Niigata Engineering Company, Ltd. of Tokyo started manufacturing diesel engines for marine use in 1919, and currently produces a wide variety of diesels ranging in power output from 90 to 27,000 bhp. With its cumulative production reaching 15 million bhp, Niigata has grown into a manufacturer of medium- and small-size diesels.
Drawing on its long experience and know-how, the company recently completed an energy-saving system for marine use to cope with the rising price of fuel oil. This main engine-driven electric power generating system using the Omega clutch is said to consume much less fuel than any previous main shaft-driven system. It has made a steady supply of power possible without being affected by the rpm of the main engine.
Notable features of the system include:
Adoption of the Omega clutch stabilizes the speed of shaft revolutions at the output even if the revolution speed at the input should change drastically. As a result, main engine-driven electric power generation becomes possible even for vessels with fixed-pitch propellers, which normally makes such power generation difficult.
As it enables the main engine to drive the generator, grade C heavy oil can be used in place of the normally used grade A heavy oil. The price difference between the two grades of heavy oil results in a saving of 25 to 30 percent in power generation cost.
Smooth switch-over — without blackout as originally feared — from the main shaft-driven generator to the independent auxiliary generator in a crash astern while at sea or when navigating at slow speed in entering or leaving port, has been verified.