Frank Frenzel ABB Flowmeters, Measurement & Analytics Goettingen, Germany, frank.w.frenzel@de.abb.com; Stephen Gibbons ABB Continuous Gas Analyzers, Measurement & Analytics, Frankfurt Germany, stephen.gibbons@de.abb.com; Uwe Mecke ABB Electromagnetic Flowmeters, Measurement & Analytics Goettingen, Germany, uwe.mecke@de.abb.com
Each year, approximately 11 billion tons of goods are transported by ship, representing about 1.5 tons per person based on the current global population [1]. However, although shipping is responsible for the release of less greenhouse gas (GHG) per ton-kilometer of cargo transported than other forms of transportation, ships contribute about 2.9 percent of the world’s total CO₂ emissions [2] – a percentage that is growing steadily as more and more goods are transported by sea.
In view of these trends, the International Maritime Organization, a United Nations agency responsible for regulating shipping, has set a global target of cutting annual emissions by at least 50 percent by 2050 relative to 2008 levels [3]. Furthermore, the shipping industry itself has every reason to increase its efficiency since approximately 50 percent of a ship’s total operational costs are fuel costs [4]. To manage fuel consumption responsibly, considering environmental, economic and legal factors, requires innovative fuel management and emissions monitoring systems based on reliable, highly accurate and durable sensors →01 [5].
Coriolis mass flowmeters
Propelling today’s huge container ships requires vast amounts of fuel. The amount of energy generated by that fuel is directly related to the mass of the fuel. Therefore, when it comes to highly accurate energy management, direct mass fuel flow measurement is essential. ABB’s Coriolis mass flowmeters are state-of-the-art instruments that use the Coriolis force →02 to measure the mass flowrate of any kind of fluid with utmost precision.
Here, a given fluid flows through vibrating tubes, generating a Coriolis force that creates a phase shift of the vibration between inlet and outlet. As there are no moving parts in the fluid, no wear occurs, and maintenance is reduced to a minimum.
In the past, onboard flowmeters suffered from vibration-related issues. However, the new CoriolisMaster, uses high operational frequencies that are impervious to any possible vibrational noise onboard ships. Thanks to this development, it is possible to gain DNV approval for the meters even when they are installed in harsh marine environments
In addition, possible mechanical stresses from onboard installations have no influence on the flowmeter’s rugged housing →03, which is designed to decouple outer installation forces of up to 40 tons. Besides traditional current or pulse outputs, fast Modbus communication outputs are available, ensuring seamless integration with any kind of ABB fuel efficiency system. This data link provides direct access to all kinds of measurement values, such as flow, density, temperature and concentration, as well as diagnostics information and remote access.
Achieving tighter decarbonization targets
Only one year after new International Maritime Organization emission limits on sulfur and nitrous oxide became effective worldwide in January 2020, ABB launched a continuous emissions monitoring solution. Known as CEMcaptain [6, 7], the solution is designed to help the shipping industry meet the new regulations, thereby becoming more sustainable and achieving new decarbonization targets →04. This step brings emission monitoring for maritime air pollution closely in line with shore-based regulations for power plants, cement works and oil refineries – areas in which CEMS have been used for decades.
Designed with busy mariners and changing crews in mind, CEMcaptain is a multi-component analyzer system that continuously provides real-time data offering reliable, highly stable measurement of emissions. Operating in even the harshest of conditions, it integrates analyzer modules and sample handling components in a standalone cabinet, making installation easy.
CEMcaptain was designed specifically for marine environments and is suitable for ambient temperatures of up to 55°C, as well as high levels of vibration resistance. It is protected against soot ingress with an innovative filter solution and has a back-purging option for easy integration and alignment with scrubber operation procedures.
Equipped with ABB’s renowned Uras26 non-dispersive IR gas analyzer, CEMcaptain simultaneously and continuously measures sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) in line with regulation requirements. Each analyzer has two separate gas paths to allow for separate measurement streams, with up to four different components per analyzer module.
CEMcaptain’s measurement and digital capabilities increase on-board safety, provide process optimization, and substantially reduce ownership costs. By consistently achieving uptimes of 98 percent or more, the new system not only requires minimal maintenance but also saves time otherwise spent on handling non-compliance issues. The system benefits from innovations in on-site and remote digital services, thus providing the industry with a digital toolbox that increases regulatory compliance and operational efficiency.
Fast fault reporting, diagnosis and repair are achieved via CEMcaptain’s on-site and remote digital services, which help operators get close to 100 percent availability for their gas analysis instrumentation. Dynamic QR codes are integrated into the system display panel and all relevant diagnostic information can be collected from the analyzer via a scanned code and transferred to ABB support. This means that maritime instrumentation technicians can send real-time information to an ABB service expert to get immediate guidance on appropriate maintenance.
ABB Ability™ Remote Assistance with secured connectivity direct to ABB support is also offered for real-time solutions to problems. These features reduce the need for training fresh crews; they also cut the number of experts required on board and increase on-board safety by reducing crew exposure to emissions.
ABB has more than 60,000 Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS) installed in over 100 countries and draws on 60 years of experience in emissions monitoring.
Ballast water treatment
In addition to new and stricter regulations covering marine fuel efficiency and sulfur and nitrous oxide emissions, new regulations have also driven the need for ballast water treatment and measurement. Ballast water is used to stabilize vessels when they are not fully loaded. However, water that is taken in at one port and released at another can cause the introduction of non-indigenous organisms into ecosystems. As a result, untreated ballast water is now highly regulated, meaning that all vessels must install a ballast water treatment system.
Historically, however, such systems have been mechanical and thus negatively affected by the presence of mussels, sand and other particles in ballast water. This limits a meter’s lifespan and results in increased maintenance and replacement costs. ABB’s solution is its electromagnetic ProcessMaster flowmeter [8], which has no rotating parts reaching into the pipe that can wear out and cause pressure loss. In addition, a highly abrasion-resistant sensor liner material makes ProcessMaster ideal for ballast water treatment.
References
[1] International Chamber of Shipping. Shipping and world trade: driving prosperity. Available at: https://www.ics-shipping.org/shipping-fact/shipping-and-world-trade-driving-prosperity/
[2] International Maritime Organization. Fourth IMO Greenhouse Gas Study 2020, page 19. Available at: https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/OurWork/Environment/Documents/Fourth %20IMO %20GHG %20Study %202020 %20Executive-Summary.pdf
[3] International Maritime Organization. Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Ships. Available at: https://www.imo.org/en/MediaCentre/HotTopics/Pages/Reducing-greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-ships.aspx
[4] ABB. CoriolisMaster for marine fuel consumption and energy management. Available at: Leaflet – CoriolisMaster for marine fuel consumption and energy management (abb.com)
[5] ABB. Marine Instrumentation and Analytical Solutions. Available at: https://new.abb.com/products/measurement-products/marine-solutions
[6] ABB. New ABB emission monitoring solution helps the maritime industry achieve decarbonization targets. Available at: https://new.abb.com/news/detail/73608/new-abb-emission-monitoring-solution-helps-the-maritime-industry-achieve-decarbonization-targets
[7] ABB. CEMcaptain Emissions Monitoring on Your Wavelength. Available at: https://search.abb.com/library/Download.aspx?DocumentID=PB-CEMcaptain-EN&LanguageCode=en&DocumentPartId=&Action=Launch
[8] ABB. Trusted solutions for ballast water treatment applications. Available at: Ballast Water Brochure AD_FEP500_102-EN_B.pdf [All links accessed July 1, 2021].
