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Krill Magazine Articles
PassageMaker Magazine (Sept 2010) By Steve D'Antonio, Technical Editor
Krill Systems: The Next Generation in Vessel Monitoring
"From my perspective, three examples come to mind in which the monitoring system would quickly prove its worth. In the first example, you are underway and the main engine partially loses cooling water. It's not enough to cause the engine's high temperature alarm to sound, but the water cooling exhaust does overheat. The quick acting Krill thermistor temperature sensor installed on the wet exhaust sounds an alarm long before any damage is done."
"The final example exemplifies Krill's data-logging virtues. A Krill temperature sensor located on your HVAC chiller system shows temperatures trending upward on the condenser coils over the course of a few weeks. The refrigerant is not being cooled as efficiently as it was just a month ago, yet the water flow is normal, and the system is still operating. According to another parameter logged by the Krill system, the compressor is running more often to cool the same space, even though weater conditions have remained steady. You call in an air conditioning technician, and he finds that the condenser's seawater heat exchanger is clogged with scale and a few mussel shells..."
Read the entire PassageMaker Magazine article here.
Maritime Today News (Aug 25, 2010)
FloScan, Krill Systems Fuel Savings for Workboats
"Krill’s SmartTug Software not only displays FloScan’s real-time fuel flow data, but with the power of our SQL database captains can now record the start and stop points of a trip and instantly transmit all cost-related data directly to operation headquarters for immediate analysis. It provides the ability to determine profitability per job quickly and accurately."
Read the entire Maritime Today post here.
Professional Mariner (June/July 2010)
Krill Systems Relies on FLOSCAN For SmartTug Software Accuracy
"The innovative software combines data from a variety of onboard systems including GPS, digital engine data and the absolutely critical information provided by the FloScan components—real-time and overall fuel consumption. It incorporates the data into a series of pull down windows that can display current operating data and historical data from any phase of a trip….It can provide complete trip information upon completion; compute the actual operational cost of a trip; detect inefficient use of engines and generators; eliminate paperwork and manual data entry; spot potential maintenance issues before they become costly service issues while monitoring and recording all onboard equipment for optimal performance. The system is so accurate it can even be used for insurance documentation.”
Read the entire Professional Mariner article here.
Digital Ship News (July 16, 2010)
FloScan and Krill to partner in fuel monitoring
“This is the age of efficiency,” said Casey Cox, president of Krill Systems, “and professional maritime operators must streamline workload while optimising fuel usage if they are to compete and succeed in these challenging times.”
Joe Dydasco, FloScan (www.floscan.com) director of sales and marketing, also commented: “In today’s world of high priced energy where fuel is one of the most important operating costs, accurate fuel consumption data can make the difference between profitability and loss.”
Read the Digital Ship post here.
Yachting Magazine (July 2009) Electronics By Ben Ellison
Keep in Touch: Why you may want your boat to know how it really feels, and be able to talk about it
"Many of these features, and more, have been available on megayachts for some time, usually provided by glass-bridge system integrators like Palladium Technologies (see "New Electronics" on page 78). Fortunately, the glass-bridge concept is moving into midsize yachts, and with it comes the most deeply integrated off-boat monitoring. A good example is the work of Krill Systems (www.krillsystems.com). Krill's sensor pods and dedicated low-power PC collect data all around your boat, mix in what's also available on NMEA 0183 and 2000 networks, add near-infinite alarm capabilities, and present it all in a series of handsome screen pages.
The same Krill screens are also available to a boat owner ashore. In fact, at one show Krill was demonstrating this feature using a willing customer's actual boat, as the customer was cruising aboard, and thus we found ourselves in a Ft. Lauderdale booth watching, via precisely monitored black tank levels, a head being flushed on Puget Sound. There's really no end to what's possible. A recent Krill software update includes graphic trend analysis and cautionary notifications—better to know that your bilge pump is working overtime than wait for that high bilge alarm..."
Read the entire Yachting Magzine article here.
Yachting Magazine (April 2008) Electronics By Louisa Beckett
Eyes in the Back of Your Head: The Krill Systems vessel monitoring package makes you the true master of your yacht's inner space
"After installation, the beauty of the system is that the boat owner can have new features added and program them himself. Cox gave me a demonstration. In about 10 seconds, with just a few keystrokes, I was able to add a new tank to the system—a propane tank for a phantom barbecue. The tank graphic displaying the propane level popped right up on the screen. I even was able to place it where I wanted in the display. DeVos' team was recalibrating Cheemaun's freshwater tank (also wrongly labeled), and I entered the next calibration point into the system. This was easy!
The boat owner also can change an alarm set point on a particular sensor by using a pull-down menu. DeVos set off the wheelhouse smoke alarm, and I watched as the dot representing the sensor turned red on the ship's schematic, along with the label Pilot House Smoke. This is repeated on all the screens displaying the system information throughout the boat, and on the owner's home or office computer as well. An alarm sounds simultaneously. "
Read the entire Yachting Magazine article here.
Marlin Magazine: The International Sport fishing Magazine (May 2008) by Capt. Karl Anderson
Ship's Systems
Keeping an Eye Out: Using a Good Monitoring System Eliminates Surprises
"We've come a long way from using small red indicator lights to let us know when the bilge pump is cycling or the generator is running... I first saw these integrated monitoring systems installed on megayachts however, they are now readily available on smaller vessels. And although they made their first appearances on custom boats, most production builders have started implementing some sort of total boat monitoring system...One of the best applications of the Krill system is the ability to monitor operating temperatures of working parts on mechanical systems...you can monitor any piece of equipment and know when it begins to overheat or starts to fail before real damage occurs. Typically, a rotating shaft or pump bearing increases its heat output as it begins to fail from either blockage or wear. Other critical readings like alternators, exhaust elbow temperatures..."
Read the entire Marlin Magazine article here.
PassageMaker Magazine (March 2008) By Bill Parlatore
The New Zimmerman 46; A Proven Downeast Hull Crafted to Perfection
"Technology is very much in evidence aboard M/V Reunion."
"Reunion has four sensor boxes, one for electrical systems and three for tank levels. Anything that has rotating components, such as stuffing boxes and alternators, generates heat and therefore can be monitored by temperature sensors. These sensors can be set to let the owner know something is amiss before a vital part fails and it is too late.
Using a Linksys wireless router with a Verizon AirCard, the owners of Reunion can monitor the boat's condition from their home, and the boat can be set to communicate with them if a preprogrammed alarm reaches a threshold. Technology is very much in evidence aboard M/V Reunion."
Read the entire PassageMaker Magazine article here.
ShowBoats International (25th Anniversary) by Bill Ando
Glass Menagerie: The modern yacht bridge would blow Magellan’s mind
“Integrating a yacht’s operating systems is a feature computers also fostered. Standalone as well as independent systems such as InteliSea, Simon and Krill Systems provide information on vessel operations such as engine conditions, tankage, flood control and electrical systems. For instance, engine gauges are displayed on a single screen, side by side (information can be displayed in numerical or traditional gauge-face readouts), making it easy for the operator to notice any deviation from normal operation. Not needing to rely strictly on visual input operating parameters, the operator can set parameters and alarms linked to the operational tolerances. In addition to monitoring the systems, the computers can collect unit history, show trends and analyze the data.”
Professional BoatBuilder Magazine: Working in Design, Construction and Repair (Jan 2008)
"One of the most advanced monitoring solutions on the market."
"Designed for the midsize market (40 foot to 100 foot boats) the latest version of the Krill System's Soft Display vessel monitoring Software is capable of importing and displaying information from NMEA 200 devices including engines, J1939 Engine Gateways, wind/weather, compass heading, FloScan fuel flow, GPS and weather depth, speed and temperature sensors throughout a vessel. The newly updates software also incorporates a set of electronic engine gauges that provide convenient at-a-glace status information, as well as visual and audible warnings when problems arise. Engine data is collected from NMEA 2000 compatible electronic inboard, outboard and inboard-outboard engines from manufacturers such as Mercury, Cummins and Yanmar. Krill offers convenient kits for single and dual engine installations. Combining NMEA 2000 support and engine monitoring data with the Krill Soft Display's existing temperature, power, tank and switch monitoring allows boaters to aggregate an unparalleled amount of vessel data into one of the most advanced monitoring solutions on the market."
Marine Electronics Journal (April 2008) On-Board Monitors By Ev Collier
Keeping Close Tabs on Engine Functions
Modern boats are a complex, often interlinked maze of mechanical, electronic and electrical components. Monitors play a key role in ensuring that they all operate properly ...Krill Systems introduced its software approach to systems monitoring in 2006 based on MNEA 0183 and has since upgraded it to support NMEA 2000. Users have the option of equipping their boat, home or office PC with software that monitors a wide variety of on-board functions, including engine operations and related equipment. Soft Display, provides a familiar Windows interface that allows boaters to establish parameters for fuel tank capacity and electrical systems and will help determine system failure and issue a warning onboard and remotely via an Internet connection. Users are also able to receive emails via their PCs or cell phone networks, alerting them to the occurrence of critical conditions on board their vessels. Krill's Black Box PC runs Krill's monitoring software which consumers one-third less power than standard computers so that boaters can run the monitoring solution 24/7 without fear of costly electric bills or draining onboard batteries. The software is scalable, so as new system monitoring features are added it can be easily upgraded to incorporate the latest features and capabilities.
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