Page 8: of Marine News Magazine (December 2010)

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8 MN December 2010

Binsfeld Engineering Inc. now offers the TorqueTrak 10K telemetry system for measuring live torque in real- time. The torque telemetry system transmits live torque data from a rotating shaft, turning a drive shaft into a rotating torque sensor by simply mounting the transmit- ter, battery and a torque sensitive strain gauge to the shaft.

The same system fits any marine vessel and any size pro- peller shaft — single-prop or twin-prop. The infrared remote control adjusts transmitter gain, activates the remote shunt calibration or switches the transmitter to standby power mode. A multi-line LCD receiver display and keypad manage system adjustments.

Binsfeld performed a case study on the SS Badger, a pas- senger and vehicle ferry that has been in service since 1953. Currently, the vessel shuttles across Lake Michigan between Manitowoc, Wis. and Ludington, Mich. She is the very last coal-burning steamship in service in North

America. Due mostly to environmental regulations, burn- ing coal on the Great Lakes has become problematic. The owners, Lake Michigan Carferry Service, are investigating whether to replace the 60 year old coal-burning steam engines with modern engines. But how much power is needed from the new engines? The old steam engines were rated (60 years ago) at 3,500 hp each, 7,000 hp total for the vessel. Does the ship need all that power? How much power does she use now during normal operation and the routine crossing of Lake Michigan? These questions need- ed to be answered in order to specify the new engines.

Binsfeld Engineering and OpDAQ Systems were hired to make live measurements of torque, rpm power on the two propeller shafts while underway, using the

TorqueTrak 10K instruments plus Op-Torq Field Test data acquisition system. The results showed that normal operating power for the steam engines was about 1,700 hp per shaft, 3,400 hp total. Maximum power output of the engines was about 2,500 hp per shaft, 5,000 hp total. The team concluded that 7,000 hp is not needed for the new engines and 5,000 hp will be more than sufficient. www.binsfeld.com

TECH FILE

TorqueTrak 10K

Measuring Torque in Real-Time

Images courtesy Binsfeld Engineering Inc.