On board testing cleans up workboats

The absence of testing services and products specific to the maritime industry has been a roadblock to progress.

To meet all the regulations laid out by the US EPA and the IMO MARPOL guidelines, an on board testing service would not just be a snapshot of engine performance, but would include ongoing ‘in-use’ performance testing over time to meet the ISO 8178 testing protocols.

GreenLink Systems, a company that produces high tech emission monitoring and control products for heavy duty diesel engines, is now offering a comprehensive On-Board Emissions Testing (OBET) service along with the commercial testing products required to conduct such tests.

OBET is the only service available that provides CARB, IMO and EPA ‘acceptable emissions data’ that also meets the ISO 8178 standards for in-use emission testing. It can also be used to perform the International Air Pollution Prevention (IAPP) engine re-certification required by the IMO and the EPA.

The OBET service utilizes several new products from GreenLink Systems to perform tests; an emission testing analyzer and a continuous NO_x emissions monitoring unit that remains on the vessel over time. Information from these units is relayed wirelessly via built-in 4G modems to a secure, online database.

The emissions testing unit (ETU) component measures eight gaseous emissions, including Hydrocarbons (HC), Nitrogen oxide, (NO_x), Nitric Oxide (NO), Oxygen (O2), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Sulfur dioxide (SO2).

The continuous NO_x emission monitoring unit (EMU) is installed directly on the engine and exhaust system utilizing sophisticated sensors. The EMU remains on the engine to measure, record and transmit data 24/7, with new updates uploaded every few seconds.

The GreenLink System’s EMU is the first unit that meets the IMO NO_x Technical Code requirements for all on board maritime engines, including auxiliary engines.

The continuous monitoring unit has been designed with both upstream and downstream sensors to satisfy CARB’s Title 13 Div. 3 ‘Verification Procedure, Warranty and In-use Compliance Requirements for In-Use Strategies to Control emissions from Diesel Engines’, which calls for measurement of exhaust before and after treatment by a NO_x emission reduction device while establishing in-use performance and durability over an established time period.

A testing system that transmits data wirelessly with remote access capabilities is critical to reduce time, labour costs, equipment transportation and access to a ship that may only be infrequently docked in port. Emissions data is acquired and uploaded in a secure database that can be accessed through the Internet. The emission data assists in bookkeeping and reporting required by regulatory agencies.

For further information visit: www.greenlinksystem.com