Poor high quality gasoline oil or lubricating oil in an engine can lead to damage or breakdown. In relation to the excessive cost of those important products, testing and cautious handling on board requires little effort and minimal cost. This text considers these aspects.

Gasoline OIL
The recommendation below applies to gas oil and diesel oil.

BUNKERING
There are a few “golden rules” to be noticed when bunkering gas oil. These are as follows:

Rule No. 1
Always order fuel in response to the engine maker’s suggestion, utilizing the trade gas oil normal ISO 8217. This requirement needs to be included within the charterparty. For every fuel category within ISO 8217 the traits are given as maximum values with the exception of flash point and for that reason it is not enough to solely confer with ISO 8217.

Rule No. 2
Verify the supplier’s paperwork to ensure that the delivery conforms when it comes to quantity and specification with what has truly been ordered.

Rule No. Three
Each time possible, place new bunkers into empty tanks. New gasoline oil shouldn’t be used till evaluation outcomes have been obtained.

Observe: Even when it is possible to do that, it is crucial that the Chief Engineer carries out a compatibility take a look at. Easy, cheap check kits can be found.

Rule No. Four
Employ the companies of an independent gas evaluation contractor, e.g., Lloyd’s Register, FOBAS (Gasoline Oil Bunker Analysis & Advisory Service), Det Norske Veritas – Veritas Petroleum Companies. The price is a couple of hundred dollars and take a look at results are usually accessible within 36 hours.

Word: No matter whether the service of an unbiased gas analysis contractor is utilised or not, an proprietor ought to ensure that the Chief Engineer takes a steady drip pattern on the manifold throughout the complete bunkering process. The gear essential to do that is comparatively small value in contrast with the price of the bunkers.

Rule No. 5
The Chief Engineer ought to check that the bunkers to be loaded do not contain an unacceptable quantity of water. Within the case of distillates, a easy check involving a dip tape and water discovering paste can be used. For gasoline oil this may increasingly not always be correct and a water take a look at kit can be utilized. The package is low cost and simple to use.

Be aware: If the bunker provide is from a barge, a Chief Engineer needs to be cautious if the provision is frequently being circulated within the barge tanks. The circulating course of may be disguising a nasty cocktail!

On board portable gas test kit.

Dealing with Fuel OIL
Heavy gas (residuals and mixtures of residuals and distillate) must be purified in an environment friendly centrifuge earlier than entering the service tank. There are a number of key points.
(1) Be certain that the right gravity disc is used.
(2) By no means exceed the circulate rate recommended for the centrifuge for the grade of gas in use. The decrease the stream charge the better the effectivity. Think about using two or three centrifuges in sequence/parallel as purifier/clarifier.
(Three) Centrifuging is still recommended for the distillate fuels, MDO/MGO, because the gas may be contaminated in the storage tanks.
(Four) Keep the fuel temperature about 10C above the minimum storage temperature, to minimise the chance of wax formation and the temperature after the ultimate heater 5C to 10C above the beneficial gas injection temperature to compensate for heat losses between heater and gasoline injector.
(5) The temperature at the purifier must be steady – a typical optimum temperature is 98C. Notice: Temperatures at storage, settling and service tanks should be monitored no less than twice every day. Overheating can degrade the fuel and lead to cargo injury in holds.
(6) The importance of operating the settling and repair drain take a look at cocks is commonly neglected, significantly in unattended engine rooms. Twice a day is the minimum for this easy operation, which is able to cut back the danger of water or sludge getting into the fuel system.
(7) Fuel oil filters needs to be examined, say, every few days in service – even when the differential pressure gauges are regular. The explanation for this is twofold. First, a filter will often allow fuel to pass even when partially choked. It can then immediately choke completely. Second, though Class Guidelines require a standby filter to be obtainable, difficulties have been encountered in altering over to the standby filter in an emergency state of affairs, resulting in engine stoppage.
(8) An automatic viscosity controller (viscometer) ought to be in correct working order to take care of right viscosity of the fuel at the engine. Failure to do this can result in poor combustion and even damage.
Observe (1): Remember, viscosity in itself just isn’t a measure of the standard of a fuel.
Word (2): Fuel oils having a high density in combination with low viscosity have low ignition quality. This could imply poor combustion and “diesel knock”.

Ignition high quality may be calculated when it comes to calculated carbon aromaticity index (CCAI). Typically, whereas not a precise device for judging ignition quality, engines running at fixed speed and cargo (over 50 per cent) can without issue use fuels with CCAI 870 (most). Engines operating at variable speed and cargo can without problem use fuels with CCAI 860 (maximum).

WHAT Will be Achieved
(1) If an unbiased analysis recommends that a fuel shouldn’t be burnt, do not do it! Place the provider on notice, search recommendation from your P&I Club and consider a port of refuge.
(2) Excess water will be settled out with time and heat. Purify slowly. Test to see if contamination is saline – do not use the fuel whether it is.
(Three) If a fuel has a poor compatibility score, don’t combine with any other gasoline.
(Four) If “diesel knock” (high CCAI) happens, be certain that engine and gas temperatures are maintained. Do not advance ignition timing.
(5) If problems happen, samples should be taken at numerous points in the gas system, e.g., switch pump, setting and service tanks, before/after purifier. It’s also helpful to take sludge or deposit samples at the purifier, filter, scavenge areas and piston rings/crowns. Note: some of the present problems with fuels are:
– “cat fines” – abrasive
– waste automotive lube oil – abrasive
– bacteria in MDO and gasoline oil – corrosive, and so on.

LUBRICATING OIL
Lots of the factors mentioned above concerning purifiers, filters, take a look at cocks on storage tanks apply to lubricating oil. In addition, there are a number of key points to think about. (1) Be certain that the proper grade of oil is getting used. (2) Lubricating oil will not be technically clean when provided and, inevitably, turns into dirty and sometimes contaminated in service. It must be purified always at sea. Water should not be added when centrifuging. (3) The oil ought to be heated to about 90C at the centrifuge. Verify with supplier. (4) Try and use only about 20 per cent of the rated circulate capacity of the separator. (5) Check that the proper gravity disc is in use at the purifier. (6) Take samples for evaluation about each 1,000 working hours, to ensure protected engine operation. The sample (minimum 1 litre) should be taken with the engine in operation, after the oil filter on the engine. Present the following details with the pattern – identify of vessel, date, set up, engine number, oil brand, engine working hours, hours oil has been in use, where taken, sort of gasoline oil, other remarks. (7) If the water content of an oil cost exceeds zero.5 per cent to 1 per cent, and can not be removed by purification in service, change the whole cost and renovate. If issues are experienced, inform the analyst as various forms of evaluation are available. (Eight) Basically, modifications within the analyses provide a greater thought of the situation and tendencies in the oil than the absolute values. (9) Send or ask the oil supplier to ship copies of the analyses to the engine maker for remark.

If the lube oil in an engine is suspect, pump contents up to an empty storage tank. Permit to settle – drain – take pattern for analysis. Meanwhile, out sump tank, filters, and so on., renew charge.

Quick STORY
One of the world’s largest marine diesel engines burnt untested gasoline containing “cat fines” (catalytic aluminium/silicon fines). In a couple of hours of operation, a number of years wear and tear occurred in the new engine. An impartial few hundred greenback take a look at would have prevented this expensive claim.

Abstract
Based mostly on experience it may be stated that excessive put on and tear, injury and salvage of vessels with broken down engines typically relate again to fundamental issues with gasoline oil and lube oil quality.

What is so wonderful is that having fuel oil independently analysed costs a couple of hundred dollars. Suppliers usually analyse lube oil freed from charge. The amazement is that many house owners still, on the threshold of the yr 2000, do not do this!