BEATING THE JAPANESE INVASION

The international magazine for senior marine engineers

EDITORIAL & CONTENT

Editor: Nick Edstrom editor@mercatormedia.com

Correspondents

Please contact our correspondents at editor@motorship.com

Bill Thomson, David Tinsley, Wendy Laursen

SALES & MARKETING

Brand manager: Sue Stevens sstevens@mercatormedia.com Tel: +44 1329 825335

The influence of Japan on world shipbuilding continued to come under the microscope of The Motorship in February 1973.

Then, the question was why, if Western European shipyards were planning to join together to resist the expansion of Japanese yards, were so many of them ordering main engines from Japan? The reason seemed to be that Japanese engines, even built under licence to European designs, were both cheaper and offered faster delivery. Our predecessors pointed out that even European yards with their own engine works were likely to order crankshafts from Japan.

No such questions were asked about the vessel featured in the main ship description – Fleetbank –one of a series of 16,634 dwt cargo liners built by Doxford, and powered by a 12,000 bhp Doxford J type engine. The ship was built to an established design, 17 of which had previously been delivered, but featured the capability of carrying a number of containers as well as traditional general cargo. The main engine was a Doxford 67J6 opposed piston two-stroke, with two Napier turbochargers. The engine was the first to be fitted with a new Doxford damper, said to reduce stresses by as much as 60% as well as offering simpler maintenance.

Doxford engines were thought to be holding their own against the Japanese invasion, with many companies routinely ordering them (despite, it was somewhat cynically noted, the company’s “modest” sales and publicity efforts). As well as a healthy demand for the J type, the company had great plans for its upcoming ‘Seahorse’ medium speed unit, still of opposed piston design, which would offer a power output of 2500 bhp per cylinder. Another feature of the Doxford design was said to be its favourable fuel efficiency and low lubricating oil consumption.

A review of 1972’s marine diesel and gas turbine developments naturally focused on the everincreasing power demands of the latest larger and faster ocean-going vessels. Here, the large medium speed engine of 1500-2000 bhp per cylinder was thought to show considerable promise, though it was noted that the Diesel engine had still to gain a foothold for the largest ship type, the 300,000dwtplus VLCC. But the supertanker sector, with power demands of some 50,000bhp, could in theory be served by the latest super-large bore low speed engines. With orders being placed for 500,000 dwt-plus ships, which would need twin-screw power plants, engines such as B&W’s K98GFwith 3800 bhp per cylinder could well find a niche in this market. Still larger-bore engines were offered by Sulzer, with the RND105, as well as Fiat, renamed as GMT, whose 1060S was said to be able to achieve 5250bhp per cylinder.

Two examples of car/bulk carrier were described in February 1973, designed for the emerging trade between Europe and the US, carrying new vehicles outward and conventional bulk materials on the return voyage. The larger of the pair, from the German Lübecker yard, was of 33,300 dwt and 14,000bhp, giving a service speed of 17 knots. With the eight car decks in use, it could carry 2700 VW cars, and had the option for 152 TEU of containers as well as normal cargo in bulk mode. The design was offered with a choice of three engines, a MAN K10Z70/120E or two from Fiat – the 787S or B759S, each rated between 13,500 and 14,000 bhp. The smaller 25,250 dwt, 15.75 knot vessel from Kaldnes of Norway was designed to operate out of smaller ports and comply with St Lawrence Seaway regulations. The main engine was a B&W 6K74EF of 10,600 bhp, equipped for automated operation.

Production David Blake, Paul Dunnington production@mercatormedia.com

EXECUTIVE

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