Thu 30 Oct 2008, 08:04 GMT

Fuel management system gets green light


American Bureau of Shipping approves 'fuel saving' monitoring technology.



Control Dynamics International, LP (CDI) announced today that the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has awarded a Type Approval certificate for FuelTrax, a marine fuel management system produced by its sister company, Nautical Control Solutions, LP.

CDI provided the initial engineering design of FuelTrax, and continues to share on-going development and manufacturing responsibilities for FuelTrax with Nautical Control Solutions at facilities in Houston.

The patented FuelTrax Suite is a marine fuel management system designed specifically for the marine industry. It aims to improve the efficiency of marine vessels and fleets through enhanced fuel consumption information, fuel reporting, accountability, and throttle optimization.

CDI claims its FuelTrax vessel monitoring system utilizes technologies that optimize fuel savings. Using custody-grade fuel flow meters and marine fuel tank level sensors, these technologies monitor fuel flow and report fuel consumption to the wheelhouse and to headquarters.

Information on fuel consumption, inventory and vessel logistics are relayed to the FuelNet data center in Houston via the Iridium Low Earth Orbit satellite network. This information is then made available over the Internet via FuelNet, the company's web-based marine fuel reporting system.

“ABS Type Approval is recognition that our organization is capable of consistently producing product in compliance with applicable marine specifications,” said Van Wilson, President and COO of CDI.

“Consistent with our ISO 9001:2000 certification, each FuelTrax unit is extensively tested to verify that it will perform reliably in the harsh marine environments. This is a rigorous process and one that we enthusiastically completed. The ABS Type Approval demonstrates our commitment to quality and reliability, leading to lower cost of ownership of our engineering solutions.”

“CDI initially developed FuelTrax in association with the largest inland marine company in the United States,” said Anthony George, CEO of CDI and Nautical Control Solutions.

“Working closely with their maintenance and operations staff, we have enhanced FuelTrax to include a range of functions addressing fuel consumption, engine operational efficiency, and maintenance. The success of FuelTrax has allowed us to patent the product and then spin-off Nautical Control Solutions (NCS), enabling CDI to focus on the energy industry and NCS on the marine industry.”


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