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Diesel generators start up

The RSV Nuyina’s ‘diesel generator sets’ (diesel engines and electric generators) started up for the first time this week.

The icebreaker’s two main propulsion diesel engines (at 9.6 megawatts of power each) will drive two controllable pitch propellers in normal sailing conditions.

However during scientific operations, when acoustic instruments are in use, these diesel engines can be de-clutched from the propeller shaft lines, and low noise electric propulsion motors (3.7 megawatts of power each) can be used to drive the shafts.

For heavy icebreaking, Nuyina will use both diesel propulsion engines and both electric propulsion motors to drive the shafts, providing a maximum propulsion power of up to 26.6 megawatts.

It will also be possible to use the main propulsion diesel engines with the low noise electric motors set in reverse, to generate electrical power from the shaft-lines. This means that the ship’s generators do not need to be operating to generate electrical power for the vessels day-to-day living requirements.

Diesel generators start up
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