SULZER specifications & its easy to understand,made easy...........

            When looking at Sulzer engine’s specifications, there is always some ambiguity. MAN B&W is very clear with its specifications, however Sulzer never gave one. That doesn’t mean MAN B&W is better than Sulzer engines.

Here myself  have dug deep to find out these specifications from various sources right from Wartsila NSD to Various Marine Text books.

Sulzer AG, a Swiss company, started in 1834 by the Sulzer brothers.

Want to know who were Sulzer Brothers?

It’s Mr.Salomon Sulzer and Mr. Bernet who formed Sulzer Brothers Limited first in 1775 and then established as Sulzer Ltd. A known employee of Sulzer was Rudolf Diesel, who invented the Diesel Engine.

In 1990, Sulzer spun off the diesel engine division into a separate company named “New Sulzer Diesel” (NSD) and sold most of the shares.  In 1997 NSD was absorbed by Wartsila, creating Wartsila NSD.

The Sulzer brand among seafarers particularly known in connection with the Sulzer RTA engines, the most reliable series of Sulzer engines that was first built in 1982. 

Other engine types that are still in use, the RND, RND-M and the RL series. Wartsila Sulzer RTA96-C, the biggest engine in the world and the 14 cylinder RT-flex 96C delivers a total output of 108,920 hp at 102 rpm. The machine is over 23 meters long. Below table shows complete series of engines which Sulzer has developed over a century.

Year	Type of Engine	Cylinder diameter in cm
1908 – 1931	S	18 – 90
1908 – 1932	Z (ZA, ZF, ZPF, ZT)	52,60,65,68,72,76
1929 – 1937	DZ (DZL, DZD)	60,70,76
1929 – 1937	SN	48
1930 – 1946	DS (DSD, DSDT, DSDG, MSD, KD)	53,60,70,72,76
1932 – 1964	SD (SDT, SPD, MS, KD, SDS, SDH, SF)	36,40,48,49,56,58,60,65,68,72,76
1934 – 1954	ZD (ZDA)	58,76
1950 – 1963	RS (RSD, RSG, RSAD)	58,76
1950 – 1963	SAD	60,72
1956 – 1987	RD (RD, RF)	44,56,68,76,90
1967 – 1981	RN (RND, RNF, RNMD)	68,76,90,105
1976 – 1989	RN M (RND M, RNF M)	68,76,90
1977 – 1988	RL (RLA, RLB)	56,66,76,90
1982 -	RT (RTA,RTA M, RTA C, RTA U, RTA T)	38,48,52,58,62,68,72,76,84,96
1998	RT Flex	48,50,58,60,68,82,84,96

The letter ‘R‘ in the engine designations goes back to the Sulzer RSD two-stroke low-speed engine types introduced in 1950. The letter ‘R‘ stood for ‘Revidierter’, so the RSD types were ‘revised’ versions of the SD engine types that had been developed since 1930. Built in two bore sizes, 58 and 76cm, the RSD engines were the first two-stroke low-speed engines designed and built by Sulzer that had fully welded structures (columns and bedplates). Turbocharged versions followed in 1956 with the RSAD engine types.

The letter ‘R‘ was then retained over the following years in the RD, RND, RND..M, RLA, RLB, RTA and RT-flex engine types. Yet after the RSD and RSAD designations, the letter lost any connotation of ‘revised’. It was simply kept as an easily-recognised identifier for Sulzer low-speed engines. When electronically-controlled common-rail systems were applied in 1998, the designation RTA was adapted to RT-flex to emphasise the key feature of flexibility given by the new technology.’

Parameters	RD	RND	RTA	RT-FLEX
Turbocharger	Pulse (No auxiliary Blower)	Constant Pressure	Constant Pressure	Constant Pressure
Scavenging	Loop	Loop and Under piston space	Uni flow	Uni flow
Exhaust valve	Rotary flap valve	Exhaust ports	Hydraulic operated	Hydraulic operated
Stroke Bore Ratio	1.7	1.7	3 to 4.2
Piston	Convex shape	Convex shape	Concave shape	Concave shape
Piston cooling	Water	Water	Oil	Oil
Fuel pump	Suction valve control, no spill valve	Suction valve and spill valve	Suction valve, spill valve and VIT	Common rail system (jerk type)
Drive	Chain	Gear	Gear	Gear
Cylinder Lubrication	Mechanical drive	Mechanical drive	Load dependent, Electric motor driven
Cylinder quills	Quills at upper part	Quills only at upper part	Quills at two level
Cross head bearing	Two piece type	Two piece type	Continues bottom half type	Continues bottom half type
Piston skirt	short	Long	Short	Short
SFOC	208 g/bhp/hr	203 – 208	115	118
MEP	8.6	10.6 – 12.3	17	19.5
Peak Pressure	76 bar	84 – 94 bar	140 bar	150 bar
Power/ cycle	1700 KW	2100 – 2500 KW	3700 KW	2100 – 5720 KW
Piston Speed	6.1 m/s	6.3	8	8 – 8.5

  

This blog is made out at the end of lots of collection from various sources inorder to made it easy to my readers.........Stay and read my blogs, the next blog will be on MAN B&W history and specifications.......