New Tech Makes Super-Ship Economical And Practical
Huge propeller rotates slowly
The propellers of the largest container vessels are designed for low, economical speeds. This means that they are longer – the MSC Oscar's propeller blades are 10.5 m long – and only rotate a few times per minute.
The MSC Oscar container vessel has more horsepower than 80 Formula 1 racers combined. But the purpose is not speed. The giant is fine-tuned to pollute as little as possible.
Turbocharger boosts the engine
The key to optimum fuel efficiency is a modern turbocharger, which uses the exhaust gas to power a compressor, forcing more air into the cylinder and boosting engine power.
Air purifies exhaust
Before the exhaust gas escapes into the air, it is mixed with the engine intake air and cooled. The system reduces the emissions of harmful nitrogen oxides, NO , by about 80 x per cent. Sulphur is also “washed out” in a chemical process.
80,000 HP Engine
The heart of the MSC Oscar is a 15-m-tall and 25-m- long, 80,000 HP diesel engine. A computer system continuously adjusts the output according to the weather. Cruising speed: 42 km/h.
Reused heat saves CO
Modern container vessels use heat recovery to generate part of the electricity aboard the ship. The engine exhaust gas powers a steam turbine linked with a generator. The method reduces the vessel's CO emissions by 9 %. 2