Technical Information

TIHE20111803_R02, Updated : 2020.11.18

Consideration for ship energy saving method of
the generator engine gas economizer

1. Introduction

Recently, due to performance improvement of

engine and turbo charger and engine low-load
operation, etc., affecting rather adverse effects
on the efficiency of economizer which is
equipment to produce steams dependent on
properties of exhaust gas produced from the
engine, steam generation has greatly reduced in
quantity, thus there occurred a situation that
Fig. 1 Smoke tube economizer (EB model)
many ships are not provided with sufficient
steams during sailing only from the main
A. Review of type for economizer, a
engine economizer, so an oil-fired boiler has
generator engine
come to operate inevitably to support deficient
steams, which caused an increase in sailing
In general, economizers are largely classified
costs due to increase of fuel consumption.
into a smoke tube type(EB type) and a water
tube type(EM type). In a smoke tube type, the
In order to improve this, in recent years a
gas flows independently in each tube due to
system to produce steams utilizing exhaust
structure as shown in Fig. 1, so it has
gas generated by a generator engine is taken
advantages to enable the configuration of
into consideration for the save of energy
various systems, such as a separate system in
recycling, which is already commercialized after
which an individual economizer is installed in
application in some new shipbuilding, so we’d
each generator engine additionally, a
like to take a look at an overview of related
combined multi-inlet economizer system in
system together with advantages and
which separate tubes for a generator engine are
disadvantages thereof.
installed additionally inside an economizer of
existing main engine, and in which gas partitions
2. Consideration for installation of are installed in a chamber of gas inlet and outlet,
economizer for generator engine a multi-inlet composite boiler system in which
the multi-inlet design above is applied to

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a composite boiler, a multi-inlet generator engine problem rather than a water-tube type
economizer system in which only the electric economizer.
engine economizer is combined, etc.
On the other hand, in case of a water-tube ----------------------------------------------------------------
type economizer, the gas flows generally * Glossary *
through the outside corner of a tube as shown in 1) Combined multi-inlet : this refers to a form
Fig. 2, and the water inside a tube circulates in which main engine and an economizer for
forcibly. Thus, as shown in Fig. 2, having a generator engine are combined.
structure in which it is impossible to divide a 2) Multi inlet : this refers to a form in which only
separate gas passing section inside the an economizer for generator engine installed
economizer, it is inappropriate to configure a additionally is combined.
combined multi-inlet system although it is
possible to apply a separate system to install a
separate economizer for generator engine.
Inevitably, in order to configure an economizer in
the combined multi-inlet system, as shown in Fig.
3, there is a way to configure a gas duct, but
taking into consideration that combustion gas
produced by an individual engine must be
divided for the sake of engine performance and
prevention of occurrence of other problems, by-
pass lines, etc. should be installed on a duct line
to enable the gas to be separated depending
Fig. 2 Water tube economizer (EM model)
operation conditions.
Even if these complicated tubes are
configured, due to different gas properties of
each engine, if the gas is less than the designed
quantity of gas, there may be caused a problem
of soot accumulation caused by slowdown of
exhaust gas speed inside the economizer, and
there is a high possibility that various problems
may occur like low-temperature corrosion, etc.
according to operation below gas pinch-point
temperature. Thus, for an economizer installed
additionally in a generator engine, it is better to
consider the installation of a smoke-tube type
economizer which is flexible for system
configuration and relatively safer in the soot
Fig. 3 System for common used economizer

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B. System to which an economizer for
generator engine is applied

1) Separate economizer system

Fig. 4, 5 shows a configuration of separate

economizer system in which an economizer for
generator engine the simplest and the most
commonly thinkable is installed additionally.
This system has advantages that it is
relatively safer in soot accumulation because
optimum design suitable for gas data of a
generator engine is possible, and individual
maintenance and repair are possible because
Fig. 4 Configuration of separate economizer
an economizer is installed individually for each
system
engine. And yet, there may be disadvantages
that related costs increase for configuration of
initial system because individual circulation
pumps and related tubes are required due to
configuration in a separate body, but the
installation may be flexible in consideration of
system characteristics like the capacity of
pumps, water head pressure, etc.

A) Benefits

(1) Maintenance is relatively easy.

(2) A design for soot prevention and the maximum

steam generation extractable from a generator
Fig. 5 System for separate economizer
engine gas is possible because the design is (Separate circulation pump type)
made based on only the data of a generator
engine without being affected by the design of (2) Relatively large space is required for installation.
main engine economizer.

2) Combined multi-inlet economizer system

B) Defects

As mentioned in the economizer types above,

(1) Related costs occur because separate circulation in case of a smoke-tube type boiler, it is possible
pumps and tubes are required.
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to design a combined multi-inlet economizer as
shown in Fig. 6, 7 by dividing the inside into a
section for main engine gas and a section for
generator engine gas.
In case of a combined multi-inlet economizer,
the price of applicable system may be low due to
advantages that separate circulation pumps and
tubes due to separation of system are not
required because the same economizer body is
used compared to a separate system in which
an economizer for generator engine is installed
additionally. But, this system has a structure that
the size of economizer should be designed
subject to an economizer of main engine when Fig. 6 Configuration of combined multi-inlet
an economizer for generator engine is designed, economizer

so there is a possibility of soot problem caused

by of exhaust gas, and in case of steam quantity
there is a possibility of design not to enable the
maximum steams producible from a generator
engine. In addition, as shown in Fig. 7, for
maintenance and repair, 3 units of generator
engine or by-pass lines for exhaust gas that
should not pass the economizer are required
because they are absolutely required for cooling
of economizer and prevention of blackout for
ships when there occur situations of economizer
repair and impossibility of operation. So this
system also has disadvantages that
maintenance and repair is rather difficult
compared to the system in which a separate Fig. 7 System for combined multi-inlet Economizer

economizer for generator engine is installed.

B) Defects

A) Benefits
(1) Maintenance and repair are difficult.

(1) Less constraints for installation space

(2) There is a possibility of soot creation affected
(2) Separate circulation pump and related tubes by design of main engine economizer, and the
are not required and tube costs are low. maximum steams producible from a generator
engine cannot be generated.
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(3) Generator engines or by-pass lines for gas
not connected to an economizer are required for
prevention of blackout and maintenance and
repair.

(4) Tube installation is difficult because tubes for

exhaust gas of main engine and tubes for
exhaust gas of generator engine should be
installed in the same economizer.

3) Combined multi-inlet composite boiler

system

Fig. 8, 9 show a configuration of combined Fig. 8 Configuration of combined multi-inlet

composite boiler
multi-inlet composite boiler system in which the
design for combined multi-inlet economizer in
the above 2) is applied to a composite boiler.
Most of advantages and disadvantages are
the same as those of a combined multi-inlet
economizer, but in case of design of economizer
for generator engine, the size of economizer is
designed subject to that of oil – fired boiler
as well as main engine economizer, thus more
risky design can be made in soot caused by gas
speed as mentioned already and in terms of
designed quantity of gas generation compared
to a combined multi-inlet economizer, and this
system has disadvantages that maintenance
Fig. 9 System for combined multi-inlet composite
and repair are difficult.
boiler

4) Multi-inlet generator engine economizer

economizer system and separate economizer
system
system as mentioned above

Fig. 10, 11 show only the economizer for

A) Benefits
generator engine manufactured as multi-inlet for
reduction of system costs and more convenient
(1) Maintenance and repair are relatively easy
maintenance and repair by collecting
compared to a combined multi-inlet economizer
advantages of both combined multi-inlet
system.

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 (2) This system is easy for prevention of soot
accumulation due to optimum design because it
not affected by design of main engine
economizer, and can generate the maximum
steams producible from a generator engine.

B) Defects

(1) Related costs occur because separate

circulation pumps and tubes are required, but
the expenses are lower than those in a separate
economizer system.

Fig. 10 Composed of multi-inlet generator engine (2) Relatively large space for installation is
economizer required, but required space is smaller than that
in a separate economizer system.

3. Conclusion

As described above, we briefly examined the

installable economizer system for generator
engine. If you intend to apply this to newly-built
or existing sailing ships, it is important most of
all to equip with a system suitable for optimum
design conditions and optimum cost conditions
matching for type of ship and structure of
individual ship under consultation with an
economizer company.

Fig. 11 System for multi-inlet generator engine

＊This document contains maker's technical opinions,
economizer
and some contents are subject to change without notice.

Form_KH1000293A03_R02 Copyright by Kangrim Heavy Industries or Kangrim Insulation, All Rights Reserved. www.kangrim.com