How a torque transducer enabled Wärtsilä to use natural gas as a fuel
Wärtsilä has developed dual fuel engines that are able to run on either natural gas, marine diesel oil or heavy fuel oil. In order to use the dual fuel engines in marine installations with direct driven propulsion, a precise load signal is required from the engine’s propeller shaft.
HBK’s T40MAR torque transducer was accurate enough to offer the data Wärtsilä needed in shipbuilding.
The dual fuel engines developed by Wärtsilä run on either natural gas (LNG), marine diesel oil (MDO) or heavy fuel oil (HFO).
The engine may be switched from operating in gas mode to oil mode and vice versa while it is running. When the engine runs in gas mode, a precise load signal is needed from the output shaft providing data on how much power the engine produces to be able to control the engine.
To produce a precise load signal, the torque transducer needs to provide highly accurate measurement.