Performing to Perfection

1|12 The customer magazine of ABB Turbocharging charge! Switzerland Performing to perfection Powered to perfection 4 Aboard an AIDA cruise Diesel-electric on the rails 14 ABB turbochargers for cleaner, more efficient locos Cogeneration aids regeneration 16 Brittany improves water quality and energy balance From the editor Still cruisin’ AIDAmar Enabling smooth, clean propulsion A detailed look at a famous 04 and a luxury lifestyle. 11 operator’s latest club ship. charge! 1|12 The ABB group is a global leader in power ABB Turbocharging’s part in these appli- and automation, with a strong role in the cations is clear: ever since their inven- transmission and distribution of electricity. tion, turbochargers have improved the In this issue of charge! we illustrate how fuel efficiency, power output and exhaust ABB Turbocharging complements these gas emissions of internal combustion activities with its vital role in the efficient engines. Using the energy in the engine’s production of electricity in power and exhaust gases to supply additional com- cogeneration plants. Indeed, the theme bustion air, a source of energy that would of this issue is the unusual and avant- otherwise be wasted increases engine garde power plants using diesel and gas power by a massive 300 %, reduces fuel engines with ABB turbochargers. consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by over 10 %, and keeps harmful It may be a surprise to learn that most emissions to a minimum. diesel locomotives represent a mobile power or even cogeneration plant; that Even after 100 years of development cruise ships have floating power stations there is still huge potential to take these for both their propulsion and all the needs improvements further. Our latest high Jonathan Walker of their passengers; or that sewage pressure, high efficiency single stage Editor works and waste disposal sites are often turbochargers and, above all, our Power2 ABB Turbo Systems Ltd also producers of heat for processes two stage turbocharging systems are or buildings and power for the grid. In enabling our customers to comply with fact, as you can read in this issue, ABB commitments on emissions, counter rising turbochargers are involved in pioneering fuel prices with improved fuel efficiency, the use of renewable fuels in high effi- and further raise productivity by improv- ciency power plants with virtually zero ing the ratio of engine power to engine carbon footprints. weight and size. 2 ABB charge! 1|12 Contents Rail traction Géotexia ABB turbochargers target allround Sustainable heat and power from the most 14 improvements. 16 unusual source. Unusual power generation News 4 Powered to perfection 19 People, products, records Aboard an AIDA cruise 11 AIDAmar Floating hotel and floating power station Tips for the operator 14 Diesel-electric on the rails 20 Original Parts and Original Service ABB turbochargers for cleaner, more efficient locos The best way to best performance 16 Cogeneration aids regeneration Brittany improves water quality and energy balance Recipe 22 AIDA appetizer Service in action Pasta and prawns from the cruising cookbook 9 Servicing the ultimate service industry ABB maintains carefree cruising ABB charge! 1|12 3 Marine power Powered to perfection 2200 passengers enjoy a Canary Islands dream cruise aboard the AIDAsol, unaware of the part four diesel generators play in the success of the voyage. Onboard comfort depends heavily on generator power, as this report shows. Text: Tiziana Ossola Auf der Maur, Photography Sergio Villalba Morales, AIDA he cruise voyage on the are already enjoying coffee and cakes the spa area, lifts, air-conditioning, the AIDAsol is fully booked. A as they take in the view of Santa Cruz; hospital – everything is fully functional. steady stream of passengers, others take advantage of the afternoon And so are the more mundane, but nec- T 2200 in all, arrive on a Satur- sun on the wind-shielded sundecks. essary facilities working behind the day afternoon in March in the port of Even before the ship sets sail, guests scenes, like the laundry, the water Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Check-in goes are able to make full use of this floating treatment plant and waste management smoothly and there are no queues. Holi- resort’s facilities: bars and restaurants, system. day excitement is palpable. AIDAsol is due to sail at 23:00 hours. On Deck 5 a long white carpet invites passengers to enter the fascinating world inside the imposing ship. Getting your bearings is an early priority: Which way is the bow, which way is the stern? Where Even before the ship sets sail, all the hotel facilities are the restaurants? Some passengers are fully functional. That requires power. 4 ABB charge! 1|12 Marine power Rooms with a view – more than 450 cabins have balconies. ABB charge! 1|12 5 Marine power Chief Engineer Eduard Porringa explains: at present only one of the four diesel generator sets is running. The technical heart of the ship Should one engine room fail completely, the second All of these need power. On the lowest decks, towards the back of the ship, are can provide the ship with all the power it needs. four diesel generators, each fitted with Not a single facility would lack power, notes Chief an ABB turbocharger (see interview on Engineer Poringa. page 9). This is where all the power for the guest facilities and the ship’s propulsion is generated. Right now, with the ship still tied up in the port, just one unit is running, and only at about half power. Chief Engineer Eduard Porringa and Senior Engineer Björn Tams monitor the generator’s operation from their offices on Deck 3. Eight percent of the power is for the air-conditioning alone, they explain. The generator also provides the base-load power for the lights, motors and pumps on board that are not yet in operation. Club versus luxury hotel industry in 1996. The aim was to get the fleet is continually growing. May 2012 Exciting “Club Resorts”, rather than those 25- to 40-year-olds onto cruise and May 2013 will see the ninth and the same old cruise voyages with mostly ships who had until then not considered tenth AIDA ship enter service. ABB Turbo- older guests expecting formal dress them as an attractive holiday option. The charging has partnered AIDA Cruises from events and traditional dining arrange- idea was a success. AIDA passengers the beginning. Every one of the diesel ments – this was the concept with which are today, across the whole fleet, on generators on the AIDA cruise ships is AIDA Cruises shook up the cruise tourist average 42 years old. To meet demand, supercharged with an ABB turbocharger. 6 ABB charge! 1|12 Marine power The holiday heart of the ship When it comes to leisure activities, AIDAsol’s passengers are spoilt for choice: seven eating places, including an onboard German brewery and celebrated gourmet restaurant; 13 bars; 3D and 4D cinemas; a fitness studio, casino and disco; excur- sions; in fact, something for everyone. And then there is the entertainment program: professional shows bring glamor and thrills every evening to the Theatrium, where hundreds of spectators on three decks can watch trapeze artists fly through the air as they perform breath- taking acrobatic acts, all without a safety net. The Theatrium is in fact the heart of the ship for passengers. The stage equipment, especially the lighting, requires a Open deck 12 with its stage and pool. lot of electrical power, says Senior Engi- neer Tams. During the shows, when the galleys are also in operation, the power demand jumps by about 500 kilowatts to around 4.8 megawatts. The diesel- generator ramps up enough extra power to meet the increased demand. The base-load power supply on this floating mini-city is complex. All systems – like the heating, the ship’s propulsion, or the waste food dryer – are installed in confined spaces. The same is true of the power generation system. While the majority of this equipment goes unno- ticed by the passengers, it all has to be in perfect running order and totally dependable. The 24-hour illumination of all public spaces and corridors is a case in point. Senior Engineer Tams notes that hundreds of crew members work in areas where there is no daylight, adding Evening departures and morning arrivals ensure sustained excitement. “We have to guarantee enough light in these sectors. Anything you could possi- bly trip over has to be easy to see.” During the shows, when the galleys are also in operation, power demand jumps by about 500 kilowatts to around 4.8 megawatts. Professional entertainers bring glamor and thrills to every evening. ABB charge! 1|12 7 Marine power AIDAsol in the harbor at Santa Cruz de Tenerife. In the background the iconic Auditorio de Tenerife by Santiago Calatrava. With the ship still tied up in the harbor one generator Contrasted with the overall size of the is running, and only at about half power. ship, the diesel generators are like small batteries. “When all four units are run- Eight percent of it is for just the air-conditioning. ning at their rated output, the total power produced, 36 megawatts, is enough to keep a town with a population of 25,000 supplied with electricity,” says Tams, illustrating the enormous potential of the installed diesel generators. In reality, though, the total output is around 14.1 megawatts, one third for the hotel facilities and two thirds for the ship’s propulsion. In a passenger announcement, the captain reveals that for the first night Let the fun start A ship designed to “help itself” out on the Atlantic waves between two It is nearly 23:00 hours, and on Deck The two other identical diesel genera- and three meters high are expected, 12 the party is already in full swing.

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