Yanmar digital sensors

[seapop]

Has anyone converted the analog sensors of a Yanmar (I have 3ym30) to a digital display? (and maybe added a few more) easy/hard/expensive?

How about a fuel usage monitor? worthwhile?

thanks

[sailormed]

I would be surprised if you can find a reliable fuel consumption sensor. The sensor will have to measure fuel flow to the engine and measure and substract fuel flow back to the tank. fuel flow sensors are not very accurate and for the diesel you wil quadruple the measurment error. I know diesel engines in cars give instantanuous consumption figures of the engine, but I think they get the figures from the electronic injection.

[Captain Bill]

I bought a Noland RS11 to convert my analog signals to digital and onto my NMEA2000/seatalkng bus. If you have analog oil pressure and water temperature sensors, not just idiot lights you are pretty much set. The tach set up required attaching a wire to the analog tach and knowing the number of teeth on the flywheel in my case. If your engine uses an alternator tach there is a slightly different procedure. The only issue I had was that the oil pressure analog to digital converter was too accurate. The inertia in an analog gauge smooths out the pressure pulses from the oil pump to give a steady reading. The Analog to digital converter has no inertia thus the oil pressure readings were jumping all over the place depending upon what point in the pressure pulse the reading was taken. Putting a small capacitor across the sensor connection solved the problem by averaging out the fluctuations. I had only idiot lights on my original panels so it is nice to have the additional data, but if I had temperature and pressure on analog gauges already I don't know If I would have been any better off.

[Pyxis156]

Hi Bill,

Do you recall what size capacitor you used?

Thanks

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by seapop

Has anyone converted the analog sensors of a Yanmar (I have 3ym30) to a digital display? (and maybe added a few more) easy/hard/expensive?

How about a fuel usage monitor? worthwhile?

thanks

Yes. You can get everything you need from Maretron.

The electronic unit:

https://www.maretron.coma/products/ems100.php

Not made anymore, but still available here and there. They make different harnesses for it, available for:

The EMS100 supports these engines (check back soon for additional engines)

• Yanmar GM Series
• Yanmar YM Series
• Yanmar JH Series
• Yanmar LH Series
• Yanmar LP Series
• Yanmar LY Series

Fuel flow monitor:

https://www.maretron.com/products/ffm100.php

And you have a choice of various sensors depending on the range of fuel flow. You have to have two sensors -- one for supply and one for return. The brain unit calculates the difference between these flows to calculate the fuel consumption of the engine. The Maretron ones are very good and have temperature compensation.

The data which this whole system puts into the network can be monitored with many different displays. I use the Maretron DSM250 at the nav table but in the cockpit I have one B&G Triton with a custom screen devoted to engine data, when I'm running the main engine. I programmed a custom screen for it, showing coolant temp, oil press, RPM, and fuel flow. But the ESM100 can do a bunch of other stuff -- here is a full list of the functions:

• Tachometer
• Engine Hours
• Coolant Water Temperature
• Engine Oil Pressure
• Boost Pressure
• Exhaust Gas Pressure
• Charging Voltage
• Drive Trim
• Fuel Filter Alarm
• Boost Alarm
• Coolant Water Level Alarm
• Engine Oil Pressure Alarm
• Exhaust (Salt Water Flow) Alarm
• Coolant Water Temperature Alarm

All this stuff cost me several thousand dollars and I guess for many people it would not be worth it. Newer Yanmars have Canbus built in and will give this data directly (which is why Maretron discontinued the EMS 100). But I like very much having engine data clearly visible in the cockpit and not just from behind the helm station, having it at the nav table since I do a lot of watchkeeping there, and being able to configure network alarms.

Maretron is not the only source for this kind of gear. Since I bought mine, other suppliers have appeared. For example, Actisense (great company) make one:

http://www.actisense.com/product/emu-1/

Actisense stuff is cheap and highly configurable.

[Pizzazz]

I have looked at this many times and it does not seem to be worthwhile. In general, alarms work better on a boat than gauges (you never have the time to look at the gauges) and fitting a digital readout on a chart plotter takes valuable screen space.

For your engine, I would suggest the Actisense adapter. For older engines, that just have switches, one needs to add a sensor in parallel to the switch and it gets complicated.

Next, the information is not that useful. Oil pressure typically fails catastrophically and you are unlikely to catch it on the gauge. Your best bet is to shut down the engine as quickly as you hear the buzzer+light. Coolant temperature is more relevant but any engine with a thermostat does a great job controlling the temperature (unless you forget to open the water intake valve but then again, you will most likely catch this with the buzzer not by staring at the gauge). This is why most modern cars have no sensor gauges.

With regards to fuel metering, it just does not work for small engines. Probably a better way would be to install some sensor on the position of the high pressure fuel pump regulator and then correlate it with the rpms. That would be an interesting project. I have found out that you develop a sense of your fuel flow specific to your boat based on your engine rpm. Look up the manufacturer specifications, keep a log (fuel consumption per hour, engine rpms, idle vs. pushing the boat, sea state) and you should develop a good sense about your consumption in a matter of months.

For example, for my 2GMF20 (16hp), I calculate an average of 0.3 gph between top-ups, 0.15 gph in idle, 0.2 gph in fast idle, 0.5 gph at 2000 rpms under load and max of around 1.1 gph at full throttle (3600 rpms) under load. From here I can estimate my fuel consumption pretty accurately.

SV Pizzazz

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by Pyxis156

Hi Bill,

Do you recall what size capacitor you used?

Thanks

I tried to answer you a few days ago but there was something going on with my login and everytime I hit submit it logged me off and didn't post so I'll try again.
22uf 35v electrolytic.

[scaarup]

I am considering the Actisense or an ALBA-COMBI. I have a Yanmar 3GM30FC and I have a motor control panel without any gauges on it. I am wondering how I am supposed to program the Actisense or ALBA-COMBI. I guess I need to provide information like "this amount of voltage equals this amount of rpms" - but I don't have that information, not even in the service manual. Anyone?

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by scaarup

I am considering the Actisense or an ALBA-COMBI. I have a Yanmar 3GM30FC and I have a motor control panel without any gauges on it. I am wondering how I am supposed to program the Actisense or ALBA-COMBI. I guess I need to provide information like "this amount of voltage equals this amount of rpms" - but I don't have that information, not even in the service manual. Anyone?

I don't have any information about your engine, but RPM is determined by a pulse sensor which triggers a pulse as each tooth of the flywheel passes the sensor. My 3jh3ce has 116 teeth so 116 pulses per revolution. The temp sensors are US standard resistance sensors as are the pressure sensors. If you have a European boat they may be European standard. The pressure sensor resistance curve is specific to the sensor and its pressure range. I calibrated the temp sensor using a IR temperature sensor ans measuring it cold and at operating temperature.

[scaarup]

Originally Posted by Captain Bill

I don't have any information about your engine, but RPM is determined by a pulse sensor which triggers a pulse as each tooth of the flywheel passes the sensor. My 3jh3ce has 116 teeth so 116 pulses per revolution. The temp sensors are US standard resistance sensors as are the pressure sensors. If you have a European boat they may be European standard. The pressure sensor resistance curve is specific to the sensor and its pressure range. I calibrated the temp sensor using a IR temperature sensor ans measuring it cold and at operating temperature.

Ah I see, thank you very much. Sounds like it is possible for me. I found this information for my engine:

To configure the ALBA-COMBI I have to supply this information:

I am not sure if this information I have, is enough for me to calibrate.

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by scaarup

Ah I see, thank you very much. Sounds like it is possible for me. I found this information for my engine:

To configure the ALBA-COMBI I have to supply this information:

I am not sure if this information I have, is enough for me to calibrate.

You need to figure out if you have a 97 or 114 tooth ring gear. It may be easier to figure out two calibration curves and test them to see which one provides reasonable results. Simply multiply the RPM by the number of teeth to get the raw number. For example 97000 raw=1000 calibrated calibrated, 194000 raw=2000 calibrated. If there are 114 teeth its 114000 raw = 1000 calibrated, 228000 raw = 2000 calibrated.

[scaarup]

I guess I have 97, since it says: "Number of teeth of ring gear: 97,114". Great - a standard to relate to, that is awesome .

I guess I will try to order the Alba-Combi. Compared to the actisense, it does not require any calibration tool/hardware. You connect your computer to the ethernet port and make the calibrations in a web-interface.