When the engine is running, the air in the crankcase has the same types and amounts of gases as the air around it. However, there is a heavy shower of coarse oil droplets that are thrown all over the crankcase when the engine is running. If there is too much friction between the surfaces that…
As discussed in one of my previous posts which can be found if you click in here, analytical tests and chemical treatment must be carried out in line with the chemical manufacturer’s recommendations. To keep the chemical levels within an acceptable range, the treatment must be added, but caution must be exercised, as excessive treatment…
Insulation is a common feature of all electrical equipment and the purpose of it is to keep electric currents in the conductors and to avoid contact with live wires. The electrical resistance of insulation must be very high (MΩ) to prevent current leaking away from conductors. Insulation resistance is measured between: Conductors and Earth Conductors…
A fuel injector valve is a device which receives pressurized fuel as a liquid and sprays it into engine cylinder as a fine mist. It consists of a nozzle and nozzle holder and a body. The nozzle has a series of small orifices around its tip used for atomizing the injected fuel. So, the purpose…
I believe that everyone of you have heard about or, unfortunately, witnessed at some point in your career a boiler explosion due different reasons. Unfortunately, despite all safety features, checklists and procedures in place this kind of accidents occur and they are mainly caused by human errors. Explosions in boiler furnaces mainly happen when unburned…
A turning propeller is electrically insulated from the hull by the lubricating oil film in the bearings. Electrical potential is generated between the shaft and the hull and as a result the cathodic protection of the ship will not protect the propeller. Electrical potential can cause currents in the bearings resulting in pitting of the…
A blackout is an unexpected loss of electricity and it is a very rare and unusual thing to happen, especially if you are in the engine room and have never experience it before. It gets very dark and quiet all of a sudden, though some diesel engines may still be running as the fuel will…
Operational experience has shown that 4 stroke engines operating heavy fuels being bunkered from various ports globally and low load operation of the engine tend to cause fouling of the turbocharger. The condition and cleanness of the turbine of an exhaust -gas turbocharger have a decisive influence on the efficiency, the performance of the combustion…
Two-stroke bearings are mainly composed of aluminum or tin-based alloys, allowing the bearing to bed and transfer the load over a broader area. If the bearing surface experiences excessive stress, the bearing shell will normally continue to function as the load is distributed across a greater area. As a result, most white metal fragment detection…
During operation of engines (especially trunk type engines) the lubricating oil will gradually be contaminated by small particles originating from the combustion and, in particular engines operated on heavy fuels which will normally increase the contamination due to the increased content of carbon residues and other contaminants (about four stroke lubricating system you can read…