First ME-B Sees Light of Day

MAN Diesel heralded a new era in its two-stroke diesel engines with the production of the first MAN B&W S40ME-B engine. The new engine has been built by STX Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. at its Changwon works to the south of the Korean peninsula, and passed its Type Approval Test. The 6S40ME-B is the first such prime-mover for a series of multipurpose vessels of 25,000 dwt currently being built in China by Shandong Huanghai Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., and ordered by shipowner InterShip Navigation of Cyprus. The engine delivers 6,810 kW at 146 rpm with an MEP of 21 bar. The ME-B design is based on the experience gathered from MAN Diesel’s existing MC-C and ME-C engine ranges. To suit the small-bore segment, the ME-B design uses a camshaft-operated exhaust valve and an electronically controlled fuel-injection system as seen with the ME-C range. The market requirement for the lowest possible propeller speed in relation to bore size has led to the new ME-B engine having a stroke/bore ratio of 4.4. In turn, the new engine has an increased maximum cylinder pressure, giving rise to an improved fuel consumption that is 2 g/kWh lower than existing, small-bore engines. Thanks to the electronic control of the engine’s parameters, the ME-B is also well equipped to meet the new Tier2 emission requirements. Market reception for the new series has been very positive to date with a significant 63 orders already received, spread among the 35ME-B, 40ME-B and 50ME-B types. The 6S40ME-B engine has undergone a successful, comprehensive, test programme at Changwon to optimise its performance and verify the correlation between calculated and measured results. MAN Diesel introduced the ME-B concept in mid-2006 with the small-bore S35ME-B and S40ME-B MAN B&W engine designs. It subsequently expanded the series in early 2007 with the launch of the S50ME-B MAN B&W engine design, with the result that the entire ME-B programme now boasts a total output range from 2,975 kW to 16,020 kW.