Ship manager Chemfleet has completed an in-service upgrade to the control systems on board the tanker YM Miranda, reporting that the changes have created fuel savings of around 10%.
Trials following the installation of Berg Propulsion’s MPC800M control system with integrated Dynamic Drive Software on board the 12,933 dwt IMO II chemical tanker have convinced Chemfleet to upgrade three additional 6,970 dwt sisterships with the new set-up, with the Istanbul-headquartered ship manager also reviewing potential changes on six more tankers under management.
The addition of Dynamic Drive enables the control system to set upper limits for vessel speed or fuel consumption by optimising the pitch and RPM of the control pitch propeller. If the speed limit is exceeded, the software automatically reduces thrust until the limit is met. If fuel is the priority, the algorithm selects the RPM/pitch that will optimise engine performance.
“Data from the initial trials showed the MPC 800 control system achieving around 10% fuel reductions, and our expectation is that there is more to come as the system beds into operations,” said Ersen Uçakhan, Technical Manager, Chemfleet.
“We will upgrade YM Neptune, YM Pluto and YM Uranus later this year, continuing our successful collaboration with Berg Propulsion on this exciting project.”
