Hybrid Turbocharger Uses Calnetix Tech
The MET Hybrid Turbocharger from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Marine Machinery & Engine Co. Ltd. (MHI-MME) uses a motor generator system and power electronics developed by Calnetix Technologies.
The Japan Machinery Foundation presented its President’s Award to MHI-MME for the new-technology turbocharger in the 36th Energy Conserving Machinery competition last month.
Calnetix’s patented Magnaforce high-speed permanent magnet motor generator is housed within the turbocharger. By diverting a small portion of the engine exhaust gas that would normally be dedicated entirely to the turbocharger, the new MET Hybrid is able to provide all the auxiliary electric power required for the ship, eliminating the need for running a separate diesel generator. When the ship is at cruising speed, the integrated Magnaforce generator, driven by the turbocharger rotor shaft, acts as a motor, producing up to five percent of the main engine output.
The compact MET Hybrid Turbocharger is designed for easy retrofit in the ship’s engine room and requires no major engine modifications.
The Magnaforce motor generator technology is also being used in the Hydrocurrent heat-recovery system, also developed jointly by MHI-MME and Calnetix. Hydrocurrent uses an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) heat recovery process and patented power conversion technology to derive usable electric power from heat in the engine’s jacket water. The system was approved by Lloyd’s Register and ClassNK last year, and the first system will commence ship trials on a large container vessel next month.
