High Speed Solutions For Harbor and Terminal Tugboats
High Speed Solutions For Harbor and Terminal Tugboats
High Speed Solutions For Harbor and Terminal Tugboats
Fig. 1: High-speed engines are the number one choice in the Tug and Salvage
industry
700
600
500
High Speed
Medium Speed
400
300
200
100
Year
2012
2010
2008
2006
2004
2002
2000
1998
1996
1994
1992
1990
1988
1986
1984
1982
0
1980
Looking at third party data (Fig. 1), there is a clear shift from
medium-speed engines to high-speed engines in harbor and
terminal tugs:
TRUE BENEFITS
Decades of high-speed experience in the tug market
ensure maximum uptime and profitability.
Superior response time and maneuverability give you
an edge for close-quarters maneuvering and rough
waters, enhancing safety.
The better performance of Cat high-speed engines,
reduced low-load fuel consumption, longer time
between overhauls, and lower installation costs
substantially reduce engine lifecycle costs.
Another inherent cost advantage is the combination of a highspeed engine with a Fixed Pitch Propeller (FPP), whereas a
medium-speed engine would require a more complex and
cost-intensive installation of a slipping clutch or Controllable
Pitch Propeller (CPP).
Fig. 2: Acceleration time and operating RPM Band a comparison at maximum power (0 100 %)
45 sec.
21% Thrust
MEDIUM SPEED
100 % Thrust
15 sec.
4% Thrust
HIGH SPEED
0 rpm
200 rpm
100 % Thrust
400 rpm
600 rpm
800 rpm
1,000 rpm
1,200 rpm
1,400 rpm
1,600 rpm
1,800 rpm
2,000 rpm
Engine Speed
High-speed engines with a power range up to 1,800 rpm are able to accelerate from idle speed at 380 rpm (4 % thrust) to full load (100 % thrust) in a 15 sec. period,
compared to the lower speed engine idling at 450 rpm (21 % thrust) to full load (100 % thrust) in 45 sec.
FUEL CONSUMPTION
Similar to everyone else in the transportation business, you
are likely experiencing the increasing challenges of fuel
management. Needless to say, retanking can generate a huge
invoice from your fuel supplier.
Cat high-speed engines are ideally suited for your tugboat
and will provide excellent fuel economy. Since harbor and
terminal tugboats spend most of their time at low load (Fig. 4),
high-speed engines consume much less fuel at lower loads
than do medium-speed engines (Fig. 5).
Medium Speed
High Speed
80 % of time in this load
50%
Fuel Consumption
TIME
Percent of Time
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
0%
100%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Engine Load
Percent Load
POWER
OPERATIONAL COST
Many tugboat owners and operators have been treading water
the past years. Like everywhere in the shipping industry, fuel
prices have taken center stage. Increasingly, fuel efficiency
is necessary to maintain your profitability, both now and in
the future. Looking at the chart (Fig. 6), fuel costs represent
approximately 90 % of the overall operating costs for both highspeed and medium-speed engines. Service and spare parts
costs are slightly more for high-speed engines, due to the fact
that more cylinders have to be serviced and maintained than
for a medium-speed engine. But the efficient fuel economy of
a high-speed engine more than compensates for the additional
maintenance cost. Looking at the relative running cost of highspeed and medium-speed engines over a 15-year period, its
clear to see that the operating costs for high-speed engines
are lower, with savings between 10 and 12 %. (Fig. 7)
Even if you cut out the lower initial costs of an engine, the
high-speed engine operational cost is much more economical
for harbor and terminal towage.
High-Speed
Harbor & Terminal Tugboat
(2200 h/year)
Fuel 92.0 %
Service 3.0 %
Spares 4.4 %
Lube 0.6 %
Fuel 89.4 %
Service 4.6 %
Spares 5.4 %
Lube 0.5 %
10
12
14
16
Initial Costs
Fuel
Service
Spares
Lube
Good
Better
Best
High Speed
Engine
Medium Speed
Engine
Caterpillar Marine
Europe, Africa, Middle East
Americas
Asia Pacific
Caterpillar Marine
A Division of
Caterpillar Motoren GmbH & Co.KG
Neumhlen 9
22763 Hamburg/Germany