BUILDING A 13,600HP MEGA DIESEL ENGINE

If you have ever wondered what powers large ships across vast oceans, then this documentary on building a 13,600hp mega diesel engine is for you.

We've all seen these incredibly large ocean-going vessels making their way through the high seas, delivering people and cargo from port to port across the world. But, have you ever wondered what propels these mega vessels.

In this WELT documentary, we join MTU Friedrichshafen, a brand of Rolls-Royce Power Systems as they build a 13,6000hp mega diesel engine.

Their factory sits on the idyllic shores of Lake Constance in Germany, where engineers and mechanics create these colossal engines. The MTU Series 8000 powerplant measures 7 metres long, 2 metres wide, and 3,5 metres high – making it the size of a steam locomotive. It is a 350-litre 20-cylinder common-rail diesel engine that uses 2000 litres of fuel per hour.

Creating this giant is an incredibly difficult affair. For instance, their foundry needs to fire up three large furnaces to melt 16 tons of metal to cast just the crankcase. The metalworkers give us a rundown of the process used to cast the 1,500-degree molten metal, no easy chore.

The precision of engineering is a feat in itself, and the attention to detail is exquisite. In this documentary, WELT dives deep into the intricate process of powering an ocean-going vessel, and it's fascinating. It's worth the watch, so you should press play on the video below now, you'll definitely learn something new today.