Under the auspices of the IMarEST UAE branch, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Marine Machinery & Equipment (MHI MME) convened a seminar to delve into the intricacies of Steering Gear and Turbo Chargers, vital equipment ensuring vessel safety and efficiency.
The IMarEST UAE branch, in collaboration with Gulf Turbo Solutions, facilitated an enlightening seminar attended by 152 maritime professionals from across the region. The event featured six distinguished experts from MHI MME, shedding light on two critical ship systems: Turbochargers and Steering Gear.
Atsuo Kusakabe (Head of Business Development, Marine Machinery Group), offering insights into Mitsubishi’s Electro-Hydraulic Steering Gear, revealed that over 12,500 units have been installed worldwide, emphasizing their significance in vessel maneuverability and safety. Satoshi Tokitsu (Design Engineer and after sales in charge for Steering Gear Section) highlighted common Steering Gear issues, underlining the importance of periodic maintenance to ensure reliability and overall safety. Yasuto Fujino (MET Turbocharger Design Engineer) gave an extensive explanation of Mitsubishi Exhaustgas Turbochargers (MET), highlighting their impact on boosting engine power and cutting fuel oil consumption by around 3%, with regular maintenance ensuring their reliability.
Kazuma Matsuo (Engineering Manager/Team leader, Business Development Team, Turbocharger Service Section) elaborated on the over 42,000 Axial (for 2-stroke Engine) & Radial (for 4-stroke Engine) Turbo Chargers installed including tor Dual Fuel engines & for the world’s largest marine diesel engine, showcasing MHI’s market leadership and commitment to innovation. Ensuring ships in service comply with decarbonization regulations calls for immediate decisions. Methods for fuel efficiency enhancement via retrofitting e.g. Turbocharger Cut Outs and Variable Turbine Inlet installations, mainly focus on improving performance during low load operation, offering a strong incentive for retrofit consideration.
The concluding Q&A session, moderated by Nikeel Idnani (Honorary Secretary of the IMarEST UAE branch), encouraged engaging discussions on steering gear and turbocharger technologies. Attendees raised queries about the impact of new fuels like Ammonia and LNG and Engine Power Limitation’s influence on Turbocharger performance and MHI’s provision of Condition Monitoring solutions for Turbochargers. With active participation from 152 delegates, insights were gleaned from four speakers, as well as Hiroki Umezawa (Commercial sales/planning, After service for marine boiler & steering gear) and Yuta Kobayashi (MET Turbocharger sales for new shipbuilding market).
Rehan Karanjia, Founding Partner of Gulf Turbo Solutions, the event sponsor and Authorized Repair Agent for MHIMME in UAE, Bahrain & Singapore, lauded the seminar’s focus on ensuring vessel safety, performance and fuel efficiency. He commended IMarEST UAE for its role in strengthening maritime stakeholders’ connections and facilitating the dissemination of cutting-edge technical knowledge.
The seminar underscored IMarEST UAE’s commitment to fostering knowledge-sharing and collaboration within the maritime community. Gulf Turbo Solutions treated attendees to an enchanting evening reception by the beach/poolside, at the Anantara Resort on Palm Jumeirah, further enhancing networking opportunities and camaraderie.
Source: Hellenic Shipping News
