20

Technology review

20

Technology review
Setting new standards for
economical power production . . . . . . . . . . 4
Design philosophy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
IMO NOX compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Piston. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Piston ring set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Connecting rod and big end bearings . . . . . . 7
Cylinder liner and anti-polishing ring . . . . . . . 8
Cylinder head. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Multiduct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Crankshaft and main bearings . . . . . . . . . . 9
Engine block and foundation . . . . . . . . . . 10
Fuel system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Turbocharging system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Cooling systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Lubricating oil system. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Automation system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Application flexibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Easy maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Main technical data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Setting new standards for economical power production

The WRTSIL 20 medium-speed engine offers a

The fact that the Wrtsil 20 has originally been

remarkable combination of state-of-the-art design and top

designed to operate reliably with the poorest quality heavy

performance in a compact, space-saving package. With its

fuel, makes Wrtsil 20 the ultimate in reliable

virtually pipeless, operator-friendly "heavy duty" design,

performance using Light Diesel Oils. Overhaul intervals

the engine has started a new era in the development of

up to 24,000 hours and maintenance-friendly desing are

medium-speed engines. Where power-to-weight and

some of the main valuable features that have earned the

power-to-space rations are concerned, the engine is

Wrtsil 20 an installed base of more than two thousand

unmatched in its power range.

engines since the launch in 1992.

Container "Contship Italy"

Auxiliary engines: three Wrtsil 6L20 engines
Emergency engine: one Wrtsil 4L20 engine

FPSO Berge Hugin. MST Berge Hugin, Navion Munin and West Navion
are all equipped with four Wrtsil 6L46 main engines and one Wrtsil
9L20 auxiliary engine. Total output per vessel 22,890 kW.
Tug, Sanergy Jaya
Main engines:
two Wrtsil 6L20

Research vessel Scotia. Main engines: three Wrtsil 9L20, total

output 4,455 kW/1000 rpm. Shipyard: Ferguson Shipbuilders
Ltd. Shipowner: Fisheries Research Services

Seismic vessel Geco Bluefin.

Auxiliary engines: four Wrtsil
9L20 generating sets.
Total output of 6120 kW/rpm.

Design philosophy
The design of the Wrtsil 20 engine is based on
Wrtsils heavy fuel know-how and is fully optimized for
todays flexible manufacturing methods.
The Wrtsil 20 engine offers customers the following
core values:
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Proven and reliable heavy fuel technology

Cost-effective design
Easy and cost-effective installation
Low operating costs
Low NOX emission
Minimal consumables

IMO NOX compliance

Generally diesel engines have less harmful emissions
(CO2, CO etc.) than many other power sources. The
standard engine can easily meet the NOX level set by IMO
(International Maritime Organisation), in Annex VI to
MARPOL 73/78. To show compliance, the engine is
certified according to the NOX Technical Code, and
delivered with an EIAPP (Engine International Air
Pollution Prevention) Statement of Compliance. The
certification process includes NOX measurements,
marking of components that are affecting NOX formation
and a Technical File that is delivered with the engine.
All major classification societies are on behalf of the flag
state granting the EIAPP Statement of Compliance for the
Wrtsil 20 engine family.
If lower NOX levels are required, the engine can be
equipped with a Compact SCR catalyst, which can reduce

Piston
Pistons are of the low-friction, composite type with steel

NOX by up to 95%, down to a level < 1 g/kWh.

top and nodular cast iron skirt. Based on a track record of

more than twenty years, this is the superior concept for
highly rated heavy fuel engines. The design itself is of
course tailored for an engine of this size and includes a
number of innovative solutions. Experience has shown
that nodular cast iron is the best piston material for
Low NOX combustion
Conventional design

modern diesel engines which operate with high pressures

Engine maximum firing pressure

Engine maximum firing pressure

Pressure rise
induced from
compression

0 30
TDC

60

90

120

Pressure rise
induced from
combustion

Cylinder pressure

Cylinder pressure

Pressure rise
induced from
combustion

-90 -60 -30

and temperatures in the combustion chamber. Low

Low NOx design

Pressure rise
induced from
compression

-90 -60 -30

0 30
TDC

60

90

120

NO X emissions, weighted (g/kWh)

IMO global marine NOX legislation

20
18
16
14
12
10
8

Wrtsil 20

Fuel: Marine diesel oil

6
0

500

1000

1500

Rated engine speed (rpm)

2000

friction is obtained by Wrtsils patented skirt lubrication

system.

originates from the piston rings. Thus a three-ring pack is

considered optimal with respect to both function and
efficiency. For maximum wear resistance the top ring
features a special wear-resistant coating.
Spec. Cr

Cr
Cr

Connecting rod and big end

bearings
The stepped split line design used in the Wrtsil Vasa
22 and 32 for many years now offers the maximum pin
diameter while still making it possible to pull the
connecting rod through the cylinder liner. The advantage
over the conventional straight, oblique split line is an

Piston ring set

increase in pin diameter of at least 15%. This is of vital

The two compression rings and the oil control ring are

combustion pressures.

located in the crown. This three-ring concept has proved

importance in a modern engine designed for high

When an engine type is designed for both in-line and

its efficiency in the Wrtsil 46 engine. In a three-ring

V-version the big end bearing width is often a

pack every ring is dimensioned and profiled for the task it

compromise between the bearing load and overall length

has to perform. It is also well-known that most of the

of the V-version. As the Wrtsil 20 is designed as an

frictional loss in a reciprocating combustion engine

in-line engine only, no compromises are necessary. A

direct consequence is superior oil film thickness and low
oil film pressure. The bearing material used in this engine
can withstand cylinder pressures of well over 200 bar.
The non-grooved upper half of the big end bearing in the
Wrtsil 20 also helps to maximize the oil film thickness.

cooling water flow velocity just below the liner collar.

The liner is made of wear-resistant material developed
through a dedicated R&D programme lasting several
years. To eliminate the risk of bore polishing, the liner is
provided with an anti-polishing ring at the upper part.
The purpose of this ring is to limit the carbon deposits
built up on the piston top land to a thickness small
enough to prevent contact between the inner liner wall
and the deposits at any position of the piston. This
mechanism is the source of the bore- polishing which
causes local liner wear and increased lube oil
consumption.

Cylinder liner and

anti-polishing ring
The cylinder liner is designed for minimum deformation
thanks to its own stiffness and support from the engine
block. It is equally important to adjust the inner wall
temperature to a level just above the sulphuric acid dew
point. This is done by creating an increased tangential

Cylinder head
Four-screw cylinder head technology was introduced by
Wrtsil more than 20 years ago. Especially at cylinder
pressures of 200 bar it has proved its superiority when it
comes to liner roundness and dynamic behaviour. In
addition to easier maintenance and reliability it provides a
lot of freedom in employing the most efficient channel
configuration.
A distributed water flow pattern is used for proper cooling
of the exhaust valves and cylinder head flame plate.
This minimizes the thermal stress levels and guarantees a
sufficient low exhaust valve temperature.
8

Exhaust gas

Cooling water

Charge air

Multiduct

Crankshaft and main bearings

A multifunctional duct is connected to the cylinder head.

With increasing cylinder pressures and engine output the

The functions of this multiduct are as follows:

crankshaft dimensions will necessarily increase. This goes

Air transfer from air receiver to cylinder head

hand in hand with the larger bearing surfaces required to

Introduction of an initial swirl to the inlet air for

optimal part load combustion
Exhaust transfer to exhaust system
Cooling water transfer from cylinder head to return
channel in the engine block
Insulation/cooling of the exhaust transfer duct
Support for exhaust system including insulation

keep the specific bearing loads at an acceptable level.

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Thanks to careful optimization of the crankshaft design, the

Wrtsil 20 has actually reduced bearing loads. In other
words, the material is used in the most favourable way in
terms of both bearing load and crankshaft stress. Low
bearing load and optimized balancing of the rotating masses
ensure ample oil film thicknesses at all loads and speeds. In
the past, corrosion took a heavy toll on bearings in trunk
engines operating on heavy fuel. This is now history, as
corrosive resistant bearing materials are available.

Engine block and foundation

Fuel system

The engine block has been designed for maximum overall

The low pressure fuel system is an integrated part of the

stiffness and local stiffness around the upper part of the

injection pump. This is realized with a multihousing,

cylinder liner. As a consequence of the general design

which contains the following:

philosophy of component integration, it contains a

number of cast-in or machined water and oil channels.

Furthermore, the camshaft bearings are housed directly in

the engine block as is the camshaft gear train at the

flywheel end of the engine. Thanks to its overall stiffness,

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the single cylinder injection pump

a fuel supply line along the whole engine
the fuel return lines from each pump
the pneumatic overspeed trip device
guiding for the valve tappets

easy-to-install, four point support is standard for the

engine. To allow the most flexible common base plate
arrangement independent of the alternator make, the
alternator is fitted with an adjustable mounting pad
arrangement. For resilient mounting simple structure and
effective isolation is provided by separate engine feet.

This arrangement represents the ultimate in safe fuel

systems. Moreover, the high pressure fuel line is also fully
enclosed with an alarm for possible leakages and all fuel
carrying parts are housed in a fully covered compartment,
i.e. a hotbox. The high pressure side is designed for a 2000
bar injection pressure while the pressure utilized is around
10

Cooling systems
High temperature (HT) cooling system

The system is totally integrated with the various engine

components; virtually no pipes are used. Supply and
return channels are cast into the engine block while the
pump cover and turbocharger support hold the
connections between the pump and engine block.
The system temperature is kept at a high level, about
95C, for safe ignition/combustion of low quality heavy
1500 bar. The pump element itself features a method to
eliminate cavitation erosion. The fuel injection valve is
designed for uncooled nozzles and the nozzles are

fuels at low loads. An additional advantage is maximum

heat recovery and total efficiency. An engine-driven pump
of the cassette type is standard.

heat-treated for low wear and high heat resistance. All this
ensures easy maintenance and long lifetimes. The Wrtsil
20 can of course start, stop and operate over the whole
load range using heavy fuel.

Low temperature (LT) cooling system

This system is also fully integrated with the engine

components, i.e. engine block, pump cover, air and lube
oil cooler housings. An engine-driven pump of the same
type as for the HT-system is standard.

Turbocharging system
The Wrtsil 20 engine is designed for applications where
the most demanding load pick-up and prolonged
operation on low loads are required. This means that all
cylinder configurations of the engine are equipped with an
optimized pulse system.

3-pulse

Pulse converter

11

Lube oil system

Filter

Pump

Cooler

Priming
pump

motor is fitted. Filter, cooler and thermostatic valves are

built up in a module located at the engine rearside.
The lube oil filtration is based on an automatic
back-flushing filter requiring a minimum of maintenance.
The filter 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 filter, connected to the
back-flushing line of the automatic filter. This provides
the means for extraction wear particles from the system.

Automation system
Making the electronic connections to the external system
usually involves a lot of work. The Wrtsil 20 is made for
easy plug-in connection of sensors to prefabricated cabling
modules.
The following functions are incorporated in the
automation system:

Lubricating oil system

All Wrtsil 20 engines are equipped with a complete lube

oil system, i.e. an engine-driven main pump, electrically
driven prelubricating pump, cooler, full flow filter and

centrifugal filter. Pressure regulation and safety valves are

integrated into engine driven pump fitted at the free end
of the engine where also prelubricating pump with electric
12

Instrumentation for local reading of engine and

turbocharger speed, exhaust temperature after each
cylinder and after the turbocharger and an operating
hour counter
Electronic boards for speed measuring and charge air
temperature control
Plug-in connectors for connection to the external
control system

Application flexibility
Wrtsil 20 is suitable for wide range of applications in
various respects. Different fuels from lowest viscosity of
1,8cSt up to 730cSt HFO (at 50C) can be used and
optimised engine performance is provided by standard
engine specifications for constant and variable speed
applications.
Flexibility in engine support arrangements allows
optimised rigid or flexible foundation for wide range of
application types in marine and land based power
solutions. Easy and cost effective installation is provided
by minimised application work due to on-built auxiliary
equipment with low positioned interface connections.
Suitability for small engine rooms is supported by low
installation height and by standard options with
turbocharger at free end and also at driving end for 6-, 8and 9-cylinder engines.
The main cabinet is firmly mounted on the engine to
isolate it from engine vibrations. There is a battery of
pressure switches and a manometer panel near the cabinet
for operating convenience.
A more advanced electronic control unit with capability
for direct bus-connection will be provided for shipyards
that want to make use of the latest ship automation
technology.

13

Easy maintenance
Efficient maintenance is incorporated in the engine
design. Hydraulics are used for pretensioning the
cylinder head screws, connecting rod screws and main
bearing screws. Access to the injection pumps is
excellent thanks to limited piping in the hotbox, where
the pumps are housed. An injection pump element is
easy to replace without removing the multihousing.
Neither is it necessary to remove fuel feed/return pipes
for the simple reason that there are not any. The
multiduct remains on the engine block holding the
exhaust system when the cylinder head is removed.
Neither is it necessary to remove water pipes because
they are integrated with the multiduct. Only two screws
have to be loosened to remove the rocker arms and
bracket. The water pump is easy to replace thanks to
the cassette design. It is even easier to remove the end
cover alone if the impeller has to be changed.

14

20
Main technical data
Cylinder bore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 mm
Piston stroke. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280 mm
Cylinder output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 - 200 kW/cyl
Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 720 - 1000 rpm
Mean effective pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22.5 - 28.0 bar
Piston speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.7 - 9.3 m/s
Voltage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.4 13.8 kV
Alternator efficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.94 0.96
Fuel specification:
Fuel oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 730 cSt/50C
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7200 sR1/100F
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ISO 8217, category ISO-F-RMK 55
SFOC 188-196 g/kWh at ISO condition 5% tolerance
Rated power: Propulsion engines
Output in kW/bhp at 1 000 rpm
Engine
type

C2 -output

4L20
5L20
6L20
8L20
9L20

C3 -output

kW

bhp

kW

bhp

720
825
1080
1440
1620

980
1120
1470
1960
2200

1200

1630

1800

2450

Principal engine dimensions (mm) and wet weights (tonnes)

Engine
A*
A
B*
B
C*
C
D
type
4L20

2510

1348

1483
1800
5L20

2833

1423

1567
1800
6L20
3254
3108
1528
1348
1580
1579
1800
8L20
3973
3783
1614
1465
1756
1713
1800
9L20
4261
4076
1614
1449
1756
1713
1800
E
F
H
K
N*
Weight*
4L20
325
725
155
980

7.2
5L20
325
725
155
980

7.8
6L20
325
624
155
980
589
9.3
8L20
325
624
155
980
708
11.0
9L20
325
624
155
980
696
11.6
For this engine type the dimension B refers to the highest point of the engine.
Weight with liquids (wet sump) but without flywheel.
*Turbocharger at flywheel end.

Rated power: Generating sets

C2 -output
720 rpm/
60 Hz

Engine
type

750 rpm/
50 Hz

C3 -output

900 rpm/
60 Hz

1000 rpm/
50 Hz

900 rpm/
60 Hz

1000 rpm/
50 Hz

Eng. Gen. Eng. Gen. Eng. Gen. Eng. Gen. Eng. Gen. Eng. Gen.
kW kW kW kW kW kW kW kW kW kW kW kW
4L20
5L20
6L20
8L20
9L20

520 495 540 515 680 645 720 685

775 735 825 785

780 740 810 770 1020 970 1080 1025 1110 1055 1200 1140
1040 990 1080 1025 1360 1290 1440 1370

1170 1110 1215 1155 1530 1455 1620 1540 1665 1580 1800 1710
Principal genset dimensions (mm) and weights (tonnes)

Engine

A*

H*

L*

Weight*

4L20
5L20
6L20
8L20
9L20

4910
5220
5325
6030
6535

1770
1920
1770/1920
1920/2070
2070/2300

1800
1800
1800
1800
1800

2338
2458
2243/2323
2474
2524/2574

1168
1329
1299
1390
1390

14.0
15.1
16.8
20.7
23.8

* Values are based on standard alternator, whose type (water or air cooled) and size
affects width, length, height and weight. Weight is based on wet sump engine with engine
liquids. Gen. output based on generator efficiency of 95%.

Fuel Quality Limits

Range
Viscosity
Density
CCAI
CCR
Pour point
S
V

(cSt) 3
(kg/m )
(%)
(C)
(%)
(ppm)

DMX min

RML55 max

1.8

730
1010
870
22
30
5
600

15

W0404/Bocks Office/Arkmedia

Wrtsil is The Ship Power Supplier for builders, owners and operators
of vessels and offshore installations. We are the only company with a
global service network to take complete care of customers ship
machinery at every lifecycle stage.
Wrtsil is a leading provider of power plants, operation and lifetime
care services in decentralized power generation.
The Wrtsil Group includes Imatra Steel, which specializes in special
engineering steels.
For more information visit www.wartsila.com

WRTSIL is a registered trademark. Copyright 2004 Wrtsil Corporation.

Wrtsil Finland Oy
P.O.Box 252,
FIN-65101 Vaasa,
Finland

Tel. +358 10 709 0000

Fax (Ship Power) +358 6 356 7188
Fax (Power Plants) +358 6 356 9133