ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION

ACCIDENT NO : 1

Crew injures from oil heater explosion-Official report  (INVESTIGATION & LESSON LEARNT)

                    Over a period of two days at anchor, one of the two vertical thermal oil heaters of a product tanker was observed to be not firing reliably. The crew opened and cleaned the burner unit and also adjusted the igniter electrodes twice, but after the second attempt, the heater refused to fire. On the third day, the C/E discussed the remedial action plan with the crew. They opened up the burner unit and cleaned the burner lance and igniter electrodes again. This time, the heater operated for about 90 minutes (eight firing cycles), after which it again failed to ignite. 

                Resuming work after lunch, the electrician re-inspected electrical systems while the 3/E and cadet dismantled and cleaned the burner lance and nozzle unit, reassembled it under the C/E’s supervision and refitted it to the heater one more time. When the test firing commenced, the 3/E, cadet and electrician positioned themselves on the top of the heater to monitor the automatic starting and firing sequence. The forced-draught fan went through a four-minute purge programme, but when the igniter sparked, there was a violent explosion.

Filipino Engine cadet survives 1,000 days of captivity in pirate's hands..

Filipino Engine cadet survives 1,000 days of captivity in pirate's hands..

                    This article tells you about the Filipino cadet being released from the hands of pirates of somalia...........

                   The Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Programme (MPHRP) and its partners in the industry-wide coalition established to assist seafarers and their families with the humanitarian aspects of piracy incidents have welcomed the news of the release of the 22 crewmembers on the MV Iceberg 1 after 1,000 days in captivity in Somalia.

         We are greatly relieved to hear that they are safe after their terrible ordeal and to hear that they have all been able to return to their homes,said Mr. Peter Swift, Chairman of MPHRP.

         We are of course grateful to all those who have played a part in their rescue and are making the arrangements for their medical and other check-ups and their repatriation. Now we hope that both public and private organizations will work to ensure that the released hostages, as well as their families, receive all the necessary support and assistance they will require both immediately and longer term as they recover from the trauma and deprivation that they have suffered since being kidnapped on 29 March 2010,he further stated.

          MV Iceberg 1, a roll-on roll-off (RORO) vessel with a deadweight of 4,500 tons, had a crew of 24 and was loaded with a mixed cargo of general mechanical equipment, was bound for Jebel Ali in the UAE when hijacked. The crewmembers were from Yemen, India, Ghana, Sudan, Pakistan and the Philippines.

MAN B&W G- Engines - Green Ultra-Long-Stroke G-type Engines

MAN B&W G- Engines - Green Ultra-Long-Stroke G-type Engines

                Since we are  familarised with Intelligence Engines,the field had paved an way for the GREEN ENGINES considering the environment.......

                                                     

The green ultra long stroke G-type engine delivers lower rpm with

significant fuel and CO2 reductions of up to 7% as part of a propulsion package.

Ole Grøne, Senior Vice President Low-Speed Sales and Promotions, MAN Diesel &Turbo, said: “The G-type is an ultra-long-stroke engine and represents the biggest development within our engine portfolio since the successful introduction of the ME electronic engine within the last decade.”

The G-type engine has a design that follows the principles of the large bore (“S-type”) Mk 9 engine series introduced in 2006. The G-type is designed with an even longer stroke to reduce engine

Ever Seen a Monument for Marine Engineers?-Engine Room Heroes of the “Titanic”

Have you ever seen a monument erected for Marine Engineers?


Wondering what it is and where is it?

Coming back to the memorial, here is a picture which I took from internet.

I am sure When Engineers see such a monument, they will definitely be happy and be proud too.

The intention of this article, is to let our dear Marine Engineers know the location so that they can visit if they have time.

Name:       Memorial to the Engine Room Heroes of the “Titanic”.
Location:  Liverpool.

This memorial stands on Pier Head in Liverpool. It is inscribed on the north face

“IN HONOUR OF  ALL HEROES OF THE  MARINE ENGINE ROOM  THIS MEMORIAL  WAS ERECTED BY  INTERNATIONAL SUBSCRIPTION” inscription
and on the south face

“THE BRAVE DO NOT DIE THEIR DEEDS LIVE FOR EVER  AND CALL UPON US  TO EMULATE THEIR COURAGE  AND DEVOTION TO DUTY” inscription

Comprises a granite column with a carved Egyptian scene at the top and statues of engineers by Goscombe John on the West face. There are depictions of Water,Earth,Sea and Fire on each corner. 

The memorial commemorates the 122 Engineers who died when RMS Titanic sunk on 15 April 1912.

Why and What it is All About - STCW 2010 

         STCW 2010 – The International Convention on standards of training, certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers

Amended Convention entry into force on 1 January 2012.

Reasons for change:

1.       Accidents/Causalities has been caused due to majority of human error( Upto 80%)
2.       Improvement in Education and Training standards.
3.       Varying in Education and Training system.
4.       Insufficient backing of authorities.
5.       To improve standards of competency for senior ratings.

Enhancement of STCW 2010:

MAN B&W -- Specifications

MAN B&W -- Specifications 

            There has been too much ambiguity with regards to the notations used for Marine Diesel Engines. One can refer the engine manual and find out what such notation means. 

However, this article will provide explanation for all Notations used by MAN B&W engines till date. This has been collected by me over few months and I will continuously update it whenever there is a change or a new addition to the notations.

MAN – Germany – Maschinenfabrik Augsburg NurnbergB&W – Denmark – Burmeister & Wain

The merger of above two Giants is now known as Man B&W.  Well, if you are interested to know more about the history,

SULZER specifications & its easy to understand,made easy...........

            When looking at Sulzer engine’s specifications, there is always some ambiguity. MAN B&W is very clear with its specifications, however Sulzer never gave one. That doesn’t mean MAN B&W is better than Sulzer engines.

Here myself  have dug deep to find out these specifications from various sources right from Wartsila NSD to Various Marine Text books.

Sulzer AG, a Swiss company, started in 1834 by the Sulzer brothers.

Want to know who were Sulzer Brothers?

Wartsila v/s MAN Marine Engines- Who’s is the best ?

                                               

         The stronger the marine engine, the better is the ship’s propulsion power and speed. When it comes to selecting marine engines for ships, there are only a few countable names in the market, including MAN B&W and Wartsila.In this article we are going to compare the two most powerful marine engine brands in the maritime industry.As discussed in one of our previous articles, the Most Popular Marine Propulsion Engines , MAN Diesel Turbo (previously known as MAN B&W) and Wartsila (Previously known as SULZER) are the two front-runner giants for supplying propulsion solution to the shipping industry.Wartsila & MAN both are in fact two rivals who have the best products and R&D in the industry. In this article, we will compare the different propulsion technologies provided by these two companies and will list out which technology has got the edge over the other.Note: This comparison is derived and compiled after taking views from professional marine engineers who have worked on both of these engines. However, this is not a yardstick for selecting marine engines for a ship.

Wartsila v/s MAN Marine Engines

Technology/ System	Wartsila SULZER	MAN Diesel Turbo	Who gets the EDGE?
Intelligent Engine	RT Flex- A complete electronically controlled engine with common rail system	ME Engine- Complete electronically controlled engine integrated with hydraulic control.	Wartsila- For installing an Intelligent engine technology in 2001. Prior to MAN (2003).
Fuel Injection System	Common rail Electronic control with Delta Injection System	Hydraulic actuated Electronic Control Injection system	Wartsila- For integrating Delta control with 3 injectors controlled independently for different load.
Exhaust Valve Control	Electronically controlled variable exhaust valve timing	Camshaft operated Exhaust valve for reliable operation	MAN- For integrating a smart mechanical exhaust valve operation in Intelligent engine for reliable operation.
Fuel Injectors	Conventional fuel injectors	Zero Sac Volume type fuel injectors with slide valve	MAN- Slide type fuel injector reduces after burning and hence NOx emission
Fuel Pump	Spill, suction valve controlled pump with VIT	Jerk type plunger barrel controlled pump with Super VIT	MAN- Super VIT with independent injection timing control w.r.t fuel index.
Starting Air system	Starting air valve opened by 30 bar air and a closing supply for positive shut along with spring. A relief valve in air manifold to avoid overpressure during starting airline explosion.	Starting air valve open by 30 bar air and shut by spring. Bursting disc provided to avoid overpressure during explosion	Wartsila- Additional safety provided in positive closing and relief valve for reliability during manoeuvring.
Piston and Rings	Convex shaped piston with Jet Shaker cooling. Chromium coated Piston ring.	OROS type Piston for better combustion area and reduction in piston temperature. Controlled Pressure Relief type top piston ring.	MAN-With OROS piston, the Maximum piston temperature reduces by 90°C. With CPR ring, better pressure distribution on liner and lower ring.
Cylinder Liner	Fine honed and bore cooled Liner with mid layer insulation.	Bore cooled liner.	Wartsila- Better cooling and insulation increases Cylinder liner Life
Main Bearing	White metal bearing lined on thin back.	Tri metal bearing with high load carrying capacity.	MAN-Tri metal bearing with long life and better embed ability.
Crosshead	12-15 bar pressure from separate pump supplied to bigger size plain bearing.	Small size bearing with oil wedges to retain oil which is supplied by normal system pressure.	Wartsila-Elevated pressure ensures better lubrication at high load. A back up line is provided in case of failure of crosshead pump.
Cylinder Lubrication	Electronically controlled Pulse Lubrication System with metered quantity injection	Alpha Adaptive Cylinder Lubrication control system allowing blending of cylinder oil for different grade of sulphur in fuel	MAN- ACC with different inputs like sulphur content and load index provide better neutralizing features.
Drive	Gear driven with timing gear driving the camshaft	Chain driven with 2 chains driving a camshaft	MAN- Chain drives are cheaper, lighter and easier to maintain and duplication provides backup.
Turbocharging	Prefers Axial turbocharger with constant pulse system.	Variable Turbine Angle turbocharger provides better operation at all load range	MAN-VTA allows engine to run without auxiliary blower at low load operation.
Exhaust Valve	Cobentional Valve seat with Nimonic and Stellite coating	W seat for better operation and increased time between overhaul. Dura spindle with better heat resistant property.	MAN- W seat allows cooling of exhaust valve during combustion stroke
Miscellaneous	Tribo pack allows increased time between overhaul of cylinder component up to 3 years. Electronic monitoring system for safe operation	Electronic monitoring system for safe operation.	Wartsila- With Tribo pack which is a package of design measures increases the TBO to 3 years.

 From the above comparison, it can be seen that MAN has 

an edges over Wartsila by a thin margins.

However, with the world’s most powerful marine engine (Wärtsilä RT-flex96C) in its basket, Wartsila is one company that doesn’t have to prove anything. 

Dear readers its just an study made under certain cases so there may be any tentative results......for more articles subscribe to my post.......

Ball piston engine - a high efficient power
                Ball piston engine

              The original concept was introduced in 1990. Then it utilised a modified version of the tried and tested otto cycle. The number of strokes were 4, 8 and 12 or more. There may be one or more pistons. Each of them is inside a cylinder. A hot gas or a gas under pressure is introduced. The machine design concept is applicable as a compressor, pump, motor, or engine. This engine is based on spherical ball pistons and hence the moving part count is less, power to weight ratio is high, f valve train and water cooling systems are eliminated and there is a good dynamic balance.
 The inertial loads(which contributes to sliding friction) has been completely eliminated by a novel kinematic design. a small clearance is kept on the ball piston to avoid the use of piston rings for reducing the leakage. As a result, there is a choked flow across the piston. The above described features provide the scope for a engine with higher efficiency than conventional piston engines.The silicon nitride ball pistons technology has been utilized by the engine preventing the need of a large developmental effort.

Ball piston engine - a high efficient power

                A patented new power machine concept has been designed and analyzed for production, and proof of principle subscale tests have been performed, with positive results. The machine design concept is applicable as a compressor, pump, motor, or engine. Simplicity of design based on spherical ball pistons enables a low moving part count, high power to weight ratio, elimination of valve train and water cooling systems, and perfect dynamic balance.The new design concept utilizes novel kinematic design to completely eliminate inertial loads that would contribute to sliding friction. Also low leakage is maintained without piston rings by using a small clearance on the ball piston, resulting in choked flow past the ball. These features provide the potential for an engine with higher efficiency than conventional piston engines. The engine design utilizes existing recent technology to advantage, such as silicon nitride ball pistons, so a large development effort is not required.  

The further more information can be read from the following links......keep reading the blogs....

http://papers.sae.org/970066/

http://www.ballpistonengine.com/

http://www.convergence-eng.com/project_f...esting.doc

for a presentation, visit this link:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/11835319/Ball-Piston

http://www.scribd.com/doc/29379090/The-B...ton-Engine

Reference: http://www.seminarprojects.com/Thread-ball-piston-engine-a-high-efficient-power?pid=19342#pid19342#ixzz0w1qOFneT

Reference: http://www.seminarprojects.com/Thread-ball-piston-engine-a-high-efficient-power?pid=19342#pid19342#ixzz0w1qgJvRb

Free Piston Engine

                The Free Piston Engine is a combination of reciprocating engine and rotary turbine. It is called free piston engine because the freedom motion for Mechanical linkage which gives variable stroke according to load.

 ADVANTAGES
 1. Mechanical simplicity
2. Less power to weight ratio
3. Lower turbine operating tempeatures
4. Multi fuel capability
5. Flexibility and reliability
6. Easy starting and control

LIMITATIONS

1. Poor fuel economic
2. Less stability
3. Poor part load efficiency
4. High combustine rates
5. Reduction gearing

  APPLICATIONS
 1. Free piston engines are widely used as submarine air compressor units
2. These engines are suitable for power generation in medium power range
3. Free piston engine have been tride in ship propulsion, road and rail traction and even in aircrafts.
4. It is used in mixed gas steam cycle