Details of Upcoming Coral Drydock???

[Captain Rhone]

This is the webpage that tells about it.

 

http://www.meretmarine.com/fr/content/stx-france-va-remotoriser-deux-paquebots-de-princess-cruises

 

It basically translates to the fact that they are putting in another one where some bunkers are so they are not removing the turbine. When they do maintenance on one engine, the only remaining diesel was not enough to drive the ship so the gas hog turbine had to be used...so with a third there will be enough to drive on 2/3 and not use the expensive turbine during maintenance.

[beach_fever_4ever]

The webpage is in french and my french is extremely limited. Did not see a link to english.

[beg3yrs]

This is the webpage that tells about it.

 

http://www.meretmarine.com/fr/content/stx-france-va-remotoriser-deux-paquebots-de-princess-cruises

 

It basically translates to the fact that they are putting in another one where some bunkers are so they are not removing the turbine. When they do maintenance on one engine, the only remaining diesel was not enough to drive the ship so the gas hog turbine had to be used...so with a third there will be enough to drive on 2/3 and not use the expensive turbine during maintenance.

 

Thanks for providing the source. I'm a retired engineer and always want to know how!

 

So, they'll have a bit less fuel ... the Coral doesn't seem to do real long runs far from land anyway.

[beg3yrs]

The webpage is in french and my french is extremely limited. Did not see a link to english.

 

The American company Princess Cruises told the care of STX France repower two ships built in Saint-Nazaire, the Coral Princess and Island Princess. 280 meters long with a width of 31.5 meters, these ships of 92,000 GT were delivered in December 2002 and June 2003. The objective of the operation is to add a third module comprising a diesel engine to limit the use of the gas turbine. Since its commissioning, the "C32" and "D32", as they call the Saint-Nazaire shipyards, have indeed propulsion based on two Wärtsilä diesel engines and General Electric LM2500 TG (25 MW). "The use of turbines on the ships had been designed by the owners at a time when the cost of fuel was manageable. This had such an advantage for cruise ships sailing in sensitive areas in terms of air pollution, because the turbines burn cleaner fuel and the combustion cycle is continuous, avoiding the emission of smoke. In addition, the exhaust gases are much hotter than a diesel engine (450 to 500 °, against 300 to 350 °), which is that there is virtually no unburned gases in by the turbines. This solution was interesting for Coral Princess and Island Princess, brought to Alaska cruises, "explains Alain Crouzols, Director of Business Services and STX France. But over the years, the fuel is significantly adds and it turns out that the maintenance cost of a gas turbine is high. This requires, for example, very specific expertise, requiring use of specialists, unlike diesel engines, far more widespread and whose maintenance such as repair are controlled by the technical teams of the companies and all major sites ship repair. Princess Cruises has, moreover, found over the years that when one of the two diesel engines of its vessels was damaged or maintenance, another engine was not sufficient to provide the energy required for propulsion during transit phase, forcing the gas turbine turn, consumes more fuel.

 

First experience with the Millennium

 

 

 

With his experience on the repowering of the Millennium Class ships from Celebrity Cruises, which had a neighbor drive on which one additional diesel was added in 2007, the Department of Services STX France has proposed to Princess Cruises similar operation on and Coral Island. A third Wärtsilä engine will be introduced to the power of groups reaches about 48 MW, while in case of technical problems or maintenance, two diesels are always available to meet the needs of propulsion. "The addition of a diesel will help to significantly limit the use of the turbine, which will not be there for specific operations, such as navigation in areas where particulate emissions are controlled. This intervention will help to preserve the potential of the turbine, and thus to reduce maintenance costs, while improving the overall cost of fuel consumption. "

 

 

 

Still, compared to the Millennium, the project was more complex because on the Coral Princess and Island Princess, it turns out that the space is smaller. Engineers STX France have appealed to their imagination to accommodate the module with the new engine and associated equipment. "We have worked extensively on the plans and found different solutions. For example, we proposed to replace the original boiler by osmosis, which saves space, or pushing an elevator for the crew to use the cage to get the exhaust engine, "explains Alain Crouzols. After presenting the first draft of the project, the U.S. company interested in the project proposal, asked Saint-Nazaire to dig the issue. A study contract was signed with STX France, which validated the technical feasibility of the intervention and its cost encrypted, resulting in the notification market repowering the two vessels. While studies conducted internally by Princess Cruises show that the cost of the operation will be amortized in a few years, the American company has, in addition, STX proposed use one of the bunkers, whose vessels does not ultimately serve as their fuel reserves are very important in order to create a new local machine ..

 

 

Work in January in the Bahamas

 

For several months, a team from France STX Services Department prepares the transaction, including the most spectacular will be completed next month on the Coral Princess. On the occasion of a drydock at Grand Bahama Shipyard site, the Bahamas, the ship will open its shell, so add a module with the new engine in place of the old fuel tank . At the same time, the boiler will be replaced by a well and reverse osmosis, as imagined by early STX France, an elevator crew will be changed on several bridges. While Princess Cruises is responsible for the purchase and delivery of equipment, the preparatory work is done upstream edge, the technical teams of the company, while the vessel is in operation. Then the intervention will continue after the transition to the site, in order to achieve progressively all the connections, perform the tests and obtain regulatory classification necessary for implementation of the new device. "This is a lengthy operation, with 8 months of preparatory work, 15 days to three weeks of drydock and after six months of work." While the assembly and testing are carried out by teams Princess, twenty French engineers and technicians must go to Grand Bahama Shipyard in January to oversee operations. "This case has brought such work to consultants and service purchases, but also work on specialist subcontractors who will work on the cooling system, or the modification of high voltage electric cables. This is a contract very interesting technically, because everyone can not do this, but also in terms of services rendered to the owner, who, thanks to our proposal and the work we've done together then, will be able to operate liners more efficient. "

[IECalCruiser]

Bon Yoyage Brian. Hope you and Janet have a wonderful cruise.

Donna, Thanks. Our cruise has started off very well :)