Rolls Royce Produces its Largest 8.5 MW Reciprocating Gas Heavyweight Contender for Power Generation Market

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). The largest engine manufactured by Rolls Royce (LSE:RR) (Derby, UK) has been installed at a district heating power station in Torring, Denmark. The medium speed reciprocating B-gas engine generates 8.5 MW of electrical power with 20 cylinders. In addition to being the largest engine produced by RR in either the gas turbine or reciprocating technologies the maker claims that it is the world's most powerful spark-ignited gas engine.

The B-gas was designed and manufactured in Norway at the Rolls Royce plant in Bergen. Initially, Torring Kraftvarmeverk had entered into discussions with Rolls Royce to upgrade the power of their existing single RR K-gas power station engine but then supported the development work on the new engine, which is based on the existing B-diesel engine. The B-gas has a newly designed engine block, where integrated fluid channels have replaced pipes and the crankshaft, cylinder heads, charge-air module and exhaust system are all tailored specially for the new design.

"We were fortunate to have a client like Torring who decided to come on board during the development phase by ordering the first of this new engine type while it was still on the drawing board," said Steiner Hansen, RR VP Sales and Marketing in Bergen. The period from start of design work to installation was 17 months.

Pre-installation programs were run at the Bergen plant covering mechanical, thermal, emission, and performance related validation with the engine running at very high ratings with good results and no problems. Emissions and efficiency data were above expectations. The engine's efficiency of 46% assists its positive environmental profile. RR claims valuations on the engine show that the spark-ignited, lean-burn, pre-chamber technology used in the new engine provides the best over all combination of high efficiency and low emissions.

The B-gas is a Vee configuration and will be produced in 12, 16 and 20 cylinder versions with power ratings from 4.5 MW to 8.5 MW. The 12-cylinder model weighs 55 tons and the 20 cylinders model 80 tons.

On of the new breed of high power, production line generating units the engine is high-tech with easily serviceable components. Larger output reciprocating power units will be competing with gas turbine and diesel power packages for the plug in power plant market worldwide.