Transamerica Delaval Enterprise R and RV medium-speed diesel engines operate in the range through 450 rpm, developing from 3,300 to more than 13,000 bhp at a bmep of 250 psig. The R and RV series is composed of 6- and 8-cylinder in-line engines, and Vee-form engines with 12, 16, or 20 cylinders. The bore is 17 inches (432 mm), the stroke is 21 inches (533 mm), and the output range reaches up to 677 bhp per cylinder.
An agreement signed recently with the Dutch firm of Stork-Werkspoor Diesel B.V. of Amsterdam gives Delaval the rights to the exclusive manufacture and marketing of the Enterprise/SWD TM 620 diesel. This engine, which operates up to 425 rpm, is offered as a 9-cylinder in-line unit with an output of 16,000 bhp at the flywheel, and a Vee type 12-cylinder unit rated at 21,700 bhp. The Vee type, rated at 1,800 bhp per cylinder, is soon to be rated at 2,000 bhp, giving it the highest medium-speed horsepower per cylinder rating in the world.
Recent installations reinforce Delaval's reputation as a leader in the marine power field. Four Enterprise RV-16 diesels will power two 35,000-dwt tankers being built by Bath Iron Works for Falcon I Sea Transport Company. The owner will charter the 666-foot vessels to the Military Sealift Command for transporting fuels to government bases worldwide. The RV-16s, each rated at 7,360 bhp, are designed to operate on various fuels including the more economical grades with viscosities up to 3500 Redwood.
The 36,000-dwt Pride of Texas, first of three dry bulk carriers being built by Levingston Shipbuilding Company in Orange, Texas, for Asco Falcon I, is powered by twin Enterprise RV-12 direct-reversing engines giving the ship a total of 15,600 bhp. The two sister ships will be similarly powered.
Delaval RV-16 diesels were the choice to power six 47,000-dwt Catug petroleum carriers. The barges are being built by Bethlehem Steel's Sparrows Point yard, and subcontractor Halter Marine of New Orleans is building the tugs. Each tug-barge unit is powered by twin direct-reversing diesels, each engine rated at 9,100 bhp.
Twin Delaval RV-16 engines propel U.S. Steel's 1,000-foot ore carrier, the Edwin H. Gott. A recent inspection of the main propulsion engines after the Gott's second year of service provided an opportunity to assess RV-16 durability after burning heavy fuel for 10,000 hours of service, two-thirds of that time at full power. According to the inspecting engineers' reports, pistons, cylinders, and cylinder heads showed very low wear rates; ash deposits were minimal, and internals of the engine were described as "exceptionally clean."
A contract to supply ship service diesel generators for three American President Lines containerships under construction at Avondale Shipyards in New Orleans marks Delaval's entry into the important auxiliary marine power area. The 860-foot vessels each will be equipped with three Delaval 2,500-kw DMR46, in-line medium-speed diesels, fully prepackaged with generators and auxiliaries. Compatability with heavy fuels, long a Delaval feature in its traditional role as builder of main propulsion units, was a key criterion in the engine's selection for auxiliary power.