Application —  27 Oct 2014

The largest Geislinger coupling still in best condition after 70.000 hours in operation

The largest CRP-coupling ever produced at Geislinger is a BE 280/60/140U with a GMS Mark 4. Ten years ago this 36 ton coupling was installed in a VLCC mega-tanker. This “Very Large Crude Carrier” has a length of 333 meters and a width of 60 meters and holds 300,000 tonnes of crude oil.
Very large crude carrier with an installed crp geislinger coupling
Very large crude carrier with an installed crp geislinger coupling

CRP is the abbreviation for Counter Rotating Propeller. The two propellers of the two-stroke engine rotate in the opposite direction and thus save up to 15 % of fuel. Taking into account a consumption of 80 tonnes of heavy fuel each day this saves money and reduces the emission of CO ² significantly.

Geislinger crp coupling in operation
Geislinger crp coupling in operation

The after propeller is directly connected to the engine and turns in the engine’s direction of rotation. Approx. half of the engine power is transmitted by the outer part of the coupling to the planetary gear and drives the forward propeller in the reverse direction.

The service of the BE 280 was carried out directly on board the VLCC mega-tanker, which is a logistical as well as a technical challenge. After a few months of preparation a Geislinger service engineer conducted the service of the largest Geislinger coupling successfully: After 70.000 operating hours our CRP-coupling is in the best condition and therefore meets its demands for longevity and low maintenance costs.

Service of the geislinger crp coupling on board the VLCC with an endoscope
Service of the geislinger crp coupling on board the VLCC with an endoscope