Water monitoring specialist Rivertrace will launch its Smart Visco sensor at the SMM Maritime Fair, being held in Hamburg, Germany, 6-9 September
The Smart Visco sensor is designed to measure the viscosity and temperature of fuel oil before injection into the main engines of large ships. The sensor measures all grades of HFO using ultrasonic guided wave technology. Rivertrace said due to the high frequency and speed of ultrasound, ambient vibration and flow speed have no impact on the measurements.
The monitor reports this data via both analogue and digital outputs, with volt-free relay contacts. The viscosity and temperature data can be retrieved using an RS485 cable or a USB flash drive.
The fuel oil’s viscosity provides a direct indication of its impact on engine performance and efficiency.
Rivertrace managing director Martin Saunders said, “The Smart Visco probe extends our offering to encompass onboard monitoring and expands our environmental solutions to include minimising greenhouse gas emissions, in addition to our oily water pollution prevention system.”
Smart Visco can be integrated with the existing Rivertrace Connected service to collect and share data with ship management to monitor and analyse trends in fuel performance at both vessel and fleet level.
Launched in 2020, the Rivertrace Connected service allows ship operators to register their device and provides calibration compliance certificates and equipment performance data. It can either be viewed on a cloud platform or shared through an API to the vessel’s fleet management systems.
Rivertrace will be showcasing Smart Visco along with demonstrations of the Rivertrace Connected digital service during the SMM exhibition in Hamburg at stand A1.118.
