25% More Speed with 10 % More Output

• Mangusta 80 - Conversion to 2000 common rail engines
• “Blue Line” electronic system controls the entire drive system
• An additional 9 knots compared to the previous drive system
• More comfort on board

In Cannes, mtu introduced its new yacht engines, the 10V 2000 Common Rail, in a normal environment for the first time. These engines were built into a Mangusta 80 yacht, in fact into the Serial No. 1 of this boat (model year 1992). mtu has performed extensive tests with this boat in order to test the reliability of the new engines.

For this purpose, mtu dismantled the drive system installed into the boat, replacing it with a new one. The main components consist of the prototype motors 10V 2000 Common Rail, the electronic monitoring and control system “Blue Line” as well as a new transmission and new propellers. Although the 2000 Common Rail drive system has only 10% more power than the engines of the previous version, the yacht is 25% faster than before. This is mainly the result of the engine’s efficient performance and the yacht’s electronic system “Blue Line”, which optimally connects and integrates all drive components with one another.

Extensive Engine Tests

The purpose of the conversion was to test the prototype engines under the toughest conditions possible in order to ascertain their endurance and to improve them as needed before their series production is begun. This was why a boat with an Arneson drive was selected. This surface propulsion system places greater demands on the engine, compared to conventional propellers and water jets, because the load suspension is much greater. The engines were tested over a period of 150 hours in numerous test cycles that are considerably more demanding than any deployment in everyday use. In this context, more than 350 individual values were recorded and compared with the corresponding values of the previous engine systems. The measurements were taken by Seatek, an independent testing institute that has documented its findings in a test report of 100 pages. In order to provide comparable results, Seatek has implemented the most important tests also using the engines deployed in the previous model.

The prototype tests were preceded by extensive endurance runs on the test bench. Over a total of 600 hours, more than 3,000 test cycles were run, in which various stress and load conditions were simulated. Some of the cycles consisted of runs on swiveling test benches simulating the tilt of the engines in a boat. Nonetheless, tests in so-called real-life trial systems are necessary because, to cite one example, it is not possible to satisfactorily simulate the vibrations of an engine that has been mounted into a yacht and the shocks it is subjected to when the yacht hits a wave trough.

“Blue Line” Electronic System Controls the Entire Drive System

The good performance delivered by the drive system is based not only on the engines’ high torque and good load suspension characteristics, but also on the best possible harmonization between all drive components. To safeguard this, mtu deploys the electronic monitoring and control system “Blue Line”, which it developed in-house and manufactures itself. Blue Line not only controls and monitors the engine, but also the transmission and the propeller, and this consistently in an inter-dependent manner. This ensures that an optimum propulsive power is always available, but that the engine and the transmission are never overloaded.

In the case of the Mangusta 80 yacht, the skipper benefits considerably from this integrated control system. Whether gently maneuvering the yacht in the harbor without jolting or accelerating it to maximum speed there is optimum use of the boat’s power.

Thus, for example, an overly fast acceleration of the engine is prevented at the start, since this would only cause the propellers to spin in the water without any propulsion effect.

An Additional 9 Knots Compared to Previous Drive System

Although each of the 2000 Common Rail engines has only 150 hp more output at 3,000 hp than the engines previously installed at 2,700 hp, the yacht attains a maximum speed of 39 knots. That’s an additional 9 knots compared to the predecessor engine, measured under identical conditions, including the total weight of the yacht. Furthermore, each engine weighs 283 kg less than the original engines, not including the weight saved as a result of the simplified exhaust-gas routing. The exhaust system has been simplified insofar as the 2000 Common Rail engines have only one instead of two exhaust-gas outlets in keeping with the standard for all other engines of this range. Accordingly, only one instead of two exhaust pipes per engine is necessary – which means that more space is also available. This weight reduction entails further advantages for the yacht. Thus, the owner can store greater amounts of fuel, install more furnishings or host more guests on board without having to fear that this will impact negatively on the handling of the yacht.

More Comfort on Board

Although the engines have ten percent more power compared to the previous engines, they are 40 centimeters shorter, 20 centimeters flatter and 20 centimeters narrower. In the Mangusta 80 yacht this change is hardly noticeable since the original size of the engine compartment has been retained. The new compact size has positive effects in particular for newly constructed yachts, whose engine compartments have been correspondingly reduced and whose cabin space can be proportionately increased.

Thanks to the common rail injection system, the engines on the Mangusta 80 yacht are noticeably quiet. This system contributes to reducing the structure-borne noise and noise transmitted through the air and thus ensures a quiet drive system.