Diesel fuel flow meter

Hi all you boaties. ️️
I have a single screw 370 hp Cummins. I’m wondering if anybody knows where I can purchase a fuel flow meter, and what would be a good brand. Maybe somebody has one connected to the fuel line on the Cummings I would be interested to hear what they have to say.
Happy boating
Regards James, New Zealand

Welcome aboard. I had Floscans in a previous boat. I had heard that they went out of business but looking just now on their website it says they were bought out. The web site says they will have new systems out in 2020. Who knows?

FlowScan would work. They’re US based but they deal internationally. I’ve had two of their systems with good results.

https://floscaninc.com/

As FlowScan is not currently a player, you may want to consider Maretron. You'll need 1 FFM100, 2 flow meters (not sure of the part number) and a NMEA 2k backbone to connect it to.

Also, you'll need Maretron's software to program it.

Hi guys appreciate the feedback thank you very much

Pau Hana said:

As FlowScan is not currently a player, you may want to consider Maretron. You'll need 1 FFM100, 2 flow meters (not sure of the part number) and a NMEA 2k backbone to connect it to.

Click to expand...

that's what I have and I love it! Pricey($$$$) but worth it. I had intended to show everything you need but am just too tired today to do it! Just Google Maretron Fuel System.

For most trawlers, a fuel flow meter is just an expensive gadget. Just print out this data sheet and when you want to know fuel flow, look at your tach, note the rpm and check the prop curve (lower curve) on the bottom graph to read fuel flow. You will be within 10%.

Here are the Cummins 6BTA 370 curves.


David

How are they worth it?
How long does it take to see a return on the $1000+ of parts and install?

Surely its easier to look at prop curve / burn in the specs, work on that and take your hand off the stick if worried about fuel burn.?

I used the YDEG-04 engine gateway and the smart craft adapter from Yacht Devices to connect my QSB6.7 to my Raymarine MFD. It shows fuel burn, trip usage and a few other things. Cost was $245US. I also needed to add a connector to plug into the Seatalk system since there were no open spots available

Hi, fuel consumption isn’t really an issue with me. It would be nice to know within certain parameters how much my boat is burning. From there it will be easy to work out an optimum rev Vs knots,
Appreciate the comments.

Is the 370 a mechanical or electronic engine? If common rail, that information is already available. If mechanical, you need two flowmeters and a comprehensive calibration, once you've done that you don't need the flow meters anymore....

Check out www.interactio.co

djmarchand said:

For most trawlers, a fuel flow meter is just an expensive gadget. Just print out this data sheet and when you want to know fuel flow, look at your tach, note the rpm and check the prop curve (lower curve) on the bottom graph to read fuel flow. You will be within 10%.

Here are the Cummins 6BTA 370 curves.
http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=96927&d=1574900751




David

Click to expand...

Hi,

I looked at the cummins QSB 380hp curve (The values ​​are almost the same as bta) and my own chart and actual consumption run side by side quite accurately as you estimate. Wind, flow and surf increase consumption. It doesn't cost you the hassle and money to get a flow meter, just my opinion.



NBs

"Hi, fuel consumption isn’t really an issue with me. It would be nice to know within certain parameters how much my boat is burning. From there it will be easy to work out an optimum rev Vs knots,

A simple EGT gauge will give a good idea of how hard the engine is working .


The tried and true method of measuring fuel burn is a calibrated small tank , and a stopwatch.
Much easier today with a GPS than running s measured mile.

How much does it cost to obtain a “calibrated small tank” and all the hoses and fittings to install it into the supply and return lines and provide a secure place to mount it? Perhaps a couple of flow meters is cheaper and simpler?

Sorry but flow meters are just a gadget. All things considered I’d rather go to Spain.

Just this morning I was looking to see what was available since scanflo went belly up and this looks like it would work. https://www.jv-technoton.com/products/dfm-d/

Thank you everybody for your responses. I will do some research over the weekend while out boating. I wish you all a safe boating weekend

I too see a flow meter as just another gadget, not especially useful on your garden variety trawler. It’s always a curiosity on a new vessel, but not essential.
Many of these units never get calibrated properly, and give inaccurate data, which can be dangerously misleading.
If you run your boat fairly often and keep a log of fuel consumed, run time, and speed, you will soon have some fairly accurate data to go on.
Unless you are traveling in remote locations where fuel is scarce, just keep the tanks topped up, I like to refuel at around 1/4 of capacity.
I always travel at 1400-1650 rpms, and estimate burn at 2gph, which is a little on the high side, but keeps me safe without having fuel gauges other than a dipstick.

The first thing I did after I bought my 42 Nordic Tug was to have the Maretron fuel flow sensors installed on the engine feed and return lines. I cruise in areas of significant tidal currents, and use the fuel burn readouts to help optimize fuel efficiency. Going with the tide, that data can fine tune just where the boat should be in the general mid-channel area. Going against the tide, the data is very useful in working the back-eddies close to shore.

Sure, I have that chart that shows fuel burn vs rpm, but real-time data is great, IMHO.

Full disclosure: the boat came with quite a lot of other Maretron instrumentation

I've been interested in adding fuel flow meters and electronic engine monitoring as well. Nothing bad about more data points in my opinion.

Spinner said:

The first thing I did after I bought my 42 Nordic Tug was to have the Maretron fuel flow sensors installed on the engine feed and return lines. I cruise in areas of significant tidal currents, and use the fuel burn readouts to help optimize fuel efficiency. Going with the tide, that data can fine tune just where the boat should be in the general mid-channel area. Going against the tide, the data is very useful in working the back-eddies close to shore.

Sure, I have that chart that shows fuel burn vs rpm, but real-time data is great, IMHO.

Full disclosure: the boat came with quite a lot of other Maretron instrumentation

Click to expand...

How many years before your fuel "savings" pay for the thousands of dollars worth of instrumentation and installation?

Serious question.
If I could see actual value I would think seriously about it.

In doing the Great Loop last year I know that the my fuel consumption over about 6,500 miles was about 3.6 GPH, twin Lehman 120s in a 56,000 pound boat. We almost always ran at 1,650 RPM. What more would I need to know than that? Having more precise data would just be an expensive curiosity.

That’s a good question to consider! I am not a full time cruiser, but I do use my boat a lot (300 to 500 hours) a year. If I were boating in an area with more consistent conditions (River) and much more moderate tidal currents, perhaps it would not pencil out so much.

My projected ownership for this boat is about 15 years, more depending on health.

I experience tidal effects on fuel burn efficiency of 50% (Loss) to +100%(Gain). Except for brief periods at 2000-2200 RPM for the good of the engine, I usually run at a moderate engine speed of 1250 to 1400 RPM on a single Cummins 6CTA8.3M engine. Cost of installation was about $1800; parts were about $1000. Diesel runs between $3.15 and $5 per gallon where I cruise in WA state, and BC up to Alaska.

For me, that works. Plus, I like real-time data!!

IMHO, Pau, Walt, Spinner and others on the thread have chosen to spend their boat $ on having some additional and likely helpful boat data - fuel flow. Those with newer vessels get the fuel flow data already by virtue of the on engine electronics. Once you have fuel flow data, on a planing boat especially, one wonders what took so long?

The OP asked for some hints as to fuel flow meters that work. Maretron is good one especially if a Maretron backbone is installed or already in place. Since the owner has a Formula, which if the vessel I envision, fuel flow is a sensible pursuit. That data also would be a most helpful addional tool in assuring correct propping.

Spinner said:

....

I cruise in areas of significant tidal currents, and use the fuel burn readouts to help optimize fuel efficiency. Going with the tide, that data can fine tune just where the boat should be in the general mid-channel area. Going against the tide, the data is very useful in working the back-eddies close to shore.

.....

Click to expand...

I boat in the same areas as you. I watch the water surface to choose the fastest passage and glance at the GPS to confirm my observation. I'm thinking I must see the same benefits from playing the tidal currents as you, but I'd rather look out the window than watch the fuel flow meter.

Portage_Bay said:

I boat in the same areas as you. I watch the water surface to choose the fastest passage and glance at the GPS to confirm my observation. I'm thinking I must see the same benefits from playing the tidal currents as you, but I'd rather look out the window than watch the fuel flow meter.

Click to expand...

Hopefully you use the T&C tables too? Maybe even first and foremost?

Airstream345 said:

I've been interested in adding fuel flow meters and electronic engine monitoring as well. Nothing bad about more data points in my opinion.

Click to expand...

Stephen, I recently installed a Chetco Seagauge G2 onboard- it takes the analog signals from the engines and converts it to NMEA 2k data. It’s a pretty involved install, but the owner/ programmer of Chetco walked me thru the project.

I now have engine data across the network.

..In doing the Great Loop last year I know that the my fuel consumption over about 6,500 miles was about 3.6 GPH, twin Lehman 120s in a 56,000 pound boat. We almost always ran at 1,650 RPM. What more would I need to know than that? Having more precise data would just be an expensive curiosity.

Click to expand...

sunchaser said:

...That data also would be a most helpful addional tool in assuring correct propping.

Click to expand...

I look at fuel monitoring systems more than just gph or fuel used. We have a FlowScan system and during the fuel tank replacement/engine room rebuild, one of the sensors was damaged so the system wasn’t working. While breaking in the rebuild, we had a fuel leak in the return line at an injector and came real close to damaging the rebuilt engine. If the FlowScan had been working, it would have helped us find the problem sooner. The system has also given us an indication of how clean the bottom and or running gear is.

djmarchand said:

For most trawlers, a fuel flow meter is just an expensive gadget. Just print out this data sheet and when you want to know fuel flow, look at your tach, note the rpm and check the prop curve (lower curve) on the bottom graph to read fuel flow. You will be within 10%.

Here are the Cummins 6BTA 370 curves.


David

Click to expand...

But "gadgets" are a big reason some of us boat at all.