Sardine Fishing Fleet Monitors Fuel. 

I personally tried to calibrate the FLOSCAN based on the actual consumption (basing of the fuel consumption curve of the engine Specification Sheet attached and with respect to the fuel API gravity and temperature) at certain rpm and fuel remaining.   These were the steps taken:

1.     We used a calibrated pails with diesel to fill up the tank for 200 litres.

2.       We tried running certain rpm (there were no fluctuations on the FLOSCAN meters so we assumed that there were no cavitations, air intrusion or voltage drop at that point)

3.       We tried switching the red switch to 9 and black switch to 8 – but we got a very big fuel consumption readout. (We made a point to measure the flow rate at the normal running engine temperature at 180 degree F).

4.       So we concluded that adjustments had to be made and we took out the NTA855-M CPL700 engine general data sheet and based our fuel consumption from there.

5.       We ran at certain rpms – 1000rpm, 1200rpm, 1400rpm, 1600rpm , 1700rpm and 1800rpm I tried adjusting the red and black switches only, Black switch seemed to adjust the 10-digit and red switch seemed to adjust the single digit. So we tried certain combinations and ended up with the Black at 6 and red at 2. (which seemed easy to match based on the data from the engine specification and actual diesel remaining).

 6.      After the sea trial, we made a comparison on the actual fuel remaining and the FLOSCAN readout. They only differed 0.1 litres.   Do you think this is good enough?

  Best Regards, Jamerson Yap, YL Fishing Corporation, Zamboanga City, Phiippines

Floscan Aboard the North American and Floscan Aboard the Makai

Check out these 2 testimonial clips. Featured in Discovery Channels 'Most Dangerous Catch' the F/V North American saved 25% off their fuel bill using FloScan running from Seattle to the crabbing grounds in the Bering Sea while in Long Beach skipper John Peoples finds that a faster cruising speed uses less fuel. Floscan Aboard the North American      Floscan Aboard the Makai

F.V. Signet

Skipper- Rob Jeffery

Engine – Cummins KT19-M @ 425HP

Floscan Fuel Monitoring System Installed 2005

Dear Phil,

The installation of our Floscan System has given us the ability to carefully monitor our fuel use resulting in savings of  4,000litres + per fortnight. Prior to the Floscan installation we used 12 to 13,000 litres of fuel  a fortnight.  Since then we have been able to reduce our fortnightly consumption to 9,000 litres. Check out our fuel stats below.

Speed Knots	RPM	L.P.H
8.7	1360	26
8.7	1450	45
9.2	1800	96

Many Thanks,

Rob Jeffery

Townsville, Australia

Prop Analysis

 
FloScan Australia
Drummoyne NSW 2047

Dear Phil,

It has been six months now since I purchased the FlowScans from you. In that time I have made some changes to the boat, and the results proved quite interesting.

When I originally purchased the boat, the Surveyor/Engineer told me that if I changed the propellers to be four blade, I could expect better performance, and maybe up to 25% fuel saving.

With all the other work I planned to do on the boat (including purchasing the FlowScans), I held off changing the props until now. Austral Propellers used their fancy computer program to determine that I should change to a four blade prop, smaller, with less pitch. So, I bought a pair from them, and put aside my old three blade ones.

Just prior to the changeover, I took the boat for a run and recorded the speed, litres per nautical mile, and litres per hour readings at various revs. After the new props went on I repeated the process using the FlowScans.

Even with less fuel in my tanks, I was able to determine that maximum revs had increased, but speed at cruise speed was down considerably. I was using less fuel, but speed was down a couple of knots. In other words, I went backwards.

The FlowScan statistics were sufficient to convince Austral to take back their props. I then contacted another Engineering firm (DH Porter & Co). Their computer software suggested I should simply reduce the pitch on my three blade props. They were able to take 2 inches of pitch out of them.

Last weekend I did yet another test. The FlowScans showed me higher maximum revs and speed, and more importantly higher speed at cruise, and would you believe it, about 10% less fuel being used. Rev’s up, speed up, yet less fuel. Perfect !!

Without the FlowScans, I could easily have been baffled into believing I was getting a better result than I was. A good learning experience for me.

Regards, 

Clive Rainbow 
Manly NSW 1655

Long Passage

Dear Floscan,

When I upgraded my boat to a Grand Banks blue water cruiser, I decided to undertake some lengthy off-shore passages. I had been informed by the previous owner that the fuel consumption and range were well proven and so worked on his figures. Wrong move! After the first long passage I made the next refuelling port with rather less than comfortable reserves. I know, I should have undertaken more stringent fuel checks before but ....
With further long passages in mind I realised I needed better fuel control measures so, after checking the market for proven systems, I fitted FloScans to the engines. Now I was able to accurately monitor my fuel consumption to within one tenth of a litre per hour! More importantly I was able for the first time to establish extremely accurate fuel consumption figures throughout the complete operating range for the engines and to produce reliable speed and range tables for all conditions.
With the digital FloScans I can easily compute fuel consumption and cruising range for planned trips and can verify actual consumption underway - the added peace of mind is worth every dollar paid. As an added bonus I found that the Floscan monitoring system is so accurate that it also forewarned me of excess sediment build-up in the fuel filters, as happened when I took on a load of contaminated diesel on one trip.
After using FloScans for the past three years I wouldn't be without them.

Thank you FloScan

Bill Grassick
Minyama Qld

Sweet Spot

Dear FloScan,
MV Varzin is a 57ft custom built vessel powered by Twin Detroit 12V92TA’s rated at 1080HP and is fitted with a FloScan 9600 GPS Interface Series fuel monitoring system.
I was totally amazed to find that by increasing my engine speed to 1920 RPMs from 1820 RPMs [my assumed sweet spot] I was able to generate a 15% fuel saving, and again when increasing engine speed to 2000RPM that this resulted in 30% increase in fuel consumption.
FloScan has also proved to be an invaluable navigation tool that allows accurate calculation of range, eliminating guess work altogether.
FloScan will definitely be a prerequisite on any of my boats in the future.
Thank you FloScan

Peter Owen
Sydney, Australia

The Tortise

Dear FloScan,
I am a Cray fisherman from Marion Bay South Australia. Members of the local fishing community did not take long to nickname me ‘The Tortoise’ after I installed FloScan’s Cruisemaster fuel monitoring system to my Cat 3406 powered 48’ Harris Craft planing hull. I installed the unit myself 4 years ago and I quickly learnt to operate the boat using the litres per hour feature instead of the tacho. At the moment I operate at 20 litres per hour for 9 knots and if I increase to 11 knots fuel consumption goes to 40 litres per hour. While I may take an extra five to ten minutes to reach my destination I was generating a fuel saving of 30-40% on previous consumption.
The totaliser is accurate to 1% and there is absolutely no question when I fill up [1007 litres on the totaliser equals exactly 1000 litres from the pump].
The FloScan Unit has paid for itself many times over and the slower speed has not affected my fishing operations at all.
We are currently experiencing a very poor season and I have been quietly amused to see a lot more ‘tortoises’ joining our local fishing fleet!
Regards
Bob Rigoni
Marion Bay South Australia

Savings

Dear FloScan,
On a recent trip from Southport to Broken Bay, some 38 hours, FloScan enabled substantial savings in fuel. Initially running two 308 hp Detroit’s in a Cheoy Lee 61 LRMC at 1650 rpm Resilience was making 10.5 kts, using 35 ltr per hour for each engine, i.e. 70 ltr per hr.
By careful use of the FloScans the revs were reduced to 1350 rpm & the fuel usage fell to 25 ltr per hr on each engine, i.e. 50 lph total. Speed fell marginally to between 9.8 & 10.1 kts.
This equates to a saving of 20 ltr per hr by 35 hrs being 700ltr at a price of 1.25 per ltr equals $875.00.
If one thinks of the potential for future savings, the FloScans cost is well justified.
A side benefit is knowing when to fill the tanks!
In more recent trips fuel can be as low as 16 lph for each engine at a speed between 8.5 & 8.8 kts.

Thank you Floscan
Name withheld by request.
Sydney Australia