3 Important Calculations Every Marine Engineer Must Know On Ships

In ship’s engine room, a number of gauging instruments display various important

parameters such as level, pressure, temperature etc. But there are some essential
parameters which cannot be read directly through any instrument as they depend on
a number of dynamic factors.

This demands the marine engineer working onboard ships to do some formula based
calculations by considering all those factors and with possible available inputs. Of
all the important calculations that are to be done on board ships, there a few ones
which marine engineers must know without fail.

Related Read: 8 Engine Terms Every Marine Engineer Should Know – Part 1

Following are 3 important parameters which are most often required to be calculated
by marine engineers for record keeping:

1. Bunker Calculation:

Bunker terms to fuel oil in the maritime industry. Bunker quantity calculation is the
most important calculation which every marine engineer should be familiar with
throughout his career. Bunker fuel, being a highly valued product, has to be very
carefully and accurately calculated for determining the quantity.

The volume of a definite quantity of bunker increases with increase in temperature

whereas its weight remains the same. For this reason, the bunker is always ordered
and measured in weight and not by volume.
Related Read: The Ultimate Guide to Fuel Oil Bunkering Process on Ships

Also, all the energy and efficiency calculations of fuel on board ships are calculated
in terms of mass of the fuel rather than its volume. (Calculation of bunker fuel
quantity in weight involves many factors to be considered making it more complex.)

Mostly, the fourth engineer will be the deputy of the Chief engineer for receiving
bunker & measuring the bunker quantity for maintaining records.

Mentioned below is the procedure for measuring and calculating the bunker
quantity:

Once the total quantity (tonnes) of bunker fuel to be received is confirmed, take a
sounding of ship’s bunker tanks & calculate the available quantity of fuel oil onboard
to formulate a bunkering plan denoting how much tonnes of fuel to be bunkered on
each tank & the tank sequence of bunkering.
Before commencing of bunker operations, confirm the temperature at which the
bunker is to be received and note down the standard density of the fuel oil. With this
parameters calculate the volume of the bunker to be received in each tank as per
bunkering plan and note down the final sounding level of each tank after bunkering
using the capacity table for the ease of stopping & change over to next tank.
Related Read: 15 Practical Tips For Bunkering and Storage of Fuel Oil On Ships

The basic formula used for calculating the bunker quantity in weight is:

Mass = Volume x Density

It is to be noted that in the above formula, the density and volume of bunker fuel
should be known at the same temperature.
After receiving the bunker, take sounding/ullage of all the bunker tanks using
sounding tape and note down the tank temperature. Use sounding paste in the tape
while measuring distillate fuel such as MDO for easy reading.
The ship always does not float with an even keel so the floating conditions of the
ship such as trim and list should be well noted while taking the sounding of bunker
tanks.
Every ship is provided with a tank capacity table in which each tank capacity in
volume is marked against the successive levels of sounding/ullage with correction
factors under various trim and heel conditions of the ship. The volume of fuel oil at
tank temperature for the corresponding tank sounding is thus measured using tank
capacity table, which gives the actually sounded volume.
The density of fuel oil (in kg/m3) at a standard reference temperature of 15⁰C is
always provided by the supplier in Bunker Delivery Note. With this, the density of
fuel oil at tank temperature can be determined using ASTM table or using software
most commonly installed on all ship’s computer.
The formula used to calculate the Temperature Corrected Density is:

= (Density of Fuel Oil @ 15⁰C) x [1- {(T-15) x 0.00064}]

Where:
T = temperature of oil in bunker tanks in degree Celsius,
0.00064 = Correction factor

Since the bunker oil is normally supplied to the vessel at a temperature higher than
15⁰C, the formula used for calculating the bunker quantity in weight will be:

Metric Tonnes = (Actual Sounder Volume) X (Temperature Corrected Density)

The corresponding values of each tank are tabulated for easy reading and the total
weight of bunker quantity is calculated.

2. Specific Fuel Oil Consumption (SFOC):

Specific fuel oil consumption is the measure of the mass of fuel consumed per unit
time to produce per KW. The marine engine efficiency is usually determined using
the SFOC.
In order to achieve accuracy, the fuel consumption and power developed is always
measured over a suitable time period on a good weather. The formula used for
calculating SFOC is:

SFOC (g/kwh) = Mass of fuel consumed per hour / Power developed in KW

The readings of the flow meter to the main engine should be noted over the specified
time interval say 1 hour. With the difference in readings, the volume of fuel
consumed is obtained. It can also be measured by noting down the HFO service tank
reading provided the oil is being supplied only to the main engine.
The mass of the observed volume of fuel consumed can be determined by following
the above-said bunker calculation procedure.
The horsepower can be measured using dynamometer if fitted on the shaft of the
engine which will indicate the BHP in the digital indicator. If not, the horsepower
can also be calculated using engine rpm and average pump fuel index with the aid
of engine characteristic curve of various sea trials which is supplied by the
manufacturer. However, the calorific value of the fuel used for sea trial may differ
and hence compensation factor has to be determined to obtain the accuracy in
calculation.
Related Read: 14 Terminologies Used for Power of the Ship’s Marine Propulsion
Engine

3. Percentage of Slip:

Slip is considered as the difference between the speed of the engine and actual speed
of the ship. It is always calculated in percentage. Positive slip is influenced by
various reasons such as fouled bottom or hull part which offers resistance to the
movement of the ship, environmental factors such as water current and wind against
the ship direction. The slip may be negative if the ship speed is influenced by
following sea or wind. Engine slip is calculated daily onboard the vessel and
recorded in the log book.

Related Read: Various Methods Used to Minimise Resistance on Ship’s Hull

Engine distance – Observed distance

Percentage of Slip = ————————————————– X 100%

Engine distance

The actual distance (nautical mile) covered by the ship from noon to noon is
measured using ship’s log.
The total revolutions of the propeller from noon to noon is obtained using revolution
counter. The engine distance can be calculated using the pitch of the propeller
provided by the manufacturer. Care must be taken in the unit conversion of the pitch
from meter to nautical mile (in general 1 NM = 1800m).
Engine distance in nautical mile = (Pitch x revolutions per day)

Obtaining the accuracy of value in all the above calculations are always challenging
onboard as the parameters recorded are more sensitive to dynamic conditions of the
ship and also depends on various environmental factors.