New mtu Series 4000 Marine Diesel Engines: Cleaner and Even More Powerful

• Reduced NOX-values for the new Series 4000 engines meet US EPA Tier 2 emission regulations using purely internal technology.
• 12, 16 and 20-cylinder Series 4000 marine engines are even more powerful than their predecessors.
• Power range extended to 4,300 kW

From 19th to 22nd September 2007, at the Monaco Yacht Show, Europe’s mega-yacht capital, MTU Friedrichshafen will be presenting the new generation of its highly succcessful Series 4000 marine diesel engines. The new propulsion units for large yachts are both cleaner and more powerful than their predecessors. The Series 4000 power range now extends from 1,920 to 4,300 kW.

The latest Series 4000 engines are the result of ten successful years of experience with the previous generation which has now logged up several million hours of operation on the world’s seas and waterways. The new units meet the more stringent demands of US EPA Tier 2 emission specifications which, in particular, prescribe a significant reduction in nitrogen oxide. The mtu marine units undercut the new EPA Tier 2 limits by employing purely internal engine technology without any exhaust aftertreatment. The new combustion balance on the Series 4000 marine engines also achieves a significant decrease in particulate emissions.

12, 16 & 20-cylinder Series 4000 marine engines even more powerful than their predecessors

The lower pollutant emissions from mtu’s Series 4000 units are not achieved at the expense of reduced power. Quite the opposite: Per cylinder performance has risen by more than 26 percent from 170 kW to 215 kW at a rated speed of 2,100 rpm. The total power of the 12-cylinder engine has thus increased from 2,040 kW to 2,580 kW whilst the 16-cylinder unit has risen from 2,720 to 3,440 kW. New in mtu’s marine applications range is a 20-cylinder version of the Series 4000; this engine generates up to 4,300 kW.

As replacements for the older and larger mtu 595 Series, the new Series 4000 engines represent a significant fuel reduction. Replacing a 12-cylinder Series 595 unit generating 3,240 kW with a new Series 4000 16-cylinder marine unit delivering 3,440 kW produces a fuel saving of around 10%. The same fuel reduction also results from replacing a Series 595,16-cylinder marine diesel (4,320 kW power) with a 20-cylinder Series 4000 marine diesel (4,300 kW).

Apart from fuel advantages, the decision to switch engines and engine series also means additional benefits such as space in the engine room. Whilst the two engines are otherwise comparable in size, the new Series 4000 unit is around half a meter lower and approximately one and a half tons lighter. Because compliance with exhaust emission specifications has been achieved without exhaust aftertreatment and the additional sub-assemblies that go with it, the new engine will fit the same footprint as its predecessor. Even the 595 interfaces remain similar, so that engine exchange is possible - whether the conversion is from Series 595 or an older Series 4000 unit to the new 4000 marine engine. Reduced dimensions together with increased performance mean the new mtu engines are extremely compact in relation to power and their improved power-to-weight ratio produces the highest acceleration characteristics in their class. The M73 versions, from 1,920 kW (12V 4000 M73) to 3,600 kW (20V 4000 M73L) are tailor-made for displacement yachts.

mtu Executive Vice President, Engineering & Operations, Dr Gerd-Michael Wolters: “We have consistently extended our technological supremacy”.

These outstanding performance figures have been made possible by the consistent, ongoing in-house development of the key technologies injection, turbocharging and electronics which has always been part of mtu’s approach. “MTU Friedrichshafen was the first manufacturer of large diesel engines to use Common Rail injection technology”, explained Dr Gerd-Michael Wolters, mtu Executive Vice President, Engineering & Operations, who introduced the high-performance injection system on mtu’s Series 4000 engines ten years ago. “We are not resting on the laurels we have earned from our ten years of experience with Common Rail technology. Instead we have used our technological lead for consistent further development of the injection system”, said Dr Wolters. “The result is the Common Rail system of the next generation which utilizes a high-pressure in-line pump and LEAD injectors with individual fuel accumulators to achieve a virtually constant pressure of 1,800 bar across the entire engine operating range and sets new technological standards with the possibilities of multiple injection.”

mtu has also achieved technological progress on the tubocharging front: The new Series 4000 marine engines are fitted with 2 (12 and 16-cylinder versions) or 4 (20-cylinder version) mtu-developed turbochargers, delivering high engine torque even at low revs. The single-stage sequential charging system ensures optimum performance and acceleration across the whole engine performance map. The optimized match of turbocharging and injection, both mtu in-house key technologies, minimizes particulate emissions over the entire speed range.

The latest generation of mtu’s own electronic management system, ADEC (Advanced Diesel Engine Control) represents a further significant advance incorporated in the new marine engines. Among other features, the ADEC unit has triple injection electronics (pilot, main and after-injection), which provide optimum control of the fuel injection process to ensure low-pollution, high-efficiency combustion. Additionally, the ADEC system allows remote scanning and Internet read-out of engine data such as the number of operating hours. For maintenance purposes the data can also be copied to another engine governor.

The new mtu Series 4000 marine diesels are classifiable in compliance with all classification societies covering marine applications. SOLAS requirements are integrated at the design stage and are fulfilled ex works. making complex retrofit solutions obsolete.