MHI launches electro-assist hybrid turbocharger

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Marine Machinery & Engine Company of Japan has announced that it is developing an electro-assist MET hybrid turbocharger, intended to save around 30% of electrical power compared to conventional auxiliary blowers.

The electro-assist MET turbocharger was unveiled at MHI’s Nagasaki works, and was developed in conjunction with US company Calnetic Technologies. The new unit incorporates a compact electric motor which provides power assistance to the drive of a hybrid turbocharger – the hybrid turbocharger is used to generate electrical power from engine exhaust gas.

According to MHI, this provides optimum plant efficiency when a ship is slow steaming, improving the fuel combustion efficiency of the main engine, and enabling the same or better performance than an auxiliary blower while consuming minimal power.

The new development is part of a continuing cooperation between MHI and Calnetix to develop energy recovery systems, enabling shipping companies to reduce operating costs by obtaining more energy from less fuel while remaining compliance with international environmental regulations. MHI says that electro-assist MET turbochargers and hybrid MET turbochargers have a long product lifetime and can be installed without making significant changes to engines. They are said to be of compact design, and easily maintained.