CII mode voyage optimization in real-time
Swedish marine tech company Qtagg is releasing an update to its voyage optimization system EcoPilot that introduces a CII mode. Using the CII mode, the ship arrives at its destination with a predetermined CII rating.
EcoPilot is already an established solution, that saves fuel, decrease emissions and optimizes propulsion efficiency on ro-ro, ro-pax and cargo ships. Using the just-in-time arrival mode, proven fuel savings are about 7%. Using interactive on time arrival, it is possible to achieve an additional 20%. This means better CII rating and predictable result for each voyage.
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Who will benefit from the EcoPilot CII mode?
- Ship owners and operators that want to control CII ratings of theirs ships, while not overcompensate by slowing down too much. They will be able to choose a CII value for every voyage and reliably target that outcome, says Tomas Lindqvist, CEO of Qtagg. Operators will be able to better maintain their yearly revenue per ship and be in full control of fleet performance.
Eco-driving with a track record
EcoPilot has been in operation for more than 10 years. It has different operational modes: arrival time, fixed ship speed, lowest fuel consumption or desired CII value.
In the fuel optimization system you can select different Control Mode. By selecting Carbon Intensity Index Mode. You move a slider and select the desired Carbon Intensity Rating for the planned voyage. EcoPilot calculate the optimized propulsion plan that achieves the selected rating.
The CII mode is the latest addition, developed in response to the new IMO regulations. The demand for our solution has been increasingly rapidly, and since the whole optimization algorithms were already in place, the addition of a CII mode was mainly about implementing another targeting model.
Tomas Lindqvist explains the main principles:
- The propulsion plan is calculated based on the desired outcome and acknowledged by the captain. EcoPilot is connected to the governors and pitch controller for automatic execution of the propulsion plan. The plan is recalculated continuously, based on updated weather reports and ship progress. Changes in schedule can be sent directly to the system from onshore fleet operations center and once acknowledged by the bridge, the propulsion plan is optimized and updated.
Automated propulsion control provides better results
The EcoPilot Shaft View gives a full overview of the engines RPM and Pitch, the real time fuel consumption and the ETA for the selected CII setpoint. The intuitive user interface makes it easy to select between more detailed view for each engine or an overview of all engines simultaneously.
What are the benefits with automated propulsion plan optimization?
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It is impossible to reach the same result trying to manually follow advice on ship speed, says Tomas. It is our integrated propulsion power control system that provides fuel savings, and predictable arrival times and CII values â all at the same time. Also, this is not a tool for simulations â it is an actual working control system.
Source: Hapag-Lloyd
