Rolls-Royce is introducing significantly extended engine running times of up to 96,000 hours between overhauls (TBO) for the latest generation of its mtu Series 4000 engines for commercial marine, according to the company's release.
In general, all marine engines of the latest generation of mtu Series 4000 can now run for up to 25 years before they need a major overhaul, depending on the duration and intensity of use. That is seven years more between overhauls than previously recommended. The company thus not only makes an important contribution to sustainability and resource conservation, but also allows its customers to significantly reduce operating costs as well as enabling better plannability and higher availability of tugs, ferries and workboats. This is made possible by the almost legendary reliability and robustness that Series 4000 engines have been demonstrating for 25 years and Big Data analysis of tens of thousands of real engine data sets, which enables Rolls-Royce to accurately predict engine and component running times. The new TBO intervals and maintenance schedules, which Rolls-Royce will present for the first time at the International Workboat Show in New Orleans (1 to 3 December, booth 2701), apply to new engines of the type 4000 M05.
Rolls-Royce’s first step is to adjust the TBO and maintenance intervals of the latest generation of Series 4000 (M05) for commercial marine. This is valid for all load profiles. Specifically, this means that, for example, the TBO of a 16V 4000 M65L tugboat engine in the lowest load profile for this application (“Tug low”) will be doubled to 54,000 hours. The longest TBO of all engines in the series is offered by the mtu engine of the type M55R with a running time of 96,000 hours in the lowest load profile.
These impressive figures are possible due to the robustness and reliability of the mtu Series 4000, 25 years’ experience of operating these engines and careful analysis of vast amounts of data using the latest algorithms: Rolls-Royce has a database of more than 50,000 data sets from 18,000 engines in service. On this basis, Rolls-Royce can predict exactly which components can be operated for how long, so that replacement only takes place when it is necessary. This saves resources, working time and costs for the operator. Rolls-Royce is also planning to adapt the TBO intervals for the M03 and M04 engine generations of Series 4000 in the near future.
Rolls-Royce business unit Power Systems, with its product and solution brand mtu, is pioneering climate-friendly propulsion and power solutions in the marine application. It is currently transforming itself from an engine manufacturer to a provider of integrated sustainable solutions. With the sustainability programme “Net Zero at Power Systems”, Rolls-Royce Power Systems is taking concrete steps towards climate-neutral solutions. For example, starting in 2023, the company will certify its Series 2000 and 4000 engines for sustainable fuels such as e-diesel and second-generation biofuels, thus enabling climate-neutral operation in all applications. In addition to using sustainable fuels, the company is also working on new technologies such as CO2-free fuel cell systems.