Mercury Marine has chosen DNV's Nauticus Machinery software for analysis and validation of inboard and sterndrive engines, including transmission and driveline configurations. This is the first time the leading shipping industry software is being used for recreational size marine engines.
Analysis of torsional vibration
The Torsional Vibration tool in Nauticus Machinery is a leading application for the shipping industry for torsional vibration analysis. Torsional vibration can cause fatigue in engine components, leading eventually to possible breakage of shafts or other machinery parts. With the aid of the software, engineers can prevent this damage by optimizing the design. They can also perform analyses on configurations that have been affected by fatigue, which enables understanding of the underlying causes.
DNV’s Nauticus Machinery software is primarily used in the shipping industry, for larger ships such as tankers, bulk carriers and container ships. Mercury Marine produces outboard, inboard and sterndrive engines for recreational and commercial use. Gasoline or diesel inboards and sterndrives power everything from small boats with 115 HP engines to large recreational yachts with 430 HP engines. For Nauticus Machinery, this represents a new market.
Gasoline and diesel inboard and sterndrive configurations
“We purchased Nauticus Machinery marine propulsion systems specifically for gasoline and diesel inboard and sterndrive configurations,” says Jeremy Halfmann, structural analysis engineer at Mercury Marine.
Mercury Marine pairs and sells thousands of these engine-drive packages as standard pairings. In addition, boat builders also purchase engines and pair them with transmissions and drivelines other than those in the standard packages, resulting in configurations that are produced less frequently.
“Both of these instances require analysis and validation of each configuration. We wanted the ability to perform the analysis in-house,” says Halfmann. Other automotive-related software tools are not tailored for marine-specific parameters. Now the company can compare their own analysis results from Nauticus Machinery’s Torsional Vibration with results provided by the supplier of the coupler.
Durability requirements
“We want to perform analyses to see whether the combination of components will pass durability requirements and the ability to test each configuration as it comes up. Nauticus Machinery Torsional Vibration adds value to us,” says Halfmann. “There is a lot of knowledge and capability all in one package.”
About Mercury Marine
Mercury Marine has been making world-class outboards and sterndrives for more than 75 years. From the beginnings in a small machine shop in Wisconsin in 1939, the company has grown into the largest builder of marine propulsion systems in the world, resetting the standards for reliable, trouble-free performance, superior power and torque, low emission and low fuel consumption.
