GE Transportation recently introduced the L250, a new inline medium-speed diesel engine family, custom designed for a variety of marine applications. Specifically, the L250 provides a fuel consumption savings upwards of 9% when compared to GE’s V228 medium-speed diesels. In terms of emissions, the L250 can be upgraded to meet future United States Environmental Protection Agency Tier III emissions requirements, while adhering to present Tier II standards.

In its six cylinder configuration, the L250 offers the following continuous outputs: 1498 kilowatts (kW)/2009 horsepower (hp) at 900 rpm; 1664 kW/2232 hp at 1000 rpm; and 1748 kW/2344 hp at 1050 rpm. In its eight cylinder configuration, the continuous outputs are: 1998 kW/2679 hp at 900 rpm; 2219 kW/2976 hp at 1000 rpm and 2330 kW/3125 hp at 1050 rpm (see engine specifications on page 3).

Many design attributes of the L250 can be traced back to GE’s V250 diesel family, which currently boasts 3,000 engines in service worldwide. For example, the L250 features the V250 engine’s camshafts, fuel system, exhaust manifold, power assemblies, bearings and turbocharger. These components carried over from the V-engine platform to the new in-line series offer customers proven reliability.

The mainframe has optimized ribs and an integrated air manifold, and the crankshaft has wide webs and tangent fillets. Other components new to the L250 include the engine’s air and oil filters, fuel pump, low and high temperature thermostatic valves, and sea water pump. Furthermore, the L250 is inherently designed with accessories engine-mounted for ease of maintenance and installation, and comes with a power take-off system already included so a separate auxiliary engine is not required to drive equipment.