Growing the ABB Ability portfolio, ABB Turbocharging was introduced in Shanghai and is the company’s first digital turbocharging solution for enhanced performance, operational flexibility and lower operating costs.
These solutions will further harness the power of digitalisation through connection to the vessel optimisation system and ABB’s Collaborative Operations Centres for the marine sector. This combines the collective expertise of ABB in marine propulsion, optimisation, advisory, and turbocharging, with digital connectivity, the company claimed.
In addition, ABB has acquired Tekomar XEPERT, a performance analysis and advisory software solution.
Tekomar XPERT brings fuel savings across entire fleets through analysis of actual operation and performance data, compared to sea trial and test data, identifying low performance on any engine at any load and providing recommendations for action.
Available for all marine segments and currently in operation on over 1,000 vessels, Tekomar XPERT is targeted at 2-stroke and auxiliary engines enabling increased efficiency of reporting and better collaboration for improved engine condition and maintenance.
ABB has also extended its SIKO concept (Sicherheitskonzept/safety concept) through digitalisation, bringing to market ABB Ability Digital SIKO for turbocharger reliability.
Slow-steaming, now the standard in the merchant marine industry, brings changes in vessel operations. Based on the SIKO calculations for exchange intervals, Digital SIKO, first available for 2-stroke applications, incorporates data from individual turbocharger operation.
Depending on turbocharger utilisation, an individual turbocharger assessment leads to an updated recommended exchange interval and might allow for extended turbocharger operation - resulting in optimised maintenance costs.
Under Digital SIKO, extended parts are guaranteed from ‘drydock to drydock’ and ABB’s updated recommended exchange intervals, as the turbocharger OEM supports operators’ compliance requirements, enabling further cost management potential across entire fleets.
Oliver Riemenschneider, ABB Turbocharging managing director, explained, “Our ambition for digitalisation of turbocharging is to enable customers to reach the next level in terms of efficiency, operational flexibility, reliability and, most crucially, cost optimisation over the lifecycle.
“As market dynamics continue to change, we remain committed to increasing value for our customers. We believe these new solutions will better enable them to know more about their vessel operations, to achieve more from their fleets, and ultimately for their businesses to perform better into the future,” he said.
ABB Turbocharging has also announced the launch of the Flexible integrated Turbocharging System for 2-Stroke Engines (FiTS2).
The new sequential turbocharging system allows maximum fuel savings for 2-stroke engines at part and low load, and at the same time maintains the flexibility to go to full engine output immediately. This offers significant long-term economic benefits for vessel operators and charterers with potential for fuel savings of up to 3%, depending on load profile, ABB claimed.
FiTS2 was developed in close collaboration with low-speed 2-stroke engine designer, Winterthur Gas & Diesel (WinGD), which has developed a special tuning for FiTS2.
“From an operator’s or charterer’s perspective, FiTS2 efficiency benefits will enable major cost reductions. Considering for example a typical current fuel bill of $3 to $4 mill per year for very large crude oil carriers, FiTS2 has potential to provide fuel cost savings of up to $100,000 per year, compared with levels typically achievable using conventional turbocharging systems. The payback of initial costs can be less than two years, making the FiTS2 solution very attractive,” said Joachim Bremer, ABB Turbocharging’s head of product line low-speed.
Dominik Schneiter, WinGD’s vice president research & development, said: “In our long-lasting strategic co-operation with ABB, WinGD has developed its own engines with features such as optimised 2-stroke Miller tuning, high boost pressure ratios, and part load optimised waste gate applications.
“With the new FiTS2, ship operators can now further benefit considerably from lower auxiliary power consumption, improved response time, and lower fuel consumption of the main engine, improving the CO2 footprint of their ships at low and mid-load conditions. In today’s changing market conditions such flexibility is a valuable asset to our customers,” he said.