The new X-DF2.0 range follows the company’s successful X-DF dual-fuel range of which 60 engines are already operating, clocking up more than 500,000 running hours, with another 320 units on order.
The latest engines, which will yield fuel consumption savings of 3% during gas operation and 5% when running in diesel mode, incorporate new Intelligent Control by Exhaust Recycling (iCER) technology which improves the combustion process by using inert gas. The results of full-scale tests have demonstrated reductions in methane slip – unburnt methane after the combustion process – of up to 50%, Volkmar Galke, the company’s Global Sales Director, revealed in a webinar yesterday.
Together with his colleagues, Marcel Ott, GM of operations at WinGD China, and Dominik Schneiter, Vice President of R&D, Galke pointed out that the X-DF engine series is the only one that incorporates both the Diesel and Otto combustion processes in one unit and said that the latest technology paves the way for further efficiency gains whilst also providing a basis for effective operation using new marine fuels of the future.
This, he said, provided clear evidence that LNG is a vital bridging fuel as the shipping industry adapts to meet IMO greenhouse gas reduction targets in 2030 and 2050. The engines can already burn LNG in fuel blends incorporating carbon-neutral drop-in fuels including biogas.
“By adjusting the recirculation rate of inert gas and controlling parameters like fuel admission and ignition timing, we can increase compression ratios for greater efficiency,” he said. “The result is optimised combustion through closed-loop control regardless of ambient conditions and load.”
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