consumption meter

[henris]

Is there a system to have a meter that indicate the actual consumption (x gallon/hour) of my diesel engine : a Volvo Penta 30 HP. If yes, where can I buy it ? and do you have some return of experience ?

Cheers

Henri

[Terra Nova]

Floscan.
Floscan Instrument Co. Inc.

[bletso]

Nice but pricey.

[wrwakefield]

Henri,

You might also want to investigate the very accurate fuel meters [and other produts] made by CruzPro.

You calibrate them to your tanks and they calculate fuel used per hour, fuel remaining, etc. They also have alarms and can be connected to a NMEA 0183 network/multiplexer.

In case this is of interest.

Cheers! Bill

[Lepke]

There are cheap ones: https://www.ebay.com/itm/LCD-Liquid-...8AAOSwsm1Z3Czf
Or the manual type that come in various rates. But you need two, because there is a return flow of excess fuel back to the tank. That's partly why the expensive calculating systems cost so much.

[Bruce K]

Originally Posted by Terra Nova

Floscan.
Floscan Instrument Co. Inc.

I have a Floscan system, very fiddly a nd time consuming to calibrate; but once calibrated they are very accurate.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by wrwakefield

You might also want to investigate the very accurate fuel meters [and other produts] made by CruzPro.

You calibrate them to your tanks and they calculate fuel used per hour, fuel remaining, etc. They also have alarms and can be connected to a NMEA 0183 network/multiplexer.

I have those, and in our application they're not easy to calibrate. The instructions are clear, but it takes starting with an empty tank, fill some, make an entry, fill some more, make an entry, etc. until full.

Maybe easy for a boat with a 30 gallon tank or similar. Not easily practical for multiple tanks, several hundred gallons, tying up a fuel dock for a few hours, etc.

We've attempted to use mathematical calculations to calibrate, but then of course I think the sender output isn't a straightline resistance figure... so our gauges are not yet accurate. (We're keeping strict records if input and gauge reading, so I hope to eventually improve our calibration.)

Follow-on calculations that the gauges will provide are therefore relatively useless. Also, when underway, especially on plane, fuel sloshes to the aft part of the tank... that affects the sender (float) height)... and results in additional inaccuracy while underway. That wouldn't impact a slow full displacement boat as much, probably.

If interested, would recommend downloading their manual before deciding. And the CruzPro people provide excellent customer support, including answering questions in advance of purchase.

BTW, their less elaborate fuel gauge is much easier: just pick the sender from a menu, tell it the "full" quantity, done. Assumes a cubic tank shape, though, and provides no additional consumption calcs.

-Chris

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by henris

Is there a system to have a meter that indicate the actual consumption (x gallon/hour) of my diesel engine : a Volvo Penta 30 HP. If yes, where can I buy it ? and do you have some return of experience ?
Cheers Henri

Henri, a 30Hp Volvo will use 2LPH at cruising and perhaps 2.5 at flak speed. Asking a flow meter to measure quantities this small is hard.

With our 2003, I work on 2LPH at cruising speed, say 5 - 5.5 knots which the engine seems happy at. I know from previous trips that motor sailing even with just the main up makes significant saving, well several litres in a day.

The measurements can be quite accurate because I use a garden cane to dip the tank rather than a fuel gauge.

[GWilly]

I have a FloScan system on my 30’ boat with twin Volvo diesels. Very handy meters. I heard recently that FloScan has gone out of business however. Unfortunate, as even tho they didn’t do much product support, now getting any replacement parts could be problematic.