THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VARIOUS TYPES OF GAS TURBINE AND DIESEL ENGINES FOR MARINE PROPULSION

The paper presents a case for comparison between industrial type gas turbines and medium speed diesel engines as main propulsion machinery for VLCC, large lift-on/lift-off containers and LNG carriers and the popular machinery normally used in such vessels. In looking at the economic aspects consideration has been given to differences in availability where this affects different types of vessels. For LNG carriers, 740 kw (1500 bhp) cylinder class medium speed diesel engines (MSD) single-foul burning as main propulsion machinery combined with 440 kw (600bhp) cylinder class medium speed diesel engines as the driving unit for the reliquefication plant are compared with steam turbine plant (ST) and industrial type gas turbine plant (Cogas) both of which are dual-fuel burning. This study may therefore be called Economic feasibility of re-liquefication plant in LNG carriers. In concluding the paper the authors express an opinion on the foreseeable future of the slow speed direct coupled diesel engines (SLSD), medium speed reduction geared diesel engines, steam turbines, gas turbines and nuclear power as marine propulsion plant.