Page 48: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (January 2018)

Image: Eric Haun

Caterpillar Marine’s

PROPULSION TECH

MEO & the big ‘Virtual Engine’

Late last year Caterpillar introduced ing. That’s not normal, but it’s possible.” the Multi-Engine Optimizer, or MEO. The process to evaluate the potential

According to T.E. “Dra” Wiersema, value of MEO starts at the very begin-

T.E. “Dra” Wiersema (right), Product Manager, Caterpillar Ma-

Product Manager, Caterpillar Marine, ning, sitting with the naval architect and 85 to 90% of the value of MEO is in the owner for a realistic view of the ves- rine, spoke to Maritime Reporter TV in New Orleans regarding fuel savings. But the story of MEO is so sel and its operating pro? le. “There are much more. As the maritime industry applications where there is a high vari-

Caterpillar new Multi-Engine Optimizer (MEO). increasingly moves towards data analyt- able load where a naval architect cannot ics to control everything from fuel man- design the perfect engine package to agement to overhaul scheduling to route always operate in the sweet spot,” said

Watch the full the interview at: planning, there has been the requisite Wiersema. “That’s where MEO excels.” avalanche of new products and systems One of the ? rst pilot programs for https://www.marinelink.com/videos/video/the-big-virtual-engine-100173 purporting to deliver incredible returns. MEO was a 32-week test with an over-

If the performance of MEO matches the all average fuel savings of 7.3%, said enthusiasm of T.E. “Dra” Wiersema, Wiersema. “But there were some weeks

Product Manager, Caterpillar Marine, where we saved 0.5%; other weeks power management in the maritime sec- where we save 12%.” tor is about to change dramatically. To help designers and owners best evaluate the value of MEO, Caterpillar

Meet MEO offers a Sizing Tool where all param-

The Multi-Engine Optimizer from eters are entered to determine the best

Caterpillar is, essentially, what it’s name package of engines.

suggests: an ef? cient means to manage power onboard a vessel. “We load this The Big Virtual Engine box with the performance maps of the “MEO is digital, with feet,” said Wi- engines, from the fuel performance to ersema, noting the ? exibility the sys- the NOx performance and including the tem allows. “I no longer care about torque maps,” said Wiersema. “Then we individual engine maps. What matters have a control algorithm that allows up is the vessel’s load pro? le, and putting to select engines; it not only selects en- together the best combination of engines gines, but also load points based on load that will put out the lowest possible fuel demands that we get from the vessel.” consumption.” And the higher the pow-

So, for example, if the vessel sends er, the bigger the potential savings.

a signal for a 4 MW load, MEO evalu- MEO essentially helps to maximize ates the engines available and selects the power ? exibility, mixing medium speed, best combination. But the power of the high speed, constant speed, variable systems doesn’t stop there. “It doesn’t speed, large power, small power and just pick engines, it picks engines and even battery power.

assigns loads so that every engine is Wiersema said Caterpillar Marine is operated on an independent load point, speaking to some cruise ship custom- which is unique and not the norm for ers, “and you are talking 60 to 70 MW this industry.” of power. Do you know what 1% of fuel

While Wiersema is MEO’s biggest ad- savings is on 70 MW of power in dol- vocate, he also acknowledges that MEO lars? It’s huge.” is not right for every vessel. “There is a possibility that MEO can save you noth- – Greg Trauthwein

Image: Caterpillar Marine 48 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • JANUARY 2018

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