A turbocharger retrofit by MAN Diesel & Turbo in Frederikshavn took just five weeks from enquiry to execution
Faroese trawler Sjurdaberg was built in 1985 and its main engine dates back to the same time. This MAN 9L28/32A Alpha engine and NA34/K turbocharger have put in more than 115,000 operating hours over thirty years of fishing in the north Atlantic.
With a major overhaul of its propulsion gear planned, it quickly became clear that replacing the trawler’s turbocharger would be the most efficient and cost-effective option for the trawler’s long-term future.
‘During the retrofit, we replaced the original axial MAN NA34/K unit that had served so well with a modern, radial MAN TCR20 turbocharger,’ said Gottfried Eberle, at MAN Diesel & Turbo.
The job was done by MAN Diesel & Turbo at Frederikshavn, in close co-operation with Turbocharger Retrofit in Augsburg, who report that the modification from axial to radial was particularly challenging as the foundations required alteration and there was a need to instal new intermediate sections and pipework. In addition, the exhaust-gas pipe had to be fitted to the new turbocharger.
‘The main advantages of the new turbocharger are its small size and efficiency, and its short reaction time in the event of load changes. Sjurdaberg has really been given a new lease of life,’ Gottfried Eberle said.
All of the assembly pieces were manufactured on-site in Frederikshavn to a tight schedule with the retrofit itself completed in only ten days.
The subsequent bollard-pull test delivered convincing results. The trawler owner was highly satisfied with the retrofit and the subsequent benefits from increased performance and reliability, availability of spare parts and reduced maintenance costs.
