If you have ever been overwhelmed when visiting the engine room of a superyacht, then imagine an engine that is the size of a three or four-storey building and generates enough energy to power the equivalent of an entire suburban town.
What you are trying to imagine is the Wärtsilä RT-flex96C, unsurprisingly the largest and most powerful diesel engine on the planet and one which is used to power some of the largest container ships in the world.
The facts surrounding the engine are almost as impressive as the engine itself. It stands 13.5m (44ft) high (the same height as a three or four-storey building), 26.59m (87ft) long and has 14 cylinders that measure 1m (3.2ft) and have a stroke of 2.5m (8.2ft).
Now if those numbers seem astounding let’s take it up a notch even further, the Wärtsilä generates 107,389hp with more than 7,500,000Nm of torque! It makes its maximum torque at 102rpm and redlines at 120rpm, which is enough to tear a tank to shreds.
This amazing feat of human engineering also has high levels of thermal efficiency in comparison to other engines. Thermal efficiency is a measure of how much fuel is used to move an object and how much is wasted as heat energy. Whereas most modern cars have a thermal efficiency of around 25 to 30 per cent the Wärtsilä has a thermal efficiency rating of 50 per cent.
So what type of vessel would need so much power? Well the Wärtsilä RT-flex96C engine was first installed on the Emma Mærsk, a 397m (1,302ft) Danish container ship with a gross tonnage in excess of 170,000 tonnes.
At full throttle, the vast ship can hit a top speed of 25.5knots, whereas most other ships in its class manage around 20 knots. This gives the ship, which regularly ferries cargo from China to the U.S an advantage over its competitors, being able to complete its jobs four days earlier.
As a measure of comparison, the largest superyacht in the world by gross tonnage, 156m (512ft) DILBAR which comes in at 15,917GRT, also uses Wärtsilä engines. Its twin Wartsila engines generate 32,184hp, still a hugely impressive figure but slightly down on the 107,389HP of the Wartsila RT-flex96C engine!
To find out more about the world of marine engines and drives visit our yacht engine manufacturers section.
Alternatively, if you are looking for a large yacht of your own you can find out what is on the market by viewing all new and pre-owned superyachts for sale.
