Measuring consumption helps save fuel
Kral fuel consumption measurement
Austrian company Kral claims to offer the marine industry’s most precise positive displacement fuel consumption measurement (FCM) system, which allows fuel-saving modifications to be verified instantly.
The company says that about 80% of diesel engine operating costs are fuel costs. For efficient engine operation with low emissions, electronic control and monitoring systems are required. Harsh operating conditions like fluid pulsation, temperature variations and vibrations have previously made this difficult. Kral says its system is robust and precise, accurate to ±0,1% reproducible to0,01% and with a measurement range of up to 100:1, assessed by calibration and testing institutes.
According to Kral, its system is used by leading engine manufacturers and suppliers of engine control systems. The precise measured values enable determination of specific fuel oil consumption (SFOC) and fuel conversion efficiency (FCE), helping to reduce costs and allow engine performance monitoring. The Kral system recognises flow and temperature excesses, reverse fuel flows and circulation rate. With the help of this data, engine malfunctions can be detected.
For more extensive analysis Kral offers software for the data acquisition and evaluation. In multiple engine installations the Kral FCM indicates the fuel consumption of each individual engine on a central display. Kral points out that accurate single flow meters are essential, and provides software to allow programming, evaluation and analysis of the flow measurement application data on a PC.
The company says that its system maintains accuracy of the fuel viscosity, so it is suitable for use on ships operating in ECAs, particularly during the critical changeover period between HFO and distillate fuels. Another way of reducing emissions, Kral says, is to consume less fuel in the first place. Providing real-time fuel consumption data to the bridge will result in reduced fuel consumption, and thus lower emissions, by improving operating behavior.
The Kral BEM 800 FCM integrates the Kral Volumeter, BEM 500 electronics and onboard GPS data for a precise evaluation of the fuel usage per nautical mile. The BEM 800 FCM offers a fuel consumption display and data storage capability along with GPS data and speed calculations. The 15in or 8in unit shows either a numeric or graphical display, and can show multiple engines on one screen. The system stores one year of data and integrates analysis templates to show the history of recorded events and voyage based statistics. Recorded data and results can be transferred via USB and e-mail.
SFOC can be measured and displayed in g/kWh at different engine loads, determined from the precise fuel mass flow rate. Engine power is determined from the speed and the shaft torque. The Kral BEM 820 ADV processes torque and rotation speed data to calculate SFOC.
The BEM 810 RD remote display enables fuel consumption measurements from the BEM 500 to be viewed on the ship’s bridge on a large dimmable screen. GPS data can be integrated to give a measurement of fuel consumption per nautical mile. The easy-to-operate BEM 810 RD may be used as a repeater unit for other Kral electronic instruments.
The Kral BEM 830 BKR integrates the Volumeter and BEM 500 for bunkering applications, enabling owners to double-check bunker fuel delivery.
The company says that it has more than 400 fuel consumption measurement systems in successful operation, with about 60% used to measure HFO, 30% for diesel oil, and the remainder operated in dual fuel mode.
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