Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., the MAN Diesel & Turbo licensee, has successfully demonstrated the liquid-gas-injection concept in Japan.
The demonstration was performed with the first ME-LGI engine to ever be commercially produced. The engine, with the type designation 7S50ME-B9.3-LGI, is bound for a vessel currently under construction by Minaminippon Shipbuilding Co. for Mitsui O.S.K. Lines.
Low-Sulphur Options
The development of the low-speed engine comes in response to growing demand for low-sulphur, non-HFO options due to ever stricter sulphur limits in fuel. The ME-LGI engine will offer alternatives to HFO which will include methanol, LPG, dimethyl ether (DME), and (bio-) ethanol, as well as several other, low-sulphur, low-flashpoint fuels
The ME-LGI Concept
The ME-LGI concept is an entirely new concept that can be applied to all MAN Diesel & Turbo low-speed engines, either ordered as an original unit or through retrofitting. With two injection concepts, the ME-GI and the ME-LGI concept expands the company’s dual-fuel portfolio and enables the exploitation of more low-flashpoint fuels such as methanol and LPG.
The engine features a so-called Fuel Booster Injection Valve. This innovative fuel booster, specially developed for the ME-LGI engine, ensures that a low-pressure, fuel-gas supply system can be employed, significantly reducing first-time costs and increasing reliability. The Fuel Booster Injection Valve will eventually also be introduced on regular ME HFO engines.
MAN Diesel & Turbo is already working towards a Tier-III-compatible ME-LGI version.
Picture: The LGI combustion chamber consists of two LGI-fuel valves and two oil-fuel valves, the latter used for pilot oil when running in LGI-mode and as fuel valves when running in normal mode (by MAN Diesel & Turbo).
