What is intact stability criteria?

Initial metacentric height, GM not less than 0.15 meters for merchant navy vessels and
not less than 0.35 meters for fishing vessels.

Area under GZ curve up to 3o degree not less than 0.055 meter-radians.

Area under GZ curve up to 4o degree not less than 0.09 meter-radians.

Area under GZ curve between 3o degree and 40 degree not less than 0.03 meter-radians.

Righting lever, GZ should be at least 0.2 meters and to occur at a heel angle more than 30
degrees.

Maximum GZ should occur at heel angle more than 30 degrees preferably but in any case
more than 25 degrees.

What is stability booklet?

Stability booklet is a document to help master to calculate the vessels stability and attitude in
varying conditions of load. It contain information which help to operate the ship in compliance
with applicable requirements of the regulations.
Purpose of this document is to ensure safe operation of ships with minimum risk to personnel on
board, ship and the environment. It is according to SOLAS chapter 2-1 regulation 22 and Load
line convention regulation 10.
The information includes:

General particulars of the ship (Name, flag, port of registry, yard, type of ship, IMO
number, etc.)

Plan of cargo spaces, store rooms and tanks

Special notes regarding stability and different loading conditions.

Metric conversions.

Hydro static particulars.

Hydro static curves

Free surface corrections.

Plimsoll marking details

Inclining experiment reports.

Information on loading restrictions.

What is meant by nearest land?

Nearest land means the base line from which the territorial sea at the territory is established in
accordance with international law.
What is meant by special area?
It is the sea area where for recognized technical reasons in relation to its oceanographical and
ecological condition and to the particular character of its traffic the adoption of special
mandatory methods for the prevention of sea pollution is required.
Explain portable chemical foam fire extinguisher?

9 litre capacity

1.63 mm thick steel shell, 180 mm diameter and 530 mm high

25 bar initial pressure test

21 bar pressure tested every 4 years

Inner polythene bag contains aluminium sulphate solution

Outer container has sodium bicarbonate solution

A lead disc sits on inner container and acts as a stopper

By inverting and shaking the bottle, the disc is displaced and two solution mixes.

Aluminium sulphate ans sodium bicarbonate reacts to form aluminium hydroxide,

sodium sulphate and carbon dioxide.

Explain portable mechanical foam fire extinguisher?

Contain 8.25 L of water and 0.85 L of foam concentrate in the container

74 g of CO2 cartridge at 53 bar pressure

Body welded steel, zinc coated with solid brass neck ring

9 L gives 72 L of foam

Length of jet 7 m

Duration of foam 50 sec

Body pressure tested at 25 bar

Explain portable co2 fire extinguisher?

4.5 kg of CO2 stored at 53 bar pressure

Body made of solid drawn steel

Pressure tested at 227 bar

Coated internally and externally with zinc

Jet of 3 to 4 m in still air

Jet duration of 20 sec

2.5 cubic meter gas is produced

Explain portable water fire extinguisher?

9 L of water

74 g of CO2 at 36 bar pressure

Length of jet 10.6 m, Length of spray 6.06 m

About 36 m2 area coverage

Body pressure tested at 25 bar

What is meant by pounding?

During heavy weather ship starts heaving and pitching

Ship forward part rises and meet with trough of the wave

Then forward part emerges and reenters with tremendous slamming effect called
pounding

Shell plating must be stiffened to prevent bucking in forward region.

What is meant by panting?

As wave passes along the ship causes fluctuations in water pressure which tend to create
an in and out movement of shell plating

Great at ends, may be in forward and aft

It may lead to fatigue failure of material

Structures at the ends of the ship to be stiffened to prevent any undue movement of the
shell

What is meant by objective evidence?

It means quantitative or qualitative information, records of statements of fact pertaining to safety
and implementation of safety management system (SMS), which is based on observation,
measurement of test and which can be verified.
What is meant by observations in an audit or survey?
It means statement of fact made during a safety management audit which is substantiated by
objective evidence.
What is meant by non-conformity in an audit or survey?
It means observed situation where objective evidence indicates non fulfillment of specified
requirements.
What is meant by major non-conformity in an audit or survey?
It means an identifiable deviation that poses a serious threat to the safety of personnel or ship or
to the environment that requires immediate corrective action and includes the lack of effective
and systematic implementation of requirement of the code
What is static stability?

It is defined as the ability of a ship to regain its upright equilibrium position, after the
removal of external factor which caused the vessel to heal at an angle.

It gives the stability information of a vessel under the condition that the outside water is
static.

It is expressed in terms of metacentric height, GM (for angle of heel up to 10 degrees)

and righting lever, GZ (for angle of heel above 10 degrees)

Its unit is meter.

Static stability at two different angle can be same.

What is dynamic stability?

It is defined as the energy required in heeling the ship from upright equilibrium till the
angle of heel in question.

It gives the stability information of a vessel considering dynamic behavior of the sea.

It is expressed in terms of area under righting moment curve or GZ curve.

Its unit is meter-radians.

What is combustible gas detectors or explosimeter?

An explosimeter is a device used to detect the amount of combustible gases present in a

sample of the given atmosphere.

This gives reading in terms of percentage of the lower flammable limit or LFL.

The working principle of explosimeter is, resistance proportional to heat.

The equipment consist of a wheatstone bridge with one resistance as variable.

It can only be used if gas content is very low.

What is tankscope?

A tankscope is a device used for measurement of hydrocarbon gas content in a sample of

given atmosphere.

This is meant for measuring hydrocarbon vapours in inerted atmospheres.

The reading is only percentage of the volume of the hydrocarbon vapour.

The principle is that, there is an alteration in the temperature of the heated filament which
enhances the change of resistance.

How multi gas detectors work?

Multi gas detectors are used to detect only targeted gases and vapours.

It is very specific to that gas only.

It consist of a portable bellow pump and detector tubes.

The detector tube is like a vial filled with reagent that will react with the specific
chemical.

If the atmosphere contain that specific gas or vapour, colour of the tube changes.

The length of the colour is read from the tube for amount of gas present.

What is MOB or Man Overboard Marker?

Man overboard marker is a device fitted on the outboard side of ships bridge wing attached to a
life buoy. If any crew member or passenger falls overboard, personnel onboard will quickly
release the MOB marker which will fall into sea and float, emitting orange smoke and flashing
lights. The purpose of man overboard marker is to mark the position of the person fallen
overboard for rescue operation. Once released, the MOB marker will float in sea attached to the
life buoy and produce dense orange smoke for at least 15 minutes and two lights will burn for at
least 2 hours as a day and night signal. SOLAS require MOB marker be able to be operable from
a mounting height of at least 30 meters. Potassium chromate is the main ingredient of MOB
marker. Chemical reaction of potassium chromate with other ingredients inside generates the
dense orange smoke.
What is VGP or Vessel General Permit?

It is National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.

It is issued by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) as a result of federal

court ruling.

It establishes permit limits and conditions on 26 waste water discharges incidental to the
normal operation of vessels that were previously exempted by the USEPA.

It prevent discharges to the US inland waters such as rivers, lakes, streams, etc.

Waste water includes bilge water, ballast water, anti fouling hull coating, AFFF, boiler
blow down, chain locker effluent, distillation and reverse osmosis brine, elevator pit
effluent, etc.

What is Automatic Identification System (AIS)?

AIS automatically provides ships identity, type, position, course, speed, navigational
status and other safety related information to certain shore stations, other ships, air crafts,
etc.

It automatically receives such information from similarly fitted ships.

It works on VHF range.

Range is line of sight, up to 40 nautical miles.

Can be used only where AIS coverage is provided.

Its public data.

Anyone can see the data.

It is a navigation and anti collision tool.

What is Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT)?

LRIT is a secure system where the data is transmitted from the vessel is available and
visible only to the flag state to which the ship is registered.

It is intended to provide increased maritime awareness and security.

The data include ship position, IMO number, date and time, which is transmitted via
satellites.

The data is owned by the flag state and is not available to any other party unless the flag
state makes it available to search and rescue centers, military forces, etc.

Its coverage is global.

LRIT data is secure and cannot be interpreted by a third party.

Have unlimited range.

What is the immediate action in case of an oil spill?

Stop all oil transfer operations.

Ease pressure on overflow tank.

Sound emergency alarm.

Ban smoking anywhere on board.

Take all fire precautions.

Control spill.

Inform authorities.

What is squat effect?

When ship moves through the shallow water, some of the water displaced rushes under the vessel
to rise again at the stern. This decreases the upward pressure on the hull, make the ship sink
deeper in water than normal. This cause slowing down of vessel. Squat effect increases with
ships speed.
What is bank effect?
It is the tendency of the ships stern to swing towards the near bank when the ship is operating in
a river or restricted waters.
What is bank cushion effect?
When the ship is near to the bank, water is forced between the narrowing gap between the ships
bow and bank. This water tends to pile up on the starboard side of the ship, causing the ship to
steer away from the bank.
What is gross registered tonnage?
It is a measurement of all enclosed spaces on a ship. Gross registered tonnage is used in all
official documents and certificates.
1 ton = 100 cubic feet.
What is net registered tonnage?
It is a measurement of volume of all tanks and cargo holds, used for transporting cargo.
What is MLC (Maritime Labour Convention) ?

MLC 2006 convention aims to achieve both decent work for seafarers and secure economic
interests in fair competition for quality ship owners. It came into force in August 2013. It is
considered as the fourth pillar of IMO. There are 5 chapters in MLC-2006.
1. Minimum requirements for seafarers to work on a ship.
2. Conditions of employment.
3. Accommodation, recreational facilities, food and catering.
4. Health protection, medical care, welfare and social security protection.
5. Compliance and enforcement.
What is the advantage of double hull tankers with respect to stability?
A double hull is a ship hull design and construction method where the bottom and sides of the
ship have two complete layers of water tight hull surface, one outer layer forming the normal
hull of the ship and a second inner hull which is some distance in board, which forms a
redundant barrier to seawater in case the outer hull is damaged and leaks.
In low energy collisions, double hulls can prevent flooding beyond the penetrated compartment.
This increases ships damage stability.
What is the disadvantage of double hull tankers with respect to stability?
In high energy collisions, the distance to the inner hull from outer hull is not sufficient and the
inner compartment is penetrated as well.
Another disadvantage is that the stability of a double hull ship can be less than that of a single
hull, because the double hull raises the center of gravity and hence the metacentric height is
reduced.

Lambda Controller and Jet Assist System on Ships

May 2, 2016 3:57 am | Leave a Comment | Frozee
The purpose with the lambda controller is to prevent injection of more fuel in the combustion
chamber of an auxiliary engine on the ship, than can be burned during a momentary load
increase. This is carried out by controlling the relation between the fuel index and the charge air
pressure. The Lambda controller is also used as stop cylinder.

Advantages of Lambda Controller

The lambda controller has the following advantages:

1. Reduction of visible smoke in case of sudden momentary load increases on auxiliary

engines.
2. Improved load ability.
3. Less fouling of the engines exhaust gas ways.
4. Limitation of fuel oil index during starting procedure.

Principle of Lambda Controller

Figure above illustrates the controllers operation mode. In case of a momentary load increase,
the regulating device will increase the index on the injection pumps and hereby the regulator arm
(1) is turned, the switch (2) will touch the piston arm (3) and be pushedb downwards, whereby
the electrical circuit will be closed.
Thus the solenoid valve (4) opens. This valve is supplied with compressed air and the same is
supplied to assist the turbocharger. When this jet system is activated, the turbocharger accelerates
and increases the charge air pressure, thereby pressing the piston (3) backwards in the lambda

cylinder (5). When the lambda ratio is satisfactory, the jet system will be deactivated. At a 50%
load change the system will be activated for about 3-8 seconds.
If the system is activated more than 10 seconds, the solenoid valve will be shut off and there will
be a remote signal alarm for jet system failure.

Fuel Injection Arrangement on Large Two Stroke Engines

Fuel Oil Limiting During Start Procedure

During the start procedure the lambda controller is used as an index limiter. Hereby heavy smoke
formation is prevented during start procedure and further the regulating device cannot overreact. The jet system is blocked during the starting procedure until the engine has reached about
110 RPM.
The fuel injection arrangement shown below is for a large two stroke marine diesel engine used
on ships. High pressure fuel from the fuel pump is led through a double skinned pipe to a
distribution block close to the cylinder head and then through three double skinned pipes to the
equally spaced fuel injectors fitted in the cylinder cover.

The fuel fuel injectors are located by studs or dowel pins to ensure the correct position of the
nozzle. There are fuel oil circulation lines connected between fuel injectors and fuel oil return
line as shown in the figure. This helps to keep injectors at a higher temperature when main
engine is idle.

Importance of Fuel Injection Arrangement

Normal crosshead engines fitted with a central exhaust valve utilize uniflow scavenging.
Because of the centrally placed exhaust valve, three fuel injectors are fitted circumferential
around the cylinder head. The atomizing nozzles, which are different in design to those of a
centrally placed fuel injector. These nozzles are designed to inject the fuel into the air swirl
without contacting the liner surface. A single fuel injector could not be used because it would
result in poor air fuel mixing with poor combustion and localized high temperatures, although
some engines use two injectors per cylinder. Due to the tangential design of the scavenge ports,
the charge air rotates around the cylinder axis in an action known as swirl which promotes better

mixing of the fuel from the three injectors and air. The overall result is uniform temperature
distribution, more efficient combustion, and lower exhaust valve temperatures.

Fuel Oil Leak Off Arrangement

Sheathed or double skinned fuel pipes between the fuel pump and injector are used as a safety
measure to protect against the risk of fire in the case of a fuel pipe failure. They are a
requirement for engines running under UMS conditions. To be effective, they must be correctly
fitted and sealed against external leakage at fuel pump and injector. Refer to the illustration
below for the details.

A leak off at the high pressure fuel pipe or ends from the annular space is led through a leak off
line to an alarm pot or leak off tank and then to the fuel oil drain tank. Outer sheath of the pipe
prevents spillage of leak off oil to the surroundings. This leak off tank or alarm pot can be
general to all units or individually fitted to each cylinder. Small amount of leakages are led

through an orifice (small opening) to the fuel oil drain tank. When the leakages are high, flow
through the orifice will not be sufficient to drain all the oil. Now level of the leak off tank rises,
which lifts the float fitted in the leak off tank. The float is connected to an alarm circuit. Should
the alarm operate, the engineer must identify the leaking pipe and replace as necessary.

Ignition Delay of Fuel Marine Engineering

December 20, 2015 1:19 am | Leave a Comment | Frozee

Ignition Delay and Ignition Quality

Ignition delay is the time between fuel injection and fuel ignition. During this time the fuel get
mixed with hot compressed air and vaporizes. After the ignition delay, spontaneous ignition of
the fuel occurs. The longer the ignition delay, more fuel will be injected and vaporizes inside the
combustion chamber. This results in a rapid explosion or combustion causing shock waves and
high surface temperatures. This may lead to excessive loading of piston crown, breaking piston
rings weakening of the material due to erosion by hot gas flow, etc. the higher temperatures
inside the combustion space also cause an increased NOx emissions.
The ignition quality is a measure of the relative ease by which the fuel will ignite. It is measured
by the cetane number for distillate fuels. The higher the number, the more easily will the fuel
ignite inside the engine. For residual fuel, the ignition quality is measured by the Calculated
Carbon Aromaticity Index (CCAI). It is an empirical equation based on the density and viscosity
of the fuel. CCAI is normally in the range of 800-870. The higher the CCAI, the longer fuel takes
before it starts ignition in the engine. In other words, ignition delay for a fuel with low CCAI is
minimal.

Ignition Quality and Engine Performance

Changing to a fuel with a higher ignition quality or lower CCAI index means early ignition of
fuel, higher peak pressures, excessive load on the bearings (especially cross head bearings) and
loss of engine power. Similarly, using a fuel with higher CCAI index or lower ignition quality
will cause late ignition, causing after burning which damage exhaust valve, fouling of
turbocharger, burning of piston crown and liner, and loss of engine power.
Two stroke slow speed engines and some medium speed engine on ships uses variable injection
timing (VIT) or fuel quality setting (FQS) levers to control the starting of injection to take
account of the ignition delay. These procedures to be done as per makers instructions and
calculating the CCAI index of the fuel to be used.
Crankcase oil of Trunk piston engine

Properties required of a crankcase oil which is to be used for a trunk piston main engine are the
following:

Detergency

This keeps the crankcase, bearings and piston rings area clean from sludge and carbonaceous
deposits. As the trunk piston engine suffers from a higher level of contamination into the lube oil
system than a slow speed engine, then higher levels of detergency are important.
Dispersency

The dirt which is removed by the cleaning function is kept in suspension by the dispersency
additives. These prevent the build up of sludge in the cooler regions of the engine.
Alkalinity

The level of this property is determined by the level of sulphur within the fuel oil. The additive
reduces the corrosive effects which result when the products of combustion condense on the
cooler surfaces.
Anti wear

This additive is provided to reduce the wear on the highly loaded areas of the engine, such as the
camshaft and gearing areas.
Anti-emulsion

This property allows the oil to be cleaned in a purifier and allow any water contamination to be
removed.
Stable Viscosity

This is ensured by the use of viscosity stabilisers or improvers which reduce the rate of fall in oil
viscosity when the oil temperature increases.
Clean burning

As the oil is used to lubricate the piston ring pack, the oil should burn without leaving a residue.
Oil Sampling of Trunk Piston Engine

The engine should be running at normal load for at least one hour. The sampling point should be
at the main LO entry point into the engine. The sampling point should be flushed through and
when hot oil issues, a one litre container of oil should be drawn. The oil should be decanted into
the sampling container, which is then sealed for analysis.
Shore Analysis Results of Lube Oil
Water in oil

Contamination source should be identified and cured. The water in the oil could be reduced by
purifier, if the sump charge is large enough for a continuous purifier operation.

Falling alkalinity

Water contamination should be checked as when the water is removed then the alkalinity reserve
will also fall. If water is not present then a small addition into the crankcase should be
considered. The sulphur content of the fuel should be checked to ensure that the right grade of oil
is being used.
Viscosity has fallen

Fuel or water contamination should be suspected. If fuel oil is found within the oil, heating the
sample to smell the fuel contamination or testing for the flash point if this is available on-board.
Source of the fuel contamination should be identified and cured. Note the diesel oil will reduce
and fuel oil will increase the lube oil viscosity.
Carbon content has risen

This indicates that the carbon from the combustion process is contaminating the lube oil. Over
the short term, regular filter cleaning is the only course of action open to the engineer, but over
the long term the piston rings should be changed, and the fuel injection equipment overhauled.

Checking Fuel Pump Timing

The primary method of checking fuel pump timing would be using the manufacturers
instructions of setting the fuel pump with the engine stopped. For the Bosch type fuel pumps, a
small window is present at the base of the fuel pump. Within this window an engraved line can
be seen on the spring holder of the fuel pump. When the cam follower is displaced by the cam, it
pushes the spring holder up. When the engraved line coincides with the line on the fuel pump
body, then the fuel pump plunger is at the position where it is just covering the spill ports.
Hence at this moment the fuel pump is starting to pressurize the trapped fuel volume, and hence
fuel delivery will commence. Thus the engine is rotated to the point where the two lines
coincide, and this indicates the commencement of fuel delivery. The actual crank angle would be
read off the flywheel.

Adjusting Fuel Pump Timing

Should the fuel pump timing be required to be changed, then the shims fitted underneath the fuel
pump would be changed. If shims are added the fuel pump will inject later, and visa versa for
removing the shims. The fuel pump is attached to the fuel rack, and the fuel control lever set to
the same readings as the other fuel pumps. This should deliver the same fuel quantity. The
fuel pump rack should always read zero when the governor is in the no-fuel position, to ensure
the engine will stop when required.
To enable the actual fuel quantity delivered from each fuel pump to be measured, indicator cards
would be required. Indicator cards would be taken from each cylinder and the power developed
would be found, either directly from the software for the electronic cylinder units, or using a
planimeter to determine the area of the power card for the mechanically taken indicator cards.

Checking and Adjusting Variable Injection Timing (VIT) Fuel Pump

A variable injection fuel pump can also be adjusted for fuel timing with the engine running. Thus
whilst the engine is running the fuel pump timing can be checked by the draw card type of
indicator card. On this type of card the position when the fuel has ignited can be seen by either

The point at which the pressure-volume curve moves away from the normal compression
curve, or

The point on the pressure derivative curve on the electronic indicator when the rate of
pressure rise suddenly increases. The derivative curve makes the point of fuel ignition
much easier to determine.

Once the point of fuel timing is determined, then the fuel pump can be adjusted either

Collectively for the whole engine by adjusting the sensor which determines the quantity
of fuel timing advancement by measuring the position of the fuel rack position. Any
adjustment of this sensor will advance or retard the fuel timing of all fuel pumps at once.

Individually by adjusting the linkage from the individual fuel timing servo to the fuel
pump. This adjustment will adjust the fuel timing of an individual fuel pump.

The fuel pumps would need to be adjusted collectively, when the fuel combustion quality
reduces. Hence if combustion was slower than normal, possibility due to a high level
of Conradson Carbon or Ashalptenes, then the fuel timing could be advanced. This will allow
more time for combustion, and should reduce exhaust temperatures and smoke levels. When fuel
timing is advanced it is important that the cylinder maximum pressures are measured to ensure
that they are not excessive.
Should the ignition quality of the fuel be lower than normal, then the initial raise in cylinder
pressure when combustion occurs will be higher than normal, and may even lead to bearing
damage. In these cases the fuel timing would be retarded to depress the rate of pressure rise.
Individual fuel pump timing adjustment would be required when the fuel pump is internally
worn. This will cause a lower amount of fuel to be injected, but also later in the engine cycle.
Hence the performance of the pump could be regained by increasing the quantity delivered at the
fuel rack, and advancing the individual fuel pump timing.

Fuel Oil Testing On-board

On-board testing of the fuel could be carried out during the bunker operation by one of
the engineering staff not required to supervise or monitor the bunkering operation. The
following tests could be carried out:

Water content

Viscosity

Density

Compatibility

Check for abrasive fines

Although the tests are not as accurate as a shore based laboratory the tests would indicate
whether the fuel loaded is the same as the fuel quality ordered and therefore the bunker receipt.

Importance of Fuel Oil Sampling

A representative sample would be obtained by a permanent sampling probe fitted close to
the bunkering manifold. The rate of sampling would ensure that a sampling quantity required is
taken over the full duration of the bunkering operation. The sample container is then thoroughly
mixed before being poured into new, clean containers. The containers are then sealed and signed
before being sent to the shore testing facility.

Effects of Contaminants in the Fuel

Oxides of nitrogen are formed when the nitrogen in the fuel, and some of the nitrogen in the air
combines with the oxygen present during combustion in the heat of the combustion process.
The quantity of NOx produced is dependent on the temperature and duration of combustion, and
the quantity of oxygen present in the combustion space.
Carbon monoxide is formed when the level of oxygen within the combustion space is insufficient
to provide complete combustion to carbon dioxide. As usually there is ample oxygen within a
diesel engine, readings of carbon monoxide indicate the present of pockets of fuel rich mixtures
burning locally without enough oxygen, hence poor fuel/air mixing from incorrect atomization
and air turbulence will cause carbon monoxide levels to rise. Sulphur oxides are formed when
the sulphur in the fuel reacts with the oxygen to form sulphur monoxide and dioxide. Increasing
levels of fuel sulphur content will increase the sulphur oxides produced.
In order to reduce the effects of the sulphurous products the following can be used:

Reduce the level of sulphur in the fuel by using low sulphur fuels

Counteract the condensation rate of the sulphur oxides by elevating metal temperatures at
the cylinder walls, and the skin temperature of the exhaust gas boiler tubes

Use of high alkaline lubricating oils to counteract-neutralise the acids formed on

condensation.

Increased frequency of cleaning of the exhaust gas boiler and turbocharger gas turbine

When the fuel injector needle valve seizes, this can be when the needle is
1. Shut causing nil or a smaller amount of fuel to be injected (on multi valved engines)
causing low cylinder power developed.
2. Partly open causing less fuel to be injected and the injector to dribble causing exhaust
smoke and low cylinder power developed.
3. Open causing the injector to inject earlier and the injector to dribble.
The possible cause could be either:
1. Overheating of the fuel injector due to inadequate cooling
2. Abrasives in the fuel from inadequate fuel preparation
The following actions to be taken to minimize the seizing of fuel injector needle valve:
1. Take a sample of the fuel entering the engine and send it for analysis to investigate
possible contamination from metal elements
2. Remove all of the other injectors at the earliest opportunity to examine for defects and to
test the injectors.
3. Examine the injector tips looking for overheating. If this is present, then check
the operation of the injector cooling system (if fitted) and the cylinder head
cooling system. Inspect the same system for internal fouling of the heat transfer
surfaces. Ensure that the high temp alarms are functioning.
4. Ensure that the flow rates for the fuel oil purifiers are as low as possible whilst still
maintaining the service tank level. If a gravity disc is used, check that the largest sized
disc is fitted without causing water seal failure. Both of these actions will reduce the level
of contamination in the purifier clean phase outlet.
5. If two settling tanks are available, ensure that the filling of one settling tank differ from
that with the active FO separator suction. This will maximize fuel settling time and
provide cleaner fuel at the purifier suction.
6. Check the condition of the cold and hot fuel oil filters for physical damage, that would
allow dirt to pass through the filtering unit.
7. Check the correct operation of the fuel injector test unit, with regard to the
correct calibration/protective oil.

Causes of Exhaust Valve Failures

Exhaust valve is prone to

Vanadium induced metal loss at the base of the valve

Cold corrosion of the valve stem due to sulphurous effects

Impact damage at the valve sealing face causing eventual valve burn out

Hot corrosion induced metal loss at the sealing face causing valve burn out

Stellite is used as the seating material of exhaust valves to resist the corrosion effects of
vanadium and sodium. At high temperatures these elements form highly corrosive compounds
that attack the metal oxide layer, causing metal loss and eventual valve sealing loss. This can
lead to reduced compression pressure, and eventually total loss of engine power on that cylinder.
Stellite will reduce these corrosive effects by 50% over conventional steel valves.

How to Prevent Exhaust Valve Failures

The corrosive areas must be identified if any during exhaust valve overhaul since these could
indicate a possible cause of failure. To investigate the corrosion, change in operational factors of
the engine such as speed and load, operational parameters such as turbocharger speeds, boost
air pressure, or cylinder exhaust gas temperatures to be analyzed. Fuel oil samples should be
forwarded to the Fuel Testing Lab asking for a full analysis, especially the fuel vanadium and
sodium levels. Others possible factors such as incorrect valve clearances and valve carbon build
up to be checked while periodic overhauling. If the level of contaminants in the fuel is higher,
overhaul period of the valves to be maintained at the low level.
The corrosive effects on the exhaust valve are accelerated at higher operating temperatures. To
reduce corrosion and hence the possibility of valve burn out, contact temperatures must be
controlled. This is achieved by localised cooling of the valve seat (using cooling passages within
the seat on the larger valves, and cooling of the cylinder head on the smaller valves). The valve is
cooled by the seat when valve is closed.

Initiation of Cracks
Possible reasons for appearing a crack on diesel engine bedplate transverse girder would be:
1. Excess load on the transverse girder from high combustion loads due to excessive power
output from that cylinder or misalignment of the bedplate.
2. Incorrect tension of the tie bolts for a slow speed engine
3. Manufacturing defect

Limiting Crack Growth

Due to the position of the crack in a highly stressed area of the engine structure, investigation
into the extent of the damage caused by the crack on diesel engine bedplate would be required
and prevention measures implemented to limit crack growth. Checks would be made of the
crankshaft deflections and tie rod tension to ensure that these are correct/acceptable.
To investigate the crack, the area around it would be exposed, which could include light grinding
to remove the protective paint covering. The best non destructive test (NDT) method on-board
would be used to find the extent of the crack, and methods such as dye penetrant or magnetic
particle investigation (MPI) could be used.
Once the extent of the crack is established, then advise would be sought from the engine makers
to ensure that the engine is safe to operate. To reduce the loads present in the bedplate, the engine
power for those cylinders would be removed by lifting the two fuel pumps. This would be a
prudent course of action until the extent of the crack had been fully identified. Class would
be informed, especially if repairs are to be performed, to ensure that any proposed method of
repair would be acceptable to them.

Preventing Crack Formation

Future incidents of crack on diesel engine bedplate would be minimised by preventing the causes
stated before.

Regular checks would be made on the cylinder powers developed by taking indicator
cards, and on the crankshaft alignment by taking deflections.

Tie bolt tension would be checked every 12 months.

Also crankcase inspections would ensure that visual inspections beneath the bedplate are
carried out at every inspection.