VPS Talks: Damage Prevention – Ship & Bunker

Preventing harm is best – and cheaper – than curing it.

AT VPS, we’ve typically seen that issues akin to engine failure, gas pump failure and liner put on, may have been prevented by implementing a correct gas administration programme.

‘Main engine harm is an costly class of claims that happens far too ceaselessly. Statistically a vessel will endure between one and two incidences of fundamental engine harm throughout its lifetime. With a mean claims value of round USD 650,000.’ — Swedish Club’s Loss Prevention Supplement

One of an important, but typically ignored processes, is that of standard Fuel System Checks (FSCs) to assist assess onboard air purifier efficiency and the environment friendly elimination of aluminium and silicon catalytic fines inside gas.

The presence of ‘cat-fines’ could be extraordinarily damaging, inflicting speedy engine-half put on. Therefore, monitoring cat-advantageous ranges earlier than they will enter vessel engines, can stop such harm. This may even assist comply to engine producers’ suggestions of a most 10-15 ppm degree of cat fines current within the gas getting into the engines.

In addition, periodic sampling from the gas therapy system may even determine issues akin to water ingress from ballast programs, leaking heating coils and cargo contamination. After all, the very last thing you wish to see is that your air purifier is working as a pump…

Our proactive method in follow – case examine

This is a case regarding a 26,528 dwt LPG Tanker. The vessel bunkered High Sulphur Fuel Oil [HSFO] in Fujairah, the place its gas met the International Marine Fuel Standard ISO 8217 specs.

So far, so good. However, after utilizing the bunkered gas, the Chief Engineer reported a fundamental engine enlargement tank low degree alarm set off, and that the principle exhaust gasoline temperature was excessive on cylinder models 2 and 4. The vessel then commenced a gradual slowdown of the principle engine. The Chief Engineer reported the vessel was unable to run the engine because of suspected leaks from its fundamental cylinders. Consequently, the vessel drifted for about 10 hours earlier than lastly dropping anchor off the coast of India.

Upon dismantling the engine, the next findings had been made:

Upon receiving this data, the VPS Technical Advisor really helpful gas system samples be submitted. The outcomes indicated that the air purifier was, in reality, solely working like a pump.

The screening measurement of Al+Si [on the before engine sample] additional confirmed why the vessel was experiencing issues as the dimensions of Al+Si ranges from 5-45 μm.

These discoveries had been vastly appreciated by the vessel’s Chief Engineer and ship proprietor, as they may now perceive the trigger – and potential value – of the issue. They subsequently ordered routine gas system examine (FSC) sampling to forestall a recurrence of the incident.

The important significance of gas system checking

The International Marine Fuel Standard, ISO8217:2017, states the specification restrict for cat-fines is 60ppm for gas delivered to the ship. Should a ship’s purifiers be working at an effectivity of 75%, then for example, they’d take away 45ppm of any gas containing cat-fines on the specification restrict of 60ppm. This would end in a most 15ppm cat-fines passing by to the engine, matching the OEM operational recommendation.

A daily FSC programme, is a straightforward, but efficient resolution for evaluating onboard gas therapy effectivity, as:

  • Efficient gas therapy is vital for fuels near the utmost high quality specification
  • A software to sound the talents of the engineers, on how successfully the plant is working over a time period and by totally different engineers
  • It identifies downside areas within the tank system or gas therapy plant
  • It gauges the effectiveness of present gas therapy upkeep and servicing schedule
  • It establishes a monitoring routine for attaining prolonged Time Before Overhaul (TBO) – saving prices and lowering upkeep wants
  • It shortly identifies the search throughout a harm scenario
  • It reduces equipment harm and saves cash in overhauls and different prices

The highlighted case examine reveals the vital significance of standard and thorough gas system checks. Such checks, when carried out routinely, can considerably mitigate the dangers related to elevated cat-advantageous ranges inside gas and determine inefficient air purifier efficiency.

It has been confirmed that the VPS FSC programme can cut back gas system failures by 50%, saving tons of of 1000’s of {dollars} in restore prices.

Josephine Goh

VPS Sales Manager, Singapore

[email protected]

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