NEW ORLEANS – Dec. 5, 2012 – Volvo Penta’s premium power for the marine professional was selected for the main propulsion system in the new tugboat Ted Kayser, which is being christened this month on the New Orleans waterfront.
The new 60-ft vessel was designed by Entech & Associates of Houma, La., and constructed by Eymard Marine Construction & Repair of Harvey, La., for Kathryn Rae Towing of Hahnville, La. It’s powered by two Volvo Penta D16 diesel engines, each providing continuous 650 hp at 1,800 rpm. The engines drive a pair of Rolls Royce four-bladed stainless steel propellers through Twin Disc MGX5222 5.04:1 marine gears.
“This is a significant milestone for Volvo Penta,” said Ron Huibers, president of Volvo Penta of the Americas. “It’s the first Gulf Coast tugboat to be fitted with our D16 engines, which are designed specifically to meet the needs of heavy-duty displacement commercial vessels.”
“Special thanks to the great team at Allemand Industries, our Volvo Penta Power Center in Harvey, which provided outstanding technical support in specifying, installing, testing and fine-tuning the engines and controls,” Huibers added. Allemand Industries has been dedicated to the marine and industrial engine service and repair business for the last 30 years. Established in 1981 by the Allemand family, the company and its staff have a long lasting business relationship with each of their customers. As a Power Center for Volvo Penta marine commercial engines, Allemand supports the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and the Gulf Coast and Red River Valley areas of Texas.
David LeBlanc, product manager at Allemand, said, “The D16 engines are ideally suited for tugboats because their low-end torque enables the vessel to start pushing when the rpm reaches 1,100. The result is good momentum from the start at a lower rpm and better fuel economy.” The D16 is the only marine engine in its class with this unique torque curve.
The D16 is an inline six-cylinder engine with Volvo Penta’s Electronic Vessel Control (EVC) technology. The engine features a robust block with ladder frame, high-pressure unit injector system, four valves per cylinder, twin-entry turbo and charge air cooler. The heat exchanger is designed for reduced charge-air cooling temperature, which in combination with the injection system and Engine Management System further improves performance and drivability. This results in a very smooth running engine with world-class performance, low-fuel consumption and reduced emissions.
About Volvo Penta
Volvo Penta, with more than 5,000 dealers in over 130 countries, is a world-leading and global manufacturer of engines and complete power systems for both marine and industrial applications. Volvo Penta is part of the Volvo Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of trucks, buses, construction equipment, and drive systems for marine and industrial applications. For more information, visit http://www.volvopenta.com/.