Fuel system for a floating unit, and method for the operation thereof

• US 8,360,118 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Fleischer, Maximilian, Lampe, Uwe, Wiesner, Kerstin, Mller-Schwenn, Hans Bernhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Caputo, Lisa
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROY, PUNAM P
• Application Number:
  US12/678,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20100200104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,614 Days
• Field of Search: 141/83, 141/94, 366/151.1, 366/152.1, 366/152.2
• US Class Current: 141/94
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3577 for analysing liquids, e.g. polluted water
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/85 Investigating moving fluids or granular solids
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/287 Sulfur content

Abstract

A fuel system is disclosed for a floating unit, including a fuel passage extending from a filler neck to a motor, a measuring unit disposed in the fuel passage through which at least part of the fuel flowing along the fuel passage flows, for measuring a sulfur content of the fuel through the measuring unit.

Claims

1. A fuel system for a floating unit, including a fuel path which extends from a filler neck as far as an engine, with the fuel system comprising:

a measuring device, arranged in the fuel path such that at least part of fuel, when flowing along the fuel path, flows through the measuring device, to measure a sulfur content of the fuel flowing through the measuring device;

at least two fuel tanks for holding fuels of different sulfur content;

a mixing device to mix fuels of the at least two fuel tanks, and

a regulating device, cooperating with the measuring device, to regulate a mixture ratio of the fuels.

2. The fuel system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measuring device comprises

a light source to irradiate the fuel with light, and

a detector to detect at least one of the light irradiating the fuel and light reflected by the fuel.

3. The fuel system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the light source is an IR light source.

4. The fuel system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the detector is an IR spectrometer.

5. The fuel system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the detector is an IR spectrometer.

6. The fuel system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the measuring device comprises an evaluation unit for multivariate evaluation of at least one of the light irradiating the fuel and the light reflected by the fuel.

7. The fuel system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measuring device is arranged in an inlet portion of the fuel path, through which inlet portion fuel flows at least during a bunkering operation.

8. The fuel system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measuring device is arranged in a section of the fuel path through which fuel flows at least during the operation of an engine of the floating unit.

9. The fuel system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a logging device to log the sulfur content determined by the measuring device.

10. The fuel system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the floating unit is a ship.

11. A method for operating a floating unit including a fuel system with a fuel path extending from a filler neck as far as an engine, of the method comprising:

arranging a measuring device in the fuel path such that at least part of fuel, when flowing along the fuel path, flows through the measuring device; and

determining a sulfur content in the fuel flowing through the measuring device,

wherein at least two fuels of different sulfur content are mixed during operation of the floating unit, and wherein a sulfur content of the mixed fuel is held at a value on the basis of the measured sulfur content.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the sulfur content is determined in the measuring device with the aid of IR spectroscopy.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the sulfur content is determined by a multivariate evaluation from spectra determined by way of the IR spectroscopy.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the sulfur content in fuel supplied to a tank of the floating unit during a bunkering operation is determined.

15. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the sulfur content in fuel supplied during the operation to an engine of the floating unit is determined.

16. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the measured sulfur content is logged.