A major cross-industry initiative led by Wärtsilä, MAN Diesel & Turbo and Winterthur Gas & Diesel to develop basic technologies for use in 2- and 4-stroke marine engines has been officially launched.
The Hercules-2 project is aimed at fostering environmentally sustainable and more efficient shipping. It is in line with general European Union policy and is partly funded by the EU.
Altogether, 32 marine industry partners from eleven different companies, sixteen universities, and five research organisations are cooperating in this project, with NTU Athens as coordinator. The R&D efforts focus on four main areas. These are:
- the application of alternative fuels and the optimisation of fuel flexibility to facilitate seamless switching between different fuels;
- the development of new materials to support high-temperature component applications;
- the development of adaptive control methodologies to significantly improve an engine's performance throughout its life span; and
- to achieve near-zero emissions via combined, integrated, after-treatment of exhaust gases.
Hercules-2
The Hercules-2 project is scheduled to run for three years. It represents the follow-up phase of the Hercules R&D programme for large engine technologies, which was originally conceived in 2004 by Wärtsilä and MAN Diesel & Turbo. The Hercules-2 technologies will eventually be employed aboard large ships.
Picture: The official Hercules-2 logo.
