Combustion process improvement in a marine diesel engine

Abstract

This paper presents the modifications carried out on a four years running medium-speed four-stroke propulsion diesel engine for improving its combustion process in order to avoid the damages produced at the piston crowns by the injected fuel jets. The works were carried out under instructions from Wí¤rtsilí¤ NSD using a technology developed by this maker focused to decrease the emissions of soot particles and nitrogen oxides (NOx) without affecting the specific fuel consumption of new production engines and also for upgrading older engines still in operation. Various running parameters were checked before and after modifications while the ship was underway in normal sailing conditions. The values obtained were then compared to find out the results that might be inferred from such modifications.