As the number of ships having to switch between Heavy Fuel Oil and Marine Distillate rises as they enter and exit Emissions Control Areas, Rivertrace Engineering (RTE) is launching a new Viscosity System that the company says addresses key industry maintenance and operational concerns.

The SMART Sense Viscosity System has been designed to monitor oil viscosity and temperature accurately at all times to prevent engine wear and higher emissions attributable to feeding through fuel of the wrong viscosity.

Mike Coomber, RTE Managing Director, says that as well as being driven by the company’s continuing strategy of offering technologies that enhance environmental performance, the development of SMART Sense has been in direct response to industry feedback that currently available products are not robust enough.

“Viscometers are recognised as critical equipment, but the demands being placed upon them are growing as shipowners increasingly need to switch between fuels to meet environmental legislation and drive down running costs. This is a new niche for RTE, but we are drawing on some 30 years of instrumentation design in the marine market to address a specific industry concern regarding reliability. Not only will SMART Sense last longer than existing systems, it will be available at lower cost.”

The density of bunker fuel varies globally and therefore relying upon a temperature measurement alone will not guarantee that the oil injected into the engine will achieve maximum combustion efficiency. ‘Viscometers’ have been developed to tackle this issue and have evolved into three specific types – straightforward plunger-based systems, or systems using either vibrating rods or rotating forks to gauge viscosity.

“Plunger –type systems are prone to blocking because HFOs contain wax and solid particulates,” says Mr Coomber. “Removal for cleaning means downtime and aggravation whilst ships’ crews have to revert to controlling this process manually and by reference to temperature only. Existing vibrating rod techniques have shown themselves to be vulnerable in harsh marine environments due to their fragile construction and choice of components.

“To address this, The SMART Sense Viscosity Probe is an Electro Magnetic vibrating rod operating at resonance frequency – a simpler, more robust and reliable alternative. It is now possible to measure temperatures and viscosity with improved accuracy, particularly apparent at low viscosity when switching between HFO and MDO, and without frequent calibration or maintenance.

“The SMART Sense PID (proportional-integral-derivative) module consists of two separate controllers, one measuring viscosity and the other measuring temperature. In case of failure of one controller, the unit can be switched to the other to maintain operation, while the faulty controller is replaced.

Offered with an 18 month warranty, the SMART Sense features standard flanges for easy installation. It also operates at a low frequency, outside the ranges generated by engines and generators. “Avoiding these bandwidths improves the signal, enhancing accuracy and makes SMART Sense immune to shipboard vibrations,” says Mr Coomber.

For further information, please contact:
Mr Graham North, Sales Manager, Rivertrace Engineering Ltd
Unit P Kingsfield Business Centre, Philanthropic Road
Redhill, Surrey, RH1 4DP, UK
Tel : +44 (0) 870 7702721 e-mail : gnorth@rivertrace.com

Or

Hugh O’Mahony, Director PR, JLA Media Ltd
Windmill Suite, Wimbledon Village Business Centre,
Thornton Road, London SW19 4NG.
Tel: +44 (0)20 8405 6343 Mobile : +44 (0)7949 708 679
e-mail: hugh.omahony@j-l-a.com