Cape Horn Engineering has established experience in evaluating the flow path of exhaust vents at luxury private yachts. The positioning of engine room ventilation vents, main engine exhaust pipes or generator exhaust pipes has to allow the for the exhaust smoke to be directed away from deck areas where passenger may enjoy the yacht from. In regard to ventilation system performance it is also important that a ventilation inlet does not suck the outgoing exhausts back into the system, i.e recirculating poor air quality. A CFD simulation can predict the flow path, which is commonly carried out for several different apparent wind conditions of direction and strength.
The exhaust smoke will be influenced by natural convection, due to a higher temperature than the ambient temperature, and forced convection from an apparent wind condition. There may be affects of interaction between two separate exhaust vents where a strong exhaust flow may entrain air and redirect a second exhaust path from where one may not intuitively predict it to go. Diffusion of exhaust particles is also of interest to look at, for an indication of where one might smell the outgoing exhaust (engine room ventilation air may have a scent of oil). Whereas the smell is difficult to directly quantify, it can be noted from a simulation if diffusion of gas particles from the exhaust congregates in a stagnant area of the vessel.
Luxury bespoke private yachts contain high-profile media value and we are not in liberty to share images or names of such yachts. At Cape Horn Engineering we take our responsibility to be discrete very seriously, hence we have here provided an image from a generic yacht simulation. The flow path is visualised with streamlines and the cloud at the exit of the generator exhaust pipes represents the movement of diffused gas particles. For this wind condition the generator exhaust is shown to be transported away from the yacht without interfering at deck level.