First Direct-Drive Permanent Magnet Shaft Generator Solution Sails Smoothly
WE Tech Solutions (WE Tech), a leading energy efficiency solutions provider in the marine industry, and The Switch, a technology specialist of permanent magnet machines for advanced marine drive trains, announce the operational success at sea of their first direct-drive permanent magnet shaft generator solution. Ternsund, the first in a line of four Terntank Rederi AS chemical/product tankers destined for the Baltic Sea, was delivered from the Chinese AVIC Dingheng Shipyard in late June. Terntank’s goal when building this vessel has been to use a completely new standard in environmentally friendly technology that enables the shipowner to cut emissions to a new level. Its second vessel will set sail soon.
To reach this challenging goal, Terntank Rederi AS was one of the first shipowners to choose WE Tech’s energy efficient shaft generator solution based on game-changing PM-based technology. “Today, after rigorous tests in China and making the voyage to Europe, we confirm that the WE Drive™ and the direct-drive PM shaft generator solution are operating according to design,” says Mårten Storbacka, Managing Director of WE Tech.
Additionally, the delivery of Terntank’s second vessel, Ternfjord, has been planned for September 12, 2016 now that its sea trials have been successfully completed. “WE Tech’s shaft generator solution is working well on both Ternsund and Ternfjord. Terntank has set huge expectations on this technology and believes that this will be the future for the shipping industry,” says Tryggve Möller, Chairman of the Board of Terntank Rederi AS and Managing Director of Tärntank Ship Management AB. The next two ships will be delivered in October 2016 and January 2017.
With the WE Drive™ and the direct-drive PM shaft generator solution from WE Tech, the energy efficiency of the machinery on Ternsund reaches unmatched levels in the marine industry. WE Drive™ allows the shaft generator to operate over the full main engine speed range, while generating electricity for the vessel’s electrical network with high efficiency.
With the WE Drive™ and the direct-drive permanent magnet shaft generator in Power Take Out (PTO) mode, the available power for the vessel’s electrical network is up to 780 kW, generated by a fuel-efficient two-stroke, low-pressure, dual-fuel main engine. In this mode, the auxiliary generators are not running. In Power Take In (PTI) mode, the WE Drive™ converts auxiliary generator power to propulsion power by employing the direct-drive permanent magnet shaft generator as a motor, with a maximum rated output of 1,000 kW.
According to Mika Koli, Business Development Manager from The Switch: “The market has now recognized that a PM shaft generator is the most energy-efficient way to generate power in a vessel.” The choice of The Switch PMM 1000 shaft generator, the most common model delivered to date, is very suitable for this type of tanker. It is installed directly on the propeller line and allows very high energy efficiency, especially in part loads.
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