ABB, Wärtsilä Cooperate to Reduce Bunker Consumption With Turbocharging Upgrades

Compressor wheel upgrades hold key to savings

ABB Turbocharging (ABB) says it is developing bunker saving technologies by applying power generator technology to marine engines, Read MT reports.

"In the preparatory project, testing has confirmed our experience that this upgrade will raise the engine's fuel efficiency by 0.5% and upward," said Reinier Bakker, OEM Service Sales Senior Manager with ABB.

While it was noted to appear a small improvement, Bakker said the fuel savings are estimated to be worth $40,000 annually per 10MW of engine power which could add up to over $100,000 in yearly fuel savings for large cruise ships.

Bakker said ABB is preparing upgrade packages for specific Wärtsilä marine engine models as a first step to wider applications, starting with upgrades to the TPL 73-A30 turbochargers in Wärtsilä W12V46 cruise ship engines.

The key to fuel savings is the new compressor wheel design, which ABB says can be fitted without large-scale changes to existing hardware and within two days.

The compressor wheel upgrade is said to translate to an increase in turbocharger speed margins and reduced engine exhaust gas temperature improving fuel efficiency and potentially reducing maintenance costs.

"This is a logical step because cruise ships are powered by what is essentially a floating electrical power plant, and they use the same Wärtsilä engine types as many land-based power stations," said Bakker.

"Hence, much of the work we have done on land can be readily translated to the cruise ship context," he continued.

ABB's Process Automation division announced earlier this year that its Onboard DC Grid reduced fuel use by 27 percent for platform supply vessels.