On-board Emissions Measurement and Characterisation of Marine Diesel Engines

Two marine ferry vessels' operating characteristics were investigated to determine the technical feasibility of applying emission reduction strategies. These vessels, the Alice Austen and the Andrew J Barberi, were instrumented with appropriate sensors and data were collected over a two-month period. The vessel operation, dependent on vessel direction, was divided into four discrete modes: idle, acceleration, cruise, and manoeuvring. The NO brake-specific emissions of the Alice Austen and the Andrew J Barberi during cruise mode were estimated to be 9.1-11.8g/bhp-hr and 10.8-11.5g/bhp-hr, respectively. The exhaust manifold temperature during operation of the Alice Austen and the Andrew J Barberi ranged from 145-443°C and 110-400°C, respectively. On a vessel basis, Andrew J Barberi produced 3645g/mile of NO emissions, while the Alice Austen produced 1599g/mile. From 85-90% of NO was produced at temperatures suitable for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) use and therefore the NO emissions could potentially be controlled. The Alice Austen and Andrew J Barberi were determined to be candidates for SCR systems. The Andrew J Barberi had low exhaust manifold temperatures and would need an optimised low temperature SCR.