NOx Emission Reduction in Small Scale Fish Feed Vessels Through a Retrofitted System: Full Scale OnBoard Measurements
3rd International Conference on Engineering, Natural Sciences, and Technological Developments (ICENSTED 2026) , Erzurum, Turkey, 3 - 06 July 2026, pp.485-495, (Full Text)
- Publication Type: Conference Paper / Full Text
- City: Erzurum
- Country: Turkey
- Page Numbers: pp.485-495
- Karadeniz Technical University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
constitute a significant yet largely unaccounted source of coastal emissions due to their operational profiles characterized by frequent maneuvering and prolonged idling. To directly mitigate nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions generated by these vessels, this study aims to integrate a retrofitted selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system into the exhaust line of a 290 kW aquaculture feed vessel and evaluate its NOx reduction performance under real operating conditions. Rather than relying on the empirical conversion factors commonly adopted in the literature, NOx emission rates were calculated using instantaneous NOx concentrations measured directly from the exhaust stream. An embedded-system-based closed-loop control algorithm was developed to dynamically regulate the AdBlue injection rate according to the operating conditions of the vessel. Analysis of data collected during actual sea operations demonstrated that the system achieved an average cumulative NOx reduction of 23.4%, despite continuously fluctuating engine speeds during cage maneuvering and feeding operations, including extended idling periods. These findings demonstrate the practical feasibility of implementing retrofit SCR technology on small-scale marine vessels and provide a solid foundation for the development of future hybrid and machine learning-based emission control systems.