Virtual fuel flow is the technology within Wärtsilä Fleet Operations Solution proposal. It provides an aggregated fuel consumption measurement, obtained via Wärtsilä SmartLog, to high-frequency readings of fuel flow, which would otherwise require installation of a measuring device (flow meter). Hence, with the virtual fuel flow, you get the same output as the flow meter – with no hustle (added cost of sensors & integrations, calibration issues, errors, noise).
In fuel flow decomposition, the solution combines (virtual) fuel flows with environmental data (wind, sea state), vessel draft and speed, vessel particulars and general naval architecture principles (for example, relationship between propulsion power and wind resistance).