Wärtsilä, the marine industry’s leading provider of innovative products,
solutions and services, has inaugurated its new test facility for future
propulsion products and technology. The Wärtsilä Propulsion Test Centre has been
established in close cooperation with VTT.
VTT and Wärtsilä are working together to develop propulsion products and
technology in a test centre established and funded by Wärtsilä. The resources
for operating the facility are provided by VTT.
The new facility enables Wärtsilä to speed the development of new,
high-quality and environmentally sound propulsion products together with
research institutes, universities and suppliers. The test centre will have a
central role in propulsion-related research and development activities carried
out by the company. In particular, the test centre will be used for functional
and endurance testing, with emphasis on mechanical power transfer.
The test installation can accommodate thrusters up to slightly above 2 MW in
power. The main components are a frequency converter with an electrical motor
and generator, a specially designed gearbox, and a hydraulic loading system. The
test centre covers an area of about 200 square metres, and is capable of running
tests around the clock.
