WRTSIL 32GD

TECHNOLOGY REVIEW
2
INTRODUCTION ............................................................ 5
DESIGN PHILOSOPHY ................................................... 5
CRANKSHAFT AND BEARINGS ...................................... 6
FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM ............................................. 6
ENGINE BLOCK ............................................................ 7
PISTON ....................................................................... 7
PISTON RINGS ............................................................. 7
CYLINDER LINER AND ANTI-POLISHING RING ................. 7
CONNECTING ROD ....................................................... 8
CYLINDER HEAD .......................................................... 8
MULTIDUCT ................................................................. 8
EFFICIENT GAS-DIESEL COMBUSTION ........................... 9
TURBOCHARGING SYSTEM ......................................... 11
COOLING SYSTEM ..................................................... 11
LUBRICATING OIL SYSTEM ......................................... 11
AUTOMATION SYSTEM ............................................... 13
EASY APPLICATION .................................................... 14
EASY MAINTENANCE.................................................. 14
This is a brief guide to the technical features and performance
of the Wrtsil 32GD engine.
WRTSIL 32GD
TECHNOLOGY REVIEW
3
4
INTRODUCTION
The Wrtsil 32GD has been developed to
set new standards in the market for high
performance, fuel-exible engines. The
Wrtsil 32GD is a four-stroke, gas-diesel
engine, which means that the engine can run
on either gas or fuel oil according to the diesel
cycle. Switching from one fuel to the other
can be done under all operating conditions.
The Wrtsil 32GD covers a power range of
2520 8400 kW. The engine runs at 720 or
750 rpm for use with 50 or 60 Hz generators
and produces 405 420 kW per cylinder.
Benetting from the unique properties of the
gas-diesel combustion principle, the Wrtsil
32GD is a very reliable and fuel-exible
engine. The Wrtsil gas-diesel concept for
onshore and offshore installations utilizes
efcient engine technology in combination
with state-of-the-art controls and auxiliaries,
forming a total power generation solution that
substantially exceeds the plant efciency of
conventional solutions. Wrtsil gas-diesel
technology is the solution for the needs of the
oil and gas industry. Thanks to the unique pilot
fuel injection method for initiating combustion,
associated gas can be used for power
generation or mechanical drive applications at
the oil eld. And if the supply of gas varies in
quantity and quality, the answer is fuel sharing
the Wrtsil innovation that revolutionizes
the concept of fuel exibility. What was once
considered an expense, is now an asset.
DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
The Wrtsil 32GD is an engine that meets
present and future requirements for the
life cycle cost of ownership. The engine
design is based on the well-tried Wrtsil
32GD HFO engine. The Wrtsil 32GD is a
technically advanced engine for fuel economy
and low emission rates. It is designed for
exible manufacturing methods and long
maintenance-free operating periods. The
engine is equipped with all essential ancillaries
and a carefully planned interface to the plant or
ship control system.
The main features of the Wrtsil 32GD are:
Low-NO
X
combustion
Reliability and low maintenance costs
Integrated monitoring and control or basic
automation system
Ergonomic interface
Minimized consumables
Unique fuel exibility
The optimized fuel injection system contributes to complete
combustion of all fuels over the entire load range.
5
CRANKSHAFT AND
BEARINGS
The latest advances in combustion
development require a crank gear that
operates reliably at high cylinder pressures.
The crankshaft must be robust and the specic
bearing loads kept at an acceptable level.
This is achieved by careful optimization of
crankthrow dimensions and llets. The specic
bearing loads are conservative and the cylinder
spacing, which is important for the overall
length of the engine, is minimized.
Besides low bearing loads, the other
crucial factor for safe bearing operation is
oil lm thickness. Ample oil lm thicknesses
in the main bearings are ensured by optimal
balancing of rotational masses and, in the big
end bearing, by ungrooved bearing surfaces
in the critical areas. All the factors needed for
a free choice of the most appropriate bearing
material are present.
The fuel injection system utilizes a high
pressure gas injector combined with a diesel
injector. The gaseous fuel is injected at
350 bar through three nozzles located at the
vertices of the triangle at the injector end.
Each nozzle has three holes, so altogether
nine jets of gas are formed during gas
injection. The oil fuel is injected before gas
injection starts. The oil fuel nozzle is located
in the injector axis and has nine holes
which deliver oil fuel jets between gaseous
ones.
FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
6
ENGINE BLOCK
Nodular cast iron is the natural choice for
engine blocks today thanks to its strength and
stiffness properties, along with all the freedom
offered by casting. The Wrtsil 32GD makes
optimum use of modern foundry technology
to integrate most oil and water channels. The
result is a virtually pipe-free engine with a
clean outer exterior.
Resilient mounting is state-of-the-art in
many applications and requires a stiff engine
frame. Integrated channels designed with this
in mind can serve a double purpose.
PISTON
For years, the outstanding piston concept
for highly rated heavy fuel engines has been
a composite piston with a steel crown and
nodular cast-iron skirt. More than 20 years
of experience has ne-tuned the concept.
When it comes to reliability, there is no real
alternative today for modern engines running
with high cylinder pressures and combustion
temperatures. Wrtsil-patented skirt
lubrication is applied to minimize frictional
losses and ensure appropriate lubrication of
both piston rings and the piston skirt.
PISTON RINGS
In Wrtsils three-ring concept each ring has
a specic task. They are dimensioned and
proled for consistent performance throughout
their operating lives. To avoid carbon deposits
in the ring grooves of a heavy fuel engine, the
pressure balance on top of and underneath
each ring is crucial. Experience has shown that
this effect is most likely achieved with a three-
ring pack. Finally, it is well-known that most
frictional losses in a reciprocating combustion
engine originate from the rings. Thus a three-
ring pack is the obvious choice in this respect,
too. The top ring, which bears the greatest
load, is provided with a special wear-resistant
coating.
CYLINDER LINER AND
ANTI-POLISHING RING
The thick high-collar type cylinder liner
is designed to have the stiffness needed
to withstand both pre-tension forces and
combustion pressures with virtually no
deformation. Its temperature is controlled by
bore cooling of the upper part of the collar
to achieve a low thermal load and to avoid
sulphuric acid corrosion. The cooling water is
distributed around the liners with simple water
distribution rings at the lower end of the collar.
At the upper end the liner is equipped with an
anti-polishing ring to eliminate bore polishing
and reduce lube oil consumption. The function
of this ring is to calibrate the carbon deposits
formed on the piston top land to a thickness
small enough to prevent any contact between
the liner wall and the deposits at any piston
position. Since there is no contact between
the liner and piston top land deposits no oil
can be scraped upwards by the piston. The
other positive effect is that the liner wear is
signicantly reduced at the same time. The
strength of the wear-resistant liner materials
used for years in Wrtsil engines has been
further increased to cope with the high
combustion pressures expected in the future.
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CONNECTING ROD
A three-piece connecting rod with all the
highly stressed surfaces machined is the
safest design for engines of this size intended
for continuous operation at high combustion
pressures. For easy maintenance and
accessibility the upper joint face is placed
right on top of the big-end bearing housing.
A special hydraulic tool has been developed
for simultaneous tensioning of all four screws.
To eliminate any risk of wear in the
contact surfaces, an intermediate plate
with a special surface treatment is placed
between the main parts.
CYLINDER HEAD
The cylinder head design is based on the four-
screw concept developed by Wrtsil and used
for more than 25 years. Its internal structure is
designed for maximum stiffness, which is essential
for obtaining both liner roundness and even contact
between exhaust valves and their seats.
A four-screw cylinder head design also
provides all the freedom needed for designing
inlet and exhaust ports with a minimum of ow
losses. Computational uid dynamics (CFD)
analysis in combination with full-scale ow
measurements has been used for port design
optimization.
The vast amount of experience gained from
heavy fuel operation all around the world has
contributed greatly to exhaust-valve design
and development. Put together, this means that
a valve material and geometry with superior
performance are now available.
MULTIDUCT
Multiducts replace a number of individual
components in conventional engine designs.
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Their functions are:
Air transfer from the air receiver to the
cylinder head
Exhaust transfer to the exhaust system
Cooling water outlet after the cylinder head
Cooling water return channel from the
engine.
Additional functions are:
Introduction of an initial swirl to the inlet air
for optimal part-load combustion
Insulation and cooling of the exhaust transfer
duct
Support for exhaust system and its insulation.
Hydrocarbons can be burned under a wide
range of conditions. Today, CO
2
emissions
are also much in focus due to climate change
issues, so it is essential to to optimize the fuel
oil consumption while meeting other emission
reduction targets. Wrtsil has developed the
gas-diesel combustion concept since 1987 and
raised the fuel efciency of gas-diesel engines
substantially without a simultaneous increase
in NO
X
emissions. The Wrtsil 32GD was the
rst gas engine in the Wrtsil portfolio and its
technology makes it possible to run a power
plant on either associated gas or crude oil,
giving the operator fuel versatility and security
against disruptions in gas supply. The system
accommodates variations in gas quality. Gas-
diesels use the diesel combustion cycle in
both gas and liquid fuel operation, which gives
them the characteristics of a diesel engine with
uncompromized output and derating. In the gas
mode, a small amount of pilot fuel oil injection is
used to initiate combustion.
The fuel sharing system allows the engine
to run on gas and liquid fuel in different
proportions, in order to optimize plant operation
according to the availability of the fuels. For
example, if with the gas available only 30% of
the rated output can be achieved, the engine will
use fuel oil for the remaining 70%. The operator
can freely change the set point of the fuel share,
and the control system will ensure that the
actual operating point is within the specied
operating windows. Of course, the operator has
the choice of running the engine in conventional
GD or fuel oil operation mode as well.
FUEL OIL OPERATION
Fuel oil operation is based on the use of
normal fuel oil injection pumps and the system
operates just like any diesel engine. The engine
can run on crude oil, light fuel oil or heavy fuel
oil as the main and pilot injection fuel, without
any changes to the fuel injection system. Fuel
oil operation is available within the full load
range from zero to the rated load of the engine.
GD OPERATION
GD is the original gas-diesel operation mode,
where gas is the main source of energy, and
pilot fuel oil injection of approximately 5% is
used to ignite the combustion. GD operation is
available at any point between 30% and 100%
of the rated load and the plant can transfer to
and from GD operation within this same range.
FUEL SHARING OPERATION
The fuel sharing option is available between
35% and 87.5% of rated load. This mode
allows combustion of gaseous and liquid fuel
at the same time, and the ratio between the
fuels can be adjusted exibly. The fuel share
set point can be adjusted on-line from the
WOIS (Wrtsil Operators Interface System).
The operator may, for example, want to run
with 40% gas, so he selects the fuel sharing
mode and both fuels will be delivered at the set
ratio. If at any time the engine load is too low
to achieve the selected set point, the control
system will automatically adjust the set point to
the minimum or maximum limit. The operator
may also change the set point at any time
during operation.
EFFICIENT GAS-DIESEL COMBUSTION
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Fuel Sharing
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Fuel oil operation
Engine load%
Gas
share %
Diesel
share %
GD operation
Transfer window
Fuel Sharing
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Fuel sharing technology
FUEL SHARING CONTROL SYSTEM
The fuel sharing system is essentially a
combination of the GD engine and a new
control system and control principle. The system
controls both gas and oil injection simultaneously
and allows both to be used within the allowed
operating window limits. The new control system
is integrated into the programmable logic control
(PLC) of the Wrtsil extended level automation
system using the WOIS platform.
Since the control system is now integrated
into the Wrtsil standard extended level
automation system, gas conversion applications
or future gas conversions are now much more
attractive than with the original GD system.
The main advantages of the fuel sharing system
are:
Flexible operation with variable proportions of
gas and oil
Flexibility in fuel oils, for example LFO, HFO
and crude oil can be used as main and pilot
fuel
The system can operate on low methane
number gas
The system can use both low and high heat
value gas
CONVERSION OF EXISTING ENGINES
If conditions at the eld change and it becomes
more economical to use gas as the main fuel for
eld energy production, Wrtsil diesel engines
can be converted to gas-diesel operation.
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Engine
5763 C
Charge air
cooler
Lube oil
cooler
Exp.
0.71.5 bar
Exp.
0.71.5 bar
3847 C
LTC
central
cooler
93102 C
HTC
central
cooler
Engine
Pr e-
heater
Optional
for.CHP
Charge air
cooler
Spex charging.
TURBOCHARGING
SYSTEM
Every Wrtsil 32GD engine is equipped with
the turbocharging system that best fulls the
requirements of each specic application. The
standard alternatives are:
Spex (single pipe exhaust) system with
exhaust waste gate
Spex system with exhaust waste gate and
air bypass for variable speed engines.
The Spex system is designed for minimum ow
losses on both exhaust and air sides.
The charging systems are designed to
give high efciency and extremely good load
acceptance. Spex is designed for the best
possible full-load performance. Spex combined
with exhaust waste gate and air bypass meets
the well-known good low-load performance of
pulse charging. With its unique design its load
acceptance is close to pulse charging.
Non-cooled chargers with inboard plain
bearings lubricated from the engines lube
oil system are used. All this makes for longer
intervals between overhauls and reduced
maintenance.
The turbocharger technology is going
through a period of intense design and
performance development. Only the best
available charger technology will be used on
the Wrtsil 32GD.
COOLING SYSTEM
The cooling system is split into two separate
circuits, the high-temperature (HT) and the
low-temperature (LT) circuits. The cylinder
liner and the cylinder head temperatures
are controlled through the HT circuit. The
system temperature is kept at a high level,
about 95 C, for safe ignition/combustion
of low-quality heavy fuels, also at low loads.
An additional advantage is maximum heat
recovery and total efciency in cogeneration
plants. To further increase the recoverable
heat from this circuit, it is connected to the
high-temperature part of the double-stage
charge air cooler. The HT water pump and
thermostatic valve are integrated with the
pump cover module at the free end of the
engine. The complete HT circuit is thus virtually
free of pipes.
The LT circuit serves the low-temperature
part of the charge air cooler and the built-on
lube oil cooler. It is fully integrated with engine
parts such as the LT water pump with pump
cover module, the LT thermostatic valve with
the lube oil module and transfer channels in
the engine block.
LUBRICATING OIL
SYSTEM
All Wrtsil 32GD engines are equipped with a
complete lube oil system, i.e. an engine-driven
main pump, electrically driven prelubricating
pump, cooler, full ow lter and centrifugal
lter. The engine may also be tted with special
running-in lters before each main bearing.
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Filter
Cooler
Pump
Priming
pump
The pumps, pressure regulation and
safety valves are integrated into one
module tted at the free end of the
engine. Filter, cooler and thermostatic
valves make up another module. On
in-line engines this is always located
neatly on the back side of the engine
whereas on V-engines it is either at the
ywheel or free end, depending on the
turbocharger position.
The lube oil ltration is based on an
automatic back-ushing lter requiring
a minimum of maintenance. The lter
elements are made of seamless sleeve
fabric with high temperature resistance.
An overhaul interval of one year is
recommended. The expected lifetime
is four years. A special feature is the
centrifugal lter, connected to the back-
ushing line of the automatic lter. This
provides the means for extracting distant
wear particles from the system.
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AUTOMATION SYSTEM
The Wrtsil 32GD engine is equipped with
the Wrtsil unied controls (UNIC) engine
automation system. The different systems
available for Wrtsil 32GD engine are UNIC
C1 and C2, described below.
UNIC system components
ESM Engine Safety Module
MCM Main Control Module
TCM Thermocouple Module
IOM Input Output Module
PDM Power Distribution Module
LCP Local Control Panel
LDU Local Display Unit
UNIC C1
In the UNIC C1 engine automation system, the
fundamental aspects of engine control and
safety are handled by the embedded control
and management system. This includes engine
speed and load control as well as overspeed
protection, lube oil pressure and cooling water
temperature protection. For the other parts,
the design requires the majority of the sensors
to be hardwired to a plant or ship control and
monitoring system.
The UNIC C1 system provides the following
functionality:
Fundamental safety (overspeed, LO
pressure, cooling water temp.)
Basic local monitoring
Hardwired interface to plant or ship control
system.
Speed and load control (electronic speed
control by MCM if engine equipped with
actuator, otherwise by mechanical governor)
Start/stop management.
The engine control system is designed to:
Achieve the highest possible reliability,
with components, e.g. sensors, designed
specically for the on-engine environment
Reduce cabling on and around the engine,
with a clear point of interconnection and a
standardized interface
Provide high performance with optimized
and pre-tested controls.
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EASY APPLICATION
An important design principle of the
Wrtsil 32GD is to build as much auxiliary
equipment as possible on the engine. This
goes for lube oil and water pumps, lube
oil cooler and lter, engine control and
monitoring. Application work is thus reduced
to a minimum. However, the engine still needs
connections to the plant or ship control system.
The trend is increasingly towards standardized
modules. To take full advantage of this and
keep installation costs to a minimum, the
engine should support smooth interfacing. The
Wrtsil 32GD comes in a number of standard
options, e.g. with a turbocharger at either end
of the engine and one- or two-stage charge air
cooling, without sacricing the easy interfacing
principle.
EASY MAINTENANCE
Efcient and easy maintenance is incorporated
into the design. As well as intervals between
overhauls, the hours spent on maintenance ave
been reduced to a minimum. Lube oil ltration
is one good example. Hydraulics are used for
pre-tension of the cylinder head screws, all the
connecting rod screws, and the main bearing
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MAIN TECHNICAL DATA
Cylinder bore 320 mm
Piston stroke 400 mm
Speed range 720 and 750 rpm
Mean piston speed 9.6 / 10 m/s
BMEP 22.9 bar
Cylinder output 405 / 420 kW
Firing pressure 150 bar

The Wrtsil 32GD engine is manufactured
in cylinder congurations from 6L to 20V.
Technical data 50 Hz/750 rpm Unit 16V32GD 20V32GD
Power, electrical kW 6505 8148
Heat rate kJ/kWh 8200 (7843)* 8181 (7813)*
Electrical efciency % 43.9 (45.9)* 44.0 (46.0)*
Technical data 60 Hz/720rpm
Power, electrical kW 6273 7857
Heat rate kJ/kWh 8200 (7843)* 8181 (7813)*
Electrical efciency % 43.9 (45.9)* 44.0 (46.0)*
Dimensions and dry weight with generating set
Length mm 11303 12890
Width mm 3300 3300
Height mm 4472 4243
Weight tonne 120 132
Heat rate and electrical efciency at generator terminals, including engine-driven pumps, ISO 3046 conditions and LHV
> 36 MJ/m
3
. Tolerance 5%. Power factor 0.8. Gas pressure at engine inlet 350 bar.
*in liquid mode.
GAS FUEL QUALITY
The Wrtsil 32GD can cope with most available gas qualities and can
be operated on gases with lower methane numbers. The Wrtsil 32GD
has been designed and developed for continuous operation, without
reduction in the rated output, on gas qualities that meet the following
specications:
Lower heating value (LHV) MJ/Nm
3
> 30
Methane content, CH
4
%-vol. > 60
Hydrogen sulphide, H
2
S %-vol. < 0.05
Hydrogen, H
2
%-vol. < 5
Condense %-vol. 0
Chlorine + uorines %-vol. < 0.005
Particles or solids size m < 10
Gas temperature C 0-50
Gas pressure bar (g) 350 5
Other fuels must be considered on a case by case basis.
screws. The distinctive Wrtsil feature with individual hydraulic jacks
for each main bearing has of course been applied. The unique fuel line
design minimizes the work in replacing the injection pump, with less
risk of error.
The multiduct arrangement allows the cylinder head to be lifted
without removing the water pipes, while the slide-in connections on
the manoeuvring side allows it to be lifted without removing the oil or
air pipes. The water pumps are easy to replace thanks to the cassette
design principle and the water channel arrangement in the pump cover
at the free end of the engine. Access to all the above components is
simplied thanks to the minimum number of pipes and the ergonomic
component design.
Technical data 750 rpm 6L32GD 8L32GD 9L32GD
Shaft power kW 2520 3360 3780
Shaft power hp 3378 4504 5067
Heat rate kJ/kWh 7912 (7580)* 7912 (7580)* 7912 (7580)*
Shaft efciency % 45.5 (47.5)* 45.5 (47.5)* 45.5 (47.5)*
Dimensions and dry weight
Length mm 5297 6245 7116
Width mm 2300 2300 2300
Height mm 3421 3450 3571
Weight tonne 30 42 44
Technical data 750 rpm 12V32GD 16V32GD 18V32GD 20V32GD
Shaft power kW 5040 6720 7560 8400
Shaft power hp 6757 9009 10135 11261
Heat rate kJ/kWh 7912 (7580)* 7912 (7580)* 7912 (7580)* 7912 (7580)*
Shaft efciency % 45.5 (47.5)* 45.5 (47.5)* 45.5 (47.5)* 45.5 (47.5)*
Dimensions and dry weight
Length mm 6837 8206 8766 9276
Width mm 2870 3296 3296 3233
Height mm 3595 3595 3595 4139
Weight tonne 54 63 70 89
Technical data is based on mechanical output at shaft, including engine-driven pumps, ISO conditions and LHV > 36
HJ/m
3
. Tolerance 5%. Gas pressure at engine inlet 350 bar. * In liquid mode.
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WRTSIL

is a registered trademark. Copyright 200 Wrtsil Corporation.

Wrtsil enhances the business of its customers by providing them with
complete lifecycle power solutions. When creating better and environmentally
compatible technologies, Wrtsil focuses on the marine and energy markets
with products and solutions as well as services. Through innovative products
and services, Wrtsil sets out to be the most valued business partner
of all its customers. This is achieved by the dedication of close to 19,000
professionals manning 160 locations in 70 countries around the world.
Wrtsil is listed on the Nordic Exchange in Helsinki, Finland.