BROLICH
With experience cultivated over more than 45 years (in design, quality, and installation), BROLICH's strain gauge type shaft horsepower meters continue to be chosen for many ships worldwide as the most reliable shaft horsepower meters for vessels.
This system enables the achievement of optimal propulsion efficiency under various draft and speed conditions by adjusting trim and variable pitch angles, and maintaining optimal propulsion efficiency greatly contributes to improving vessel operating expenses (fuel costs) and energy conservation. In recent years, EEDI (Energy Efficiency Design Index) certification has become mandatory, and measurement values from shaft horsepower meters must now be used to calculate ship fuel consumption rates.
Our Business
- Accurate propulsion control
- Optimal trim and pitch-speed correlation
- High-performance monitoring
- Reduction of fuel consumption
- Non-contact signal and energy transmission
- Accumulation of measurement signals
- Additional display of 1, 4, and 24 hour average values
- Digital automatic zero-point adjustment
- Calculation function by NC method
- Storage of non-volatile data and parameters
- Easy integration into existing vessel control systems via 4-20mA lines or RS485 modules
- NMEA0 183 or wireless LAN communication
- Alarm value settings for torque and rotation speed
- Maintenance-free system that achieves long-term accuracy and durability
BROLICH Shaft Power Meter
The BROLICH shaft power meter accurately measures and displays the rotational speed, torque, output, and energy consumption of a ship’s main propulsion shaft. It operates by detecting torsional deformation on the shaft surface via a strain gauge transmitter affixed to the shaft. As the torque changes, the resistance of the Wheatstone bridge connected to the gauge varies proportionally and is converted into an external signal. Strain gauges are one of the most precise and stable methods for detecting shaft twist, making them ideal for torque measurement on propeller shafts. Power and signals are transmitted wirelessly to the signal receiver, and one of BROLICH's standout features is its built-in processing function that factors in time-based signal analysis.
In diesel engines, the propeller shaft experiences repeated distortion due to combustion cycles and the number of cylinders, along with pulsating water flow around the propeller blades. External forces acting on the shaft are complex and inconsistent, and rolling of the ship adds further torque fluctuations. Therefore, if real-time values are shown directly, the display can fluctuate significantly.
To display the unstable torque signal as a stable average, the system calculates changes in pulsation over a fixed time, sets a reference zero point using frequency modulation, and adjusts the measured torque signal accordingly. It calculates and displays average torque values within a defined measurement interval. Combined with rotational speed measurements, output and energy consumption are also displayed. Rotational speed is detected via a non-contact proximity switch that measures the time slots pass the sensor each rotation. The auto-zero system dynamically calculates a new reference point based on both real-time and preset values. Built-in calculation functions allow for torque simulation and system accuracy checks.