HomeCalculatorsAuxiliary Engine Load Factor

Auxiliary Engine Load Factor

Sum the average hotel, cargo and reefer loads to get the aux-engine average load at sea, in port, and at anchor. Used as an input to voyage fuel and EEDI AE terms.

DesignAux engine

Base load

Hotel / galley / HVACkWDeck machinery (routine)kWBridge, navigation, commskWEngine-room auxiliarieskW

Cargo-related

Reefer plugs at average utilisationkWCargo pump / compressor (average)kW

Installed aux plant

Total installed aux powerkWSum of nameplate power of all gensets and shaft-gen capacity.

Average aux load

670kW

Load factor

27.9%

Oversized aux plant

Formula, assumptions, and limits

A well-designed aux plant sits at 50–70 % load factor with the largest genset running. Much below 30 % means oversized plant with poor SFOC; above 80 % and a single genset failure tips over to black-out.