Calnetix Technologies has announced at Nor-Shipping that its new Hydrocurrent waste heat recovery system has been approved by Lloyd’s Register and ClassNK.
Hydrocurrent was developed by Calnetix in partnership with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Marine Machinery and Engine Company (MHI-MME) to generate electricity from heat in engine-jacket water.
“These approvals from two highly respected classification societies are a major stepping stone toward full commercialisation of the Hydrocurrent product in the maritime industry,” said Calnetix CEO Vatche Artinian.
An organic Rankine cycle (ORC) heat-recovery process and a patented turbo-generator power-conversion system convert thermal energy in the ship’s engine cooling-jacket water into usable mechanical power to generate electricity, said Calnetix.
“At Calnetix, we have extensive experience in ORC heat recovery for other industrial applications,” said Artinian.
Hydrocurrent units are designed to produce up to 125 kW of electrical power, saving up to 200 tonnes of bunker fuel/year.
Calnetix said the system can draw usable heat from a source as low in temperature as 80°C, allowing it to create electric power without affecting the engine’s performance while leaving enough heat in the jacket water for the freshwater desalinator.
The Lloyd’s Register and ClassNK approvals certify that Hydrocurrent technology meets all applicable rules and standards, said the company.
The approval documents were issued after tests and inspections of the system’s turbo-generator, electrical, piping, controls, and ORC components. These tests were witnessed by class surveyors and conducted in Calnetix’s manufacturing and test facilities in Cerritos, California.
The final acceptance tests took place in March 2015.
This post was sourced from IHS Maritime 360: View the original article here.
