F O C U S 1 9 engineering and indicating equipment right from the start,” Rüdiger Teichmann, Global Segment Manager at AVL, explained. “AVL EPOS ™ is not only capable of monitoring and measuring the pressure inside the combustion chamber. The system can also detect combustion faults early on and suggest troubleshooting solutions,” said Hinrich Mohr, Product Manager of System Integration, Large Engines, at AVL. One of the challenges the experts faced when developing AVL EPOS ™ was that the required sensors have to be capable of meeting minimum service life requirements of 20,000 hours and withstanding temperatures of up to 400 °C. With conventional quartz crystal sensors this could not be accomplished, since quartz itself is only suitable for temperatures not exceeding 275 °C. However, a piezoelectric material – developed by AVL and called gallium orthophosphate – delivered the solution. Cylinder pressure sensors made of this material can effortlessly withstand temperatures of up to 400 ° C. As Rüdiger Teichmann pointed out: “We have installations on a ship fitted with AVL measuring equipment (including the sensors), which have been in continuous operation since 2008. This and other successful installations confirm the high service life of AVL sensors.” CLEANER AIR IN EMISSION CONTROL AREAS Apart from the beneficial functions of monitoring the continuous operation of large engines and detecting combustion faults early on, the innovative solution AVL EPOS™ can also be used to calculate emissions. Rüdiger Teichmann explained: “AVL EPOS ™ is provided with a module that uses the measured combustion pressure to calculate the NOX emissions of each cylinder and, consequently, those of the entire engine. Emission levels are also crucial for ships. If a ship passes through an emission control area, AVL EPOS ™ lets you determine whether or not the ship is within the permitted emission limits. This allows the ship operators to comply with the permitted limits and to ensure optimum engine performance in terms of emissions at the same time. Moreover, the use of AVL EPOS™ not only saves fuel but also helps to reduce the impact of harmful emissions on the environment.” VERSATILE APPLICATION Another customer – a Brazil-based energy supplier – also had the opportunity to experience the benefits of AVL EPOS ™. As part of a joint project with AVL, AVL EPOS ™ was successfully integrated into a large engine used for electricity production. According to Rüdiger Teichmann, AVL EPOS ™ enabled the customer to monitor combustion processes and to balance cylinder variation, if needed. This way, significant fuel savings with the best possible engine settings can be achieved. Thanks to the function of early fault detection in combustion processes, it is additionally possible to plan preventative maintenance work early on. “Algorithms are provided, which allow an assessment of the engine’s condition. This allows operators of large engines to quickly and effectively identify malfunctions,” added Hinrich Mohr. Due to these benefits for the Brazilian customer, AVL has received the order to equip all engines at the power station with AVL EPOS ™. < > AVL EPOS™
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