Innovative Technology Generates Electricity from Heat in Engine Jacket Water
Cerritos, Calif. – June 2, 2015 – (Marine NewsWire) Calnetix Technologies today announced that its new Hydrocurrent™ system has been evaluated and approved by Lloyd’s Register and ClassNK.
Calnetix developed the Hydrocurrent™ system in partnership with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Marine Machinery and Engine Company (MHI-MME). It uses an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) heat recovery process and a patented turbo-generator power conversion system to convert thermal energy in the ship’s engine jacket water into usable mechanical power to generate electricity. It produces up to 125 kW of electrical power, saving up to 200 tons of bunker fuel and reducing carbon monoxide emissions by 18 tons per year by reducing the load on the ship’s generators. The Calnetix system is unique in that it can pull usable heat from a source with temperatures as low as 80⁰C, allowing it to create electric power without affecting the engine’s performance, while leaving sufficient heat in the jacket water for the fresh-water desalinator.
The Lloyd’s Register and ClassNK approvals certify that the Hydrocurrent™ technology meets all applicable rules and standards. The approval documents were issued after extensive tests and inspections of the system’s turbo-generator, electrical, piping, controls and ORC components. The tests were witnessed by class surveyors and conducted in Calnetix’s manufacturing and test facilities in Cerritos, Calif. The final acceptance tests took place in March 2015.
“These approvals from two highly-respected classification societies are a major stepping stone toward full commercialization of the Hydrocurrent™ product in the maritime industry, ” said Calnetix CEO Vatche Artinian. “The next step will be operational sea trials, which we expect to commence very soon. We look forward to installing the system on a ship and gaining critical performance data.”
“At Calnetix, we have extensive experience in ORC heat recovery for other industrial applications, ” Artinian added. “Over the last five years, we have deployed over 35 MW of capacity in land-based installations around the world. Now we’re bringing that proven technology to the maritime industry for the first time.”
The Hydrocurrent™ system was honored with the Marine Propulsion 2015 Award in the Auxiliary Machinery category in April.
About Calnetix Technologies
Calnetix Technologies, LLC (“Calnetix”), headquartered in Cerritos, Calif., is focused on Innovation That Drives Industries™. The company specializes in high-performance, high-speed motor generators and best-in-class advanced magnetic bearings and control systems. Calnetix’s patented, underlying technologies, which have been in use since the company’s inception in 1998, have made Calnetix a world leader in the design and production of high-speed machines. The company’s overall technology portfolio and system integration capabilities have led to development and production contracts with industry leaders and the start of many successful subsidiaries that focus on unique niche markets. For more information, please visit www.calnetix.com.
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