Turbocharger cut-out on a two-stroke engine, documented for EPA
Turbocharger cut-out on a two-stroke engine in service, measured onboard and documented for EPA.
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Measurements
Standard emission measurements and methane slip, onboard or at your test bed, to IMO NTC 2008, ISO 8178 and EPA 40 CFR Part 1042 and 1065.
Measurements
Standard emission measurements
Measured to NTC 2008 and ISO 8178, onboard or at your test bed.
Emission rules are getting stricter, and every certificate, amendment and emission report stands or falls on the measurement. We measure your engine’s current emission status with mobile equipment calibrated to NTC 2008, and deliver a report that documents the result the way class and the authorities expect.
NOx and gaseous emissions
NOx is the core of IMO engine certification. Our reports are used for Technical Files, amendments and Tier III SCR certification, and show what to adjust to meet the limits and run more efficiently, within regulation.
- NOx by CLD, CO and CO2 by NDIR, THC by heated FID
- O2 by paramagnetic analyser or electrochemical sensor, SO2 on request
- Measured to NTC 2008 and ISO 8178
- Calibration gases with certificates from accredited suppliers
Onboard | Emission measurementMethane slip and N2O
Default methane slip factors are conservative. A certified, measured value can replace the default under FuelEU Maritime, subject to the applicable certification, verification and requirements, and lower the reported GHG emissions of an LNG-fuelled vessel.
- Methane (CH4) by heated FID with a non-methane cutter, to MEPC.414(84)
- N2O, methanol and formaldehyde by FTIR
- Several load points, including the lowest gas mode point
- Proves the effect of a methane catalyst
Particulate matter and smoke
PM is measured gravimetrically: filters are weighed before and after by an accredited laboratory. We have done it at sea on a test programme approved by CARB.
- Particulate matter (PM) to ISO 8178 and EPA 40 CFR 1065
- Filter smoke number (FSN)
- Equipment chosen and built for the task
- Results documented for the authorities
Onboard or at your test bed
Measuring at sea is demanding. Load, weather and fuel change, but the result must still stand up to survey. We bring a complete measurement rack, installed and operated by our technicians.
- Mobile equipment, minimum disruption to operation
- Engine load and ambient conditions logged
- On the test bed: our equipment or yours
- Test programme agreed in advance, so it is done once
Measurements
Methane slip and N2O
Measured with the reference method in MEPC.414(84), documented as a basis for FuelEU.
Default methane slip factors are conservative, and may be far from what your engine actually emits.
Default factor or measured value
A certified, measured value can replace the default under FuelEU Maritime, subject to the applicable certification, verification and requirements, and the effect on the reported GHG emissions can match other energy-saving measures.
- Is the default factor right for your engine?
- Effect on the reported GHG emissions
FTIR | Analyzer onboardWhere reduction starts
Measuring is also where reduction starts. Together with the engine designer, we use the measured data to see where the slip can be lowered by tuning, and we prove what a methane catalyst actually delivers.
- Slip reduced by tuning, together with the engine designer
- Methane catalyst effect proven by measurement
The reference method
We can measure with the reference method in MEPC.414(84): a heated FID with a non-methane cutter, with the methane response factor and cutter efficiencies documented. N2O, unburnt methanol and formaldehyde are measured by FTIR.
- Heated FID with non-methane cutter
- N2O, unburnt methanol and formaldehyde by FTIR
- Documentation for the CH4 and/or N2O file
Methane slip | CH4 in the exhaustMeasured at several load points
We can measure at several load points, including the lowest gas mode point. Combined with the vessel’s logged load profile, the measured data gives a methane figure that reflects how the ship actually operates, not only the test bed cycle. You see the real emission, and can decide whether the measured value or the default factor serves you best, and whether the ship’s operating pattern supports the measured approach. Either way, a figure you can document and defend.
- Several load points, including the lowest gas mode point
- Combined with the logged load profile
From measurement to a Statement of emission values
The measurement is only the start. Under MEPC.414(84) the results go into a CH4 and/or N2O file, which is submitted to the administration for verification. After approval, the administration issues a Statement of emission values. The same file, called the Methane File in the EU guidelines, is what FuelEU Maritime asks for when actual values are used. The next steps, such as Engine Load Monitoring and verification, are agreed with your verifier.
- CH4 and/or N2O file following MEPC.414(84)
- Submitted to the administration for verification
- Statement of emission values after approval
- The same file is used for FuelEU Maritime
Measurements
R&D test support
Performance and emission tests for engine development.
Development work needs data you can trust, measured while the engine is being tuned.
Support for development
We support engine designers, builders and research projects with performance and emission tests on two-stroke and four-stroke marine and stationary engines, at your test bed or onboard.
- Two-stroke and four-stroke engines, marine and stationary
- On the test bed or onboard
R&D | Data handling in the control room
R&D | Reading the engineWe read the engine as well as the emissions
Performance and emissions are measured together, so a change in settings, timing, turbocharging or fuel shows up in both. In close collaboration with your development engineers, the results are used straight away to take the next step.
- Performance and emissions measured together
- Results used straight away for the next step
Engine data
We read engine data, such as cylinder pressure, together with the emission data.
- Cylinder pressure over crank angle
- Engine data read together with the emissions
Engine cylinder pressure curveMeasuring procedures developed for the task
Where a standard method does not fit the task, we help develop the measuring procedure and set up the equipment for it, so the development work is not held back by the measurement.
- Measuring procedures developed for the task
- Equipment set up for the task
Ready for certification
The results are documented so they can feed directly into the later certification, whether that is an amendment or a new Technical File.
- Results documented
- Amendment or new Technical File
Measurements
Particulate matter
Gravimetric PM to ISO 8178 and EPA 40 CFR Part 1065, and smoke and black carbon by filter smoke number.
Particulate matter is weighed, smoke is measured by filter smoke number. Two methods, one measurement campaign, onboard or at your test bed.
Particulate matter (PM), gravimetric method
PM is measured with the gravimetric method: a sample of the exhaust is diluted with clean air and drawn through filters, and the filters are weighed before and after by an accredited laboratory. Onboard or at your test bed.
- Method: gravimetric, with a diluted exhaust sample
- Test procedure: ISO 8178 and EPA 40 CFR Part 1065
- EPA marine engine standards: 40 CFR Part 1042
- Filters weighed by an accredited laboratory
PM equipment | Filter holder, opened
PM equipment | Two filter holders installed in parallelDocumented for the authorities
The PM system is developed for the task and built to travel. It has been used on a test program approved by CARB, and the results are documented for the authorities.
- PM system developed for the task
- Built to travel, used onboard
- Used on a test program approved by CARB
Smoke by filter smoke number (FSN)
An AVL smoke meter draws a sample of the exhaust through a filter paper. The blackening of the paper is read as the filter smoke number.
- Filter smoke number to ISO 10054 and ISO 8178-3
- Measured with the engine running stable
- Onboard or at your test bed
FSN | AVL smoke meter
FSN | AVL smoke meter at the exhaust pipeBlack carbon, per the IMO guidelines
From the FSN, a black carbon concentration is derived. FSN is one of three methods recognised by IMO in the voluntary guidelines MEPC.394(82), which apply to ships operating in or near the Arctic.
- One of three IMO recognised methods: FSN, LII and PAS
- Sampled to ISO 8178, downstream of devices that affect the exhaust
- Instrument maintained and calibrated to the maker’s recommendations
- Results ready for the shipowner’s yearly report to the Administration
Measurements
Annual SCR spot check
Keep your SCR approved, year after year.
Once a year we verify onboard that your SCR system still performs within its approved NOx limits, and give you a report that is ready for survey.
What you get
A true picture of the catalyst condition. The costly catalyst elements can stay in service as long as the measured NOx reduction allows, within the criteria of your Technical File, and are not replaced early because of a cautious manufacturer lifetime estimate or wrong analyzer data.
- Annual SCR spot check report following MEPC.399(83)
- Proof that your SCR stays within its approved NOx limits
- Calibrated equipment and certified calibration gases
- Planned around your port calls
SCR spot check | NOx analyzerWhat MEPC.399(83) sets out for the check
The zero and span check is part of the spot check procedure. The analyzer must hold zero and span within the limits of the NOx Technical Code, so both gases are needed onboard for the test.
- NOx analyzer to Appendix III of the NOx Technical Code, with documented calibration
- Zero and span gas cylinders onboard
- At no less than 50% of rated power (75% preferable for propulsion engines), as set out in the Technical File
- After installation and at least every 12 months, with the result recorded
- Records kept onboard for the annual, intermediate and renewal surveys
Annual agreement
With an annual agreement, your SCR spot checks are scheduled in advance and carried out every year, so nothing is forgotten.
- Scheduled in advance
- One vessel or the whole fleet
- Carried out every year
Measurements
Selected projects
Measurement work, shown in practice.
PM measurements in the US California WIF project
Named in the public report as responsible for the PM measurements, onboard a container ship.
Read the caseNeed a measurement campaign?
Tell us the engine, the vessel and where it sails next.
