Starting a full new life with a version upgrade

Dominikus-Ringeisen-Werk - reUP engines

Background

Church foundation Dominikus-Ringeisen-Werk (DRW) helps those with disabilities in more than 30 locations across Bavaria, providing housing, jobs, and a wide variety of training, advice, and services. For more than 20 years, DRW’s premises at its largest location in Ursberg, in the Bavarian county of Swabia, have been reliably heated and powered by three Jenbacher Type 3 combined heat and power (CHP) units. The plant’s total electrical output is more than 1.6 MW, and excess heat is fed back into the district heating network. The innovative technology of the Jenbacher solution, and its reliability as a standby power-enabled system, were key factors in DRW’s purchase decision.
DRW operates the CHP plant using Jenbacher myPlant Performance software, which delivers valuable real-time insights and continuous analytics concerning engine runtime and status, enabling DRW to make swift decisions.

Solution

The CHP plant originally was installed in late 1999/early 2000. After its first 60,000 hours of operation, DRW upgraded from version B to version C in 2013. Another 60,000 operating hours later, the foundation opted to upgrade to the latest technology again in 2021/22 as part of a major overhaul. To minimize downtime, DRW chose a Jenbacher reUp longblock engine from the Remanufacturing exchange program. Provided ahead of the existing engine upgrade, the reUp engine was pre-configured in detail at the Jenbacher factory, based on the customer’s agreed specifications, to ensure that it would be up and running quickly.

 

"Jenbacher Type 3 engines have kept us up and running reliably since 2000. Supported by Jenbacher experts with their focus on innovation, we keep pace with the latest developments. This is our second version upgrade, so our engines are now in their third life-cycle. And thanks to the upgrade, they now run even better and longer than before. We look forward to working with Jenbacher experts throughout the next lifecycle and feel well-equipped for the future."

Thomas Roth, head of Power and Engineering, Dominikus-Ringeisen-Werk (DRW, church foundation under public law)

Result

The key features of the next-generation 3F engine version are a new four-valve cylinder head with an improved cooling system and new valve and valve-seat materials, an optimized camshaft, a new piston concept, and an enhanced knock control and ignition system. With these technological design features, upgrading to the Jenbacher Type 3F engine version means that DRW’s Ursberg site is now more efficient and has lower emissions and lower oil costs—with scope for even more savings by using Jenbacher N Oil 40. What’s more, the upgrade also means that fewer oil filter changes are required. In addition, because DRW chose to add an optional maintenance interval extension until the next major overhaul, the engines now have a longer service life of 80,000 operating hours compared to the previous 60,000.

 

"Our past experience of Jenbacher upgrades was so positive that it was an easy decision for us to upgrade to the next generation of the Type 3F. Thanks to the improved fuel usage of the modern 3F generation engine, we have been able to both increase our profitability and reduce our environmental footprint."

Thomas Roth, head of Power and Engineering, Dominikus-Ringeisen-Werk (DRW, church foundation under public law)

3F upgrade customer benefits

• Greater efficiency: up to 2 percentage point improvement in fuel usage
• Lower emissions: smaller environmental footprint through compliance support with THC emissions regulations
• Reduced oil costs: life-cycle cost reduction due to less consumption and longer lube oil lifetime
• Convenient upgrade: to the latest technology during the major overhaul of the installed engines onsite
• Greater runtime (optional): maintenance interval extension to 80,000 operating hours before next major overhaul