A collaboration between ABB and Arkitech has brought significant efficiency gains for the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system on board MSC Magnifica.
Using artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyse data from over 1,500 sensors on the MSC Cruises ship, this technology enables up to 12 per cent increase in chiller efficiency to achieve monthly energy savings of 100 MW by the 15-year old ship while maintaining optimal air-handling unit performance.
The HVAC systems onboard cruise ships and ferries are often one of the largest energy consumer after propulsion, making energy efficiency a priority.
The ABB solution based on ARK-M20 is designed to minimise the cost and environmental impact of this system. It works by continuously optimizing the HVAC system’s temperature set point in response to variable conditions including weather, seawater temperature, mobility, proportion of passenger capacity filled, time of day and position in port or at sea.