How is fuel consumption on a ship calculated?I believe it would be either gallons per hour or tons (of fuel) per hour. Well ships vary in their sizes and so does the fuel consumption. As i have been sailing for last 10 years, ive seen ships consumtion of oil ranging from 35 tons/day to 110 tons/day. Fuel consumption on board ship is by taking flowmeters which are installed on the fuel oil line going to the engines. The reading is taken everyday or after some maneuvering is being done. The difference in the reading gives the amount of fuel in litres consumed. This quantiry in leters when multiplied with the temperature correction factor and then converted into mass by multiplying with the density of fuel Hence we get the fuel consumed per day.To make sure the calculations are going fine..at regular intervals the quantiry remaining in the fuel tanks is being checked and functioning of flowmeters along with any accidental seepage is confirmed.Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_is_fuel_consumption_on_a_ship_calculated#ixzz1ngx4wECo