Monitoring Two-Stroke Diesel Engine Combustion
Wärtsilä has introduced its Intelligent Combustion Monitoring system for two-stroke diesel engines. The system provides ship operators and owners with significant benefits by providing information that enables operators to optimise vessel engine performance, and to be aware of the condition of components in the combustion chamber. The Wärtsilä Intelligent Combustion Monitoring system integrates the ABB Cylmate system.
By operating at optimal firing pressures, fuel cost savings of up to 2% compared to deteriorated parameters can be achieved. Furthermore, the condition information ensures that maintenance is carried out at the right time, thereby avoiding off-hire costs and improving the engine’s reliability and overall performance.
The Intelligent Combustion Monitoring system has the ability and real time capacity to collect the combustion pressures and angle values for each cylinder, in parallel and simultaneously, stroke by stroke. The crankshaft deflection is calculated on a continuous basis, thus ensuring that the information given is accurate regardless of engine load conditions. The monitored data covers, amongst other things, the thermal overload of individual cylinders (MIP); the mechanical overload of individual cylinders (Pmax); the optimal fuel efficiency; power readings (MIP and IPOW); the condition of the cylinders (Pmax + diagram shape); load dependent monitoring of the combustion parameters (MIP, Pmax, aPmax, Pcomp, Ptdc, Pign, aPign, etc.) and comparisons between cylinders; the tracking of gas leaks due to worn liners or broken piston rings (Pcomp); the tracking of exhaust valve components (Pcomp); and the tracking of the fuel equipment (Pmax + diagram shape).
The Wärtsilä Intelligent Combustion Monitoring system integrates the well-known ABB Cylmate system, for which ABB and Wärtsilä have signed a co-operation and distribution agreement earlier this year. Under this agreement, Wärtsilä takes responsibility for global sales, installation, and lifetime service of the system for all two-stroke engines, both for upgrades to engines in operation and as an option for new-buildings.
Early 2011 Wärtsilä will introduce an Intelligent Combustion Control system for its electronically controlled two-stroke RT-flex engines. This system utilises the measured data in the engine’s control system, and automatically adjusts the compression and firing pressures within the engine’s performance and NOx regulation limits. The result is well-balanced engine performance, and optimized fuel efficiency. The solutions will also be available as a combined system for RT-flex engines.