Invention Award 2016 from Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation

Tokyo, Japan, May 26, 2016 -　Marine waste heat recovery system designed and manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Marine Machinery & Engine Co., Ltd. (MHI-MME) generates electric power on board by utilizing exhaust gas energy of marine diesel engine, which it is normally wasted to the environment.

Invention of marine energy saving turbine generating system for container ships etc. is related to above waste heat recovery system which incorporates unique control system invented by MHI-MME and have received Invention Award 2016 from Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation. This invention contributes reduction of fuel oil consumption or greenhouse gasses from ships by recovering waste heat from marine diesel propulsion engine efficiently.

Generally, exhaust gas from marine diesel propulsion engine is utilized to compress combustion air by turbocharger. A waste heat recovery system or turbo compound system generates steam by heat of exhaust gas after turbocharger to drive a steam turbine, and at the same time, some exhaust gas is extracted from the engine and supplied to a power turbine or gas turbine in order to drive a generator together with steam turbine. On the other hand, larger amount of extracted gas from the engine leads to higher fuel oil consumption of the engine. This invention reduces amount of exhaust gas extraction and minimize increase of the fuel oil consumption when ship's power demand is lower than possible maximum generating power.

High reliability and efficiency of the system equipped with this invention has been highly evaluated by ship owners in the world and they have been installed on total 76 ships since 2011. MHI-MME will continue providing even higher efficiency waste heat recovery system by successive effort for improvement of major components such as turbocharger, steam turbine, power turbine etc.