integrated bracket for air starter.
Fig. 10.28: L23/30 monocoque design
By bracing the engine to the alternator,
a lot of weight can be saved in the com-
mon base frame, while at the same time
increasing the rigidity, and thus result-
ing in a lower vibration level, see Fig.
10.29. The new generation of GenSets
already has this feature.

New engine types

An engine belonging to the new gen-
eration, the 16/24, also requires atten-
tion. Introduced in 1995, it develops
100 kW per cylinder at 1,200 rpm.
The choice of this relatively high rpm
speed was made as a logical conse-
quence of the demand for an engine
optimised for power, size and cost ef-
fectiveness. Since the introduction, the
engine speed has been discussed and
questioned by the market. Some have
expressed the opinion that the engine
speed is too high, however, investiga-
tions of the cause of any technical is-
sues with this engine type have never
Fig. 10.29: FEM model of monocoque desogn for L23/30
MAN B&W Diesel
A New Perspective for Small Bore Four-stroke Engines 10.19
 Final 2011 Present engine New engine
60Hz 50Hz 60Hz 50Hz 60Hz
Engine type No. of engines Power 110 100 100 110 130 kW
L16/24 241 Bore 160 160 170 170 170 mm
L20/27 6 Stroke 240 240 270 270 270 mm
L23/30 555 Rev. 1200 1000 900 1000 1200 rpm
L21/31 274 Piston speed 9.6 8.0 8.1 9.0 10.8 m/s
L27/38 108 MEP 22.8 24.9 21.8 21.5 21.2 bar
L/V28/32 76 Ch. air press. 4.0 4.4 3.8 3.8 3.7 bar
Total 1,260 Epsi 15 15 15.5 15.5 15.5
Pcomp 165 180 165 163 161 bar

Table 10.1: Four-stroke orders received in 2011 Pmax 190 190 190 190 190 bar
Pmax/comp 1.15 1.05 1.15 1.16 1.18

Table 10.2: Basic engine data

pointed to the engine speed chosen as inevitable power loss when going from necting rod, a new two-part cylinder liner
the reason for problems. Still, the 16/24 1,200 rpm to 900 rpm. At the same is applied. Also the piston is of a slightly
has sold well over the years, see Table time, we found it important that the en- modified design with a shorter skirt.
10.1, which summarises the references gine structure could be re-used to the
for the different small bore four-stroke largest possible extent. The result is an Conclusion
engines obtained in 2011. engine with a slightly increased cylinder As described above, there is a lot of
diameter and stroke as well as minimum work to do, both regarding engines in
Now, with the past years’ experience changes to the engine structure and the service and when it comes to continuous
in mind, we are considering to launch crankshaft. development of the engine programme.
an engine in the same power bracket
as a supplement to the 16/24 engine, Basic engine data is shown in Table 10.2. It goes without saying that we will do our
but with an engine speed of 900 rpm. utmost to make the necessary changes
This will require a higher swept volume, To cater for the larger cylinder diameter, and improvements. As is already the
as an increase in the mean effective the bore in the engine frame is slightly in- case, we will need the strong support
pressure is not sufficient to cater for the creased, and to make room for the con- from our licensees to achieve our goals.

10.20 A New Perspective for Small Bore Four-stroke Engines

MAN B&W Diesel
A New Perspective for Small Bore Four-stroke Engines 10.21