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DK-20 Portable Cylinder Pressure Analysis

The DK-20 is the latest doctor portable diesel engine analyser from Icon Research.  For over twenty years the DK-2 set the standard for understanding and improving marine and power plant diesel engine performance.  The DK-20 then raised the bar even higher with improved ease of use, portability and measurement accuracy.  Its small robust format, colour touch panel display, 0.1⁰ resolution and drag-and-drop data transfer, continue to make it the system of choice for many marine and on-shore diesel engine users.

Taking readings couldn’t be easier – just select the engine, connect up and press GO.  Move the pressure sensor to the next cylinder and press GO again for the next reading.  The DK-20 checks to ensure the correct cylinder is connected and the pressure sensor and pickups are providing valid readings.

Transferring the readings to the PC is easy too.  With the auto-connect facility, a whole engine’s readings are transferred in a single operation.  The Doctor portable instrument appears as a window from which test data can simply be “dragged “to the PC software.

All systems interface to the same highly regarded Windows based analysis software.

Features

To ensure the highest accuracy, especially for calculated power, only the highest quality sensors and pickups are used.  The pressure sensors have high temperature resistance and a long and stable operating life.  The same accessories can be used on both the older DK-2 instruments and the new DK-20.

Twin inductive crank pickups eliminate the effects of speed variation for the highest accuracy on low-speed engines.

Single inductive crank pickups give an economical oil and dirt immune system for generators and auxiliary engines.  Optical crank pickups can be moved from engine to engine for full portability.

To assist initial set-up of the software, a ‘database set-up’ service is available. When this option is purchased, the DK-20 is delivered programmed with the engine information for the intended vessel.  As soon as installation is complete, readings can be taken.

A customised logbook is provided with the software (either downloadable or on USB flashdrive) which ensures results can be easily downloaded immediately after tests are run.  Initial results are then emailed back to Icon for review, comment and trigger angle correction.

Installation is very straightforward and is carried out by the ship crew or facility staff.  All cables and junction boxes are provided by Icon Research along with a detailed installation guide on how and where to position pick-ups.

Diesel Engine Analysis Software

Icon Research released brand new Version 6 software in 2014 and this has been continually upgraded with powerful new features.  The programme of ongoing development has ensured that the software continues to lead the field.

The software enables fleet-wide engine comparisons to be carried out at the click of a button. Features such as Shop & Sea Trial comparisons, standard or customised engine reports and the comprehensive analysis features for which the Doctor software is renowned have combined to make it first choice for thousands of diesel engine operators.

The software can be downloaded from this site or from a USB flashdrive along with a guide to enable quick familiaristion with the application.  The intuitive nature of the functions makes the learning process even easier.  A suite of sample engine measurementsis is supplied to experiment with.  The software can be licensed on a number of computers, so engine measurements can be freely passed between operators, analysts and managers.  Any standard desktop or laptop PC with Windows™ 10 or 11 can be used.

First of all, a library is created for the vessel or power plant.  Settings such as engine geometry and firing order are entered here.  An unlimited number of configurations can be stored for later use.  The configuration storage is flexible and allows multiple ships or plants each to have multiple engines in the same library, or alternatively any number of separate libraries can be used.  A setup service is available with all new systems from Icon, giving users a flying start and including a check on initial results.

Measurements are downloaded from the DK-20- instrument via the computer’s USB interface port and stored in the Doctor library.

Sections of the library known as logbooks can be imported or exported easily and sent to colleagues anywhere in the world for further analysis or comparative work.  These logbooks are easily combined with a master library in the head office, using click and drag operations.

The basic traces that can be observed are Pressure-Angle, Pressure-Volume and Derivative (Rate of Pressure Rise).  From these traces, various parameters are derived such as power, MIP, rate of pressure rise, and many others.  In addition, user-defined variables can be entered, such as exhaust gas temperature.  These values can be shown in tabular form for easy comparison.  Variations are automatically calculated, such as variation in power between cylinders.

Cursor readouts are available on single or multiple traces. When more than one trace is displayed, the cursor will show the data on all curves at that position together with the maximum deviation from lowest to highest.

Multiple engine selections can be made, and you can overlay similar engines from different vessels all at the same time.  This is an invaluable tool for the management of fleets of vessels.

Propeller curve analysis and shop and sea trial comparisons are included in the software.
Hardcopy printouts are available at the touch of a button.  You can download the Doctor Analysis Software from the Support& Downloads section.  A demonstration mode is available for evaluation.

Doctor Software Features

  • Trace, bargraph or table
  • Pressure-Angle, Pressure-Volume and Derivative traces
  • Overlay by test number, cylinder number, engine or permutations of these
  • Simultaneous display of graph types
  • Zoom and zoom “favourites” facility
  • Flexible cursor options
  • Derived Units (Power, MIP etc)
  • User-defined parameters available
  • Notes tagging facility

  • Supports portable and on-line Doctor systems
  • Automated download of measurement
  • Multiple engine configurations
  • Supports all engine types (V, in-line, 2-stroke, 4-stroke)
  • Single screen configuration entry
  • Unlimited number of configurations possible

  • Powerful automatic diagnostics
  • Shop/Sea Trial comparisons
  • Standard and customised engine reports
  • Propeller curves

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