Products & services

Saint-Gobain delivers glass and insulation materials to cruise ships

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 05 December 2013 05 December 2013

Quantum of the Seas, the first of three innovative vessels Royal Caribbean International has on order at Meyer Weft in Germany will be extensively fitted with Vetrotech Saint-Gobain Kinon glass, the company said in a statement.

The complete hull will carry double glassed units with various pressure panes with high energy saving and comfort glass solutions KM ULTIMATE 20/1. The same accounts for the fire resistant safety glass as CONTRAFLAM-LITE MARINE A0. Part of Superstruture will be fitted with weight saving STADIP MARINE Double Glazed Units with comfort glazing for better acoustics and high U-Values for thermal control.

These glass combinations save up to 45% of weight compared to traditional glass combinations. Furthermore the vessel will be fitted with Saint-Gobain ISOVER ULTIMATE insulation that will contribute up to 50% of weight saving compared to the traditional stone wool insulation materials. Saint-Gobain WEBER will supply high performance light weight Flooring Solutions.

On AIDAStella that Meyer Werft delivered to Aida Cruises in Rostock last year, Saint- Gobain Isover supplying this product with the ULTIMATE high -performance insulation material , which was used in many areas for thermal, acoustic and fire protection. The ULTIMATE - shipbuilding products consistently comply with the concept of environmental protection and energy efficiency.

Saint-Gobain ISOVER supplies the Breakaway class ships of Norwegian Cruise Line with the light weight ULTIMATE high - performance insulation material, which was used in many areas for thermal, acoustic and fire protection. The low weight of the insulation strongly contributed to the green touch to this innovative ship. Further Saint-Gobain WEBER supplied waterproofing solutions and tiling accessories for wet areas on board.

St Gobain units Vetrotech and Kinon merge

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 04 December 2013 04 December 2013

St Gobain, the diversified French industrial group, has merged Vetrotech and Kinon, its two units that supply glass to marine and offshore industries, Vetrotech said in a statement.

Guido Plum, Managing Director Vetrotech Saint-Gobain Kinon GmbH said in sa statement: "All of this will now be available at Vetrotech Saint-Gobain Kinon – your “one-stop-shop” for all Marine Glass needs, with the big advantage of having the main production plant and sales office at one single location. Offering direct contact lines and more efficient information about for example the current production status at any time. We are looking forward to a successful and close working relationship and a bright future together with our customers and partners."

Wärtsilä inaugurates propulsion product test facility

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 28 November 2013 28 November 2013

Wärtsilä, a leading provider of innovative products, solutions and services in the marine industry, says it is inaugurating its new test facility for future propulsion products and technology. The Wärtsilä Propulsion Test Centre has been established and funded by Wärtsilä with strong support from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, who will provide the resources to operate the facility. The test centre is located in Tuusula, southern Finland, and will enhance the company's capabilities in product validation and research activities.

The new facility enables Wärtsilä to speed the development of new, high quality and environmentally sound propulsion products together with research institutes, universities and suppliers. It will have a central role in propulsion related research and development activities carried out by the company. In particular, the test centre will be used for functional and endurance testing with an emphasis on mechanical power transfer.

The test installation can accommodate thrusters up to slightly above 2 MW in power. The main components are a frequency converter with an electrical motor and generator, a specially designed gearbox, and a hydraulic loading system. Including all needed auxiliary systems such as cooling, controls and lubrication, the test centre covers an area of about 200 square meters and will be capable of running tests on a 24/7 basis.

"This investment in a full scale test facility for propulsion products is one of the key elements in our strategy for supporting and assisting our customers in lowering operating costs through higher propulsion efficiency and lower maintenance expenses. Having a technology development centre enables us to provide the best possible technical support for the propulsion needs of the entire marine sector," says Jaakko Eskola, President Ship Power and Senior Executive Vice President, Wärtsilä.

The extensive list of benefits offered by Wärtsilä Propulsion Test Centre includes the ability to stretch the limits of current propulsion products, and to validate future products and new technologies prior to market introduction. This includes the introduction of, for example, cost efficient components, new environmentally acceptable lubricants, and new propulsion diagnostic techniques. With the new test centre Wärtsilä will remain at the forefront of propulsion technology advancement as the demands of the marine industry evolve.

Knud E. Hansen upgrades HVAC on Carnival ships

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 29 November 2013 29 November 2013

Knud E. Hansen A/S, in cooperation with Novenco Marine & Offshore A/S, have contracted with Carnival Cruise Lines to install state-of-the-art HVAC upgrades on the Victory, Triumph, Conquest and Spirit Class cruise ships, in order to improve the overall operational efficiency of their fleet.

Owner’s newbuilding requirements often specify excessive capacity for HVAC systems in order to ensure passenger comfort while cruising in tropical climates. This means that there is significant potential for operational optimization when the vessels are in less demanding climates or in transitional periods where there are fewer passengers on-board. Furthermore the upgrade will ensure that the system is taking advantage of the simultaneous factor for persons and for various heat sources such as entertainment equipment, so that cooling capacity is transferred to the areas where needed. The basis of this technology, is to monitor the passenger flow and occupancy of each area. Ventilation is reduced to a minimum for unoccupied areas in order to save both electrical power and chilled water. Each area is controlled from a “Timeschedule”, but to maintain a comfortable climate in the areas, CO2 sensors detect the passenger flow, and avoid any discomfort if the passenger flow changes.

Up to 25% efficiency gains may be expected in the HVAC system, by upgrading equipment on-board, changing system operational parameters, and installing customized software to better manage operation of HVAC machinery. As a consequence, the payback period is expected to be less than 6 months.

An “Energy Saving Calculation” program can give daily reports to the operators and technical staff ashore, regarding the saving.

Many of these upgrades have already been installed onboard several Carnival ships, and are performing as predicted and specified.

The new generation of the “TimeSchedule” and “Energy Saving Calculation” system, can be interfaced to most existing HVAC HMI control systems, and is therefore applicable to most vessels, without exchanging the HVAC HMI.
Further improvement of the energy efficiency for the HVAC system is in progress and can now be implemented, which will include chilled water flow control, “Freecooling” of chilled water for ships sailing with low outside temperature, Unoccupied Cabin control, improvement of Return Air and Enthalpy Wheels as well as demand air flow in Galleys.

Knud E. Hansen A/S and Novenco Marine & Offshore A/S in Denmark will manage the upgrades in co-operation with the local Knud E. Hansen A/S office in Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.

Technical support, regulatory compliance, refit design, and energy optimization incl. CFD analyses are among the services provided to cruise ship owners since the Florida office opened in late 2010. As a consequence of this focus and the in house knowledge on HVAC the Company has together with Novenco A/S secured the above contract.

Carnival Cruise Lines chooses MAN engines for its Carnival Vista newbuilding

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 27 November 2013 27 November 2013

MAN Diesel & Turbo has won the order from Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines to supply five 48/60CR engines for its next generation of cruise liner. The newbuilding will feature a diesel-electric propulsion system. The vessel will be built in Italy at Fincantieri S.p.A., one of the world’s leading cruise shipbuilders.

With a gross tonnage of about 133,500 tons and a passenger capacity of about 5,000, the ship will be the largest vessel in the Carnival Cruise Lines fleet. Its construction represents the introduction of a brand new class of ship that will be powered by five MAN Tier-II-type engines – 2 × 14V48/60CR + 3 × 8L48/60CR types – capable of delivering 62,400 kW. The vessel is scheduled for delivery in the spring of 2016.

Dr. Stephan Timmermann, of MAN Diesel & Turbo’s Executive Board, said: “This new order is yet another historical milestone for the company in what is a technologically but also commercially demanding market. Gaining the confidence of Carnival Cruise Lines, the world’s largest cruise operator, fills us with pride but we are also aware of the high level of expectation that working with a major, new customer brings.”

Timmermann concluded: “This new cruise order for Carnival Cruise Lines is our second at Fincantieri within a rather short period of time. It clearly signals the deepening of our nascent collaboration with one of the world’s dominant cruise shipbuilders, something we view as very encouraging.”

During the evaluation period to select the most suitable engine configuration, Carnival Cruise Lines and Fincantieri paid special attention to the highest possible degree of redundancy, safety, power flexibility and reliability. The five 48/60CR engines will operate with MAN Diesel & Turbo’s well-proven, state-of-the-art, common-rail injection system that accommodates running on both heavy fuel oil and distillate fuels. This technology, developed in-house by MAN Diesel & Turbo and fully optimised for its engines, provides superior performance in terms of fuel consumption and smoke emissions, especially at part load compared to its IMO Tier II engine version with conventional injection system.

Sokrates Tolgos, Head of Cruise & Ferry Sales, MAN Diesel & Turbo, said: “We are extremely pleased with what is a very positive development for us in the cruise segment. Our company’s firm approach of risk-controlled introduction of new technologies into the market over many years is bearing fruit and fully in line with the very high safety, reliability and environmental standards demanded by the cruise business. The recently increased number of new cruise customers opting for MAN engines encourages us to maintain our focus on continuous innovation without compromise on quality and reliability. We feel honoured to welcome Carnival Cruise Lines as our new customer. This is an excitingly positive milestone for our future growth in this market, which has always been a frontrunner for environment, emission reduction, and state-of-the-art technology.”