CHANGZHOU, PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA: China is about to become the new world shipyard power. In the next few years, it will assume South Korea’s number 1 position. HOERBIGER is a worldwide leading manufacturer of explosion relief valves for diesel ship engines. In order to take part in the growth of the maritime shipping industry in Asia, HOERBIGER built its own explosion relief valve plant in Changzhou, allowing the company to work more closely with the Chinese shipbuilding industry. (Page 14) PHOTO: Papu Pramod Mondhe Pramod Papu PHOTO:
08
09 iant ocean-going ships for the world market come into being. Just over six miles from Shanghai’s ultra-modern Pudong district, new g www.hoerbiger.com HOERBIGER Valves (Changzhou) Co., Ltd.
014
015
THE DRAGON HAS LEARNED TO SWIM …
Rust-red steel—not scrap, but carefully cut rectangular sections—fi lls the docks along the banks of the Huangpu River. Further along, the steel takes shape; segments of ships can be identifi ed, bulbous bows, stem sections, parts of bulkheads and decks. All these components are waiting to be assembled. Where oceangoing freighters are built from the individual sections, glowing steel sprays from the welders’ tools. The shipyard smells of ozone, scorched air and iron slag. Constantly in motion, the overhead cranes with their ear-piercing safety alarms mark the pulse of shipyard activity. TEXT: Marcus Franken · PHOTOS: Papu Pramod Mondhe hina’s shipbuilding industry blos- art consists of the ability to produce the massive crew are missing as well as various electrical mo- soms in the heart of Shanghai, segments so exactly that each piece fits into the tors and other technical equipment. The freight- about six miles from the ultramod- next, despite the tendency of steel to bend and er’s loading cranes are also not installed yet. ern Pudong financial center. Steel buckle under the heat produced by cutting and plates are transformed into ocean- welding. “The ship will carry heavy cargo,” the shipowner Cgoing giants. It is not unusual for shipowners explains. The cargo holds will carry everything from Europe, the USA, Japan, and China to place Week by Week a new seagoing Ship that is too large or heavy for a container, such as large orders of up to ten ships of a single type. At the shipyard that we are visiting, four sister crane parts and container bridges, turbines, ships are being built at the same time. Individu- wind power systems, and even rolling stock. Series Production for a Global Market al ship components are strewn about for the last While one ship is docked in the Huangpu River vessel. For the layman, it is inconceivable how a Engine Technology from Europe— receiving final fit and finish, the gantry cranes seaworthy ship could be constructed from Safety from China lay the stern of the sister ship. Meanwhile, the coarse metal plates. It is deceptive: each week The sound of work shoes echoes in the hull; the components of the midship of a third vessel are the workers celebrate the completion of a ship scent of oil fills the nose; the constant whirring joined. Each individual segment would dwarf a with fireworks and exploding firecrackers as the of ventilators and pumps is in the air. Four steep four-story building. ship is launched. stairways below the deck is the massive diesel drive. The MAN engine is the size of a small The electrical and hydraulic lines required for In one of the shipyards in Shanghai, a shipown- house; the exhaust line is comparable to an in- operation have already been installed into the er takes us to a ship being built for him. The ves- dustrial chimney. Bearing the Augsburg type double-walled side sections. Piping for liquid sel awaits a sea trial. On the steel gangway we plate of the MAN production site, the engine management in the ship has likewise been pro- meet men coming on board to perform the final produces almost 10,000 kW or 13,600 horse- vided. On several steel hulls the openings for the construction tasks. The funnels have to be power. The ship diesel engines produced there 016 future portholes can be seen. The shipbuilder’s painted again, the entire interior fittings for the are equipped with HOERBIGER pressure relief valves, as is this engine. 017
The HOERBIGER relief valves, which contribute The engine is the size of a small house; to preventing damage resulting from an oil mist The giant oceangoing vessels are assembled piece explosion in the engine crankcase, were pro- by piece in the shipyard. The massive segments are the exhaust line is comparable to duced at the HOERBIGER Ventilwerke GmbH & produced so that each part is a perfect fit to the next. Co. KG in Vienna, Austria. Soon European man- Huge cranes move the respective components into an industrial chimney. ufacturers will increasingly produce marine the correct position. engines for the world market under license in China. In order to supply them as well as local manufacturers on site, HOERBIGER Valves (Changzhou) Co., Ltd. was established. Europe- an safety engineering—made in China.
Experts of the inspection company Germanischer Lloyd examine one of the HOERBIGER relief valves installed in the engines (picture below).
The huge engine extends across several levels in the ship’s hull. HOERBIGER relief valves in the lower area help to prevent damage resulting from oil mist explosions. The new production plant in Changzhou allows HOERBIGER to supply local engine manufacturers. By 2015 the World’s largest Shipyard: China’s wide. In 2005, the entire grounds of the ship- population of Changxing has moved away to make Shipbuilding Industry continues to grow yard were still undeveloped acreage and farm- room for shipyard expansion. When Shanghai tourists sail down the Huangpu land. Today container ships capable of bearing in their tour boats, passing the heavy goods and more than 8,000 containers are built here. Next The ambitions of the CSSC are emblematic of container terminals and the small white light- to the hulls, the laborers moving in large groups the aspirations of the Chinese shipbuilding in- house where the Huangpu empties into the to the cafeterias resemble ants. dustry as a whole. With 60 subsidiaries and Yangtze, they can see the giant shipyards of more than 100,000 laborers and other employ- Changxing Island on the other river bank. The CSSC intends to grow further—all the way to the ees the state-owned enterprise, founded in heavy red overhead cranes display the CSSC lo- tip of Changxing Island: in a few years, blazing 1999, seeks to be the largest shipbuilder in the go of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation. welding equipment will take the place of blossom- world by 2015. By then, it plans to produce an ing mandarin orange plantations and small houses annual capacity of 14 million deadweight tons; At this site, the shipbuilding facility of the CSSC lying between the fields. The old shipyards in the this means that CSSC alone would commission is two and a half miles long and almost a mile center of Shanghai have long been too small. The two heavy cargo ships per day.
018
019
PART
HOERBIGER Explosion Protection Valves In the future, gas-powered and dual-fuel engines will gain in importance in In the fifties, there was tremendous hazard potential on ships from oil mist the maritime field because their combustion is more environmentally explosions. Explosions in engine crankcases resulted in equipment failure, friendly in comparison with conventional diesel engines. Many of these en- disabling the ships. The number of marine accidents rose and ships were gine concepts already meet the International Maritime Organization’s IMO frequently lost due to the severe consequences of these explosions. An ad- Tier III emissions regulations scheduled to take effect in 2016. The neces- equate solution that would prevent these devastating catastrophes was sary safety on board is provided, amongst others, by HOERBIGER relief needed for engine manufacturers, shipyards, shipping companies, and in- valves. surance companies.
HOERBIGER Ventilwerke in Vienna recognized the need. Its engineers managed to develop a relief valve for marine diesel engines which signifi- cantly mitigated the consequences of oil mist explosions. As a result, en- PART OF gine failures that were due to oil mist explosions were prevented. HOERBIGER Valves (Changzhou) Co., Shipyards are considered a key segment of heavy industry. Both South Ltd. started production in 2009. The Explosion protection in ship engines remains the largest field of application Korea and China have massively expanded their capacities with state sub- new location in Changzhou manufac- of HOERBIGER’s relief valves. HOERBIGER is a global market leader in this sidies. The People’s Republic continues to be the owner of the CSSC as well tures relief valves for marine engines. segment. In 2009, HOERBIGER established HOERBIGER Valves (Chang- as other shipyards. These include the IACS-certified EVO zhou) Co., Ltd, a new site for the manufacture of relief valves for ship engines. and EVS series. Due to low labor costs compared to other markets worldwide, today ships Ship engines today primarily use the EVO and EVS type series certified by for mass transport are only built in Asia. Europe, with a world market share the IACS (International Association of Classification Societies). They reliably reduced to 5 percent, primarily builds special-purpose and cruise ships; meet the relevant UR M9 and M66 regulations. engineering services, however, are provided worldwide.
Explosion Protection for Intake and Exhaust Pipes In January 2011, the China Daily newspaper announced that during the A new interesting application for HOERBIGER relief valves is the protection first half of 2010, Chinese shipbuilders for the first time overtook the previ- from gas explosions in intake and exhaust pipes of gas-powered and dual- fuel ous market leader South Korea in the number of incoming orders. All mar- engines. At present, the EVT and EVM series relief valves developed for these ket watchers expect that in a few years China will also surpass South Korea applications are employed both in stationary systems and in marine use. in the cargo capacity of ships built.