ship engines

Methane slip from LNG fueled engines

Mr. Antonis Trakakis, Chief Technology Officer at Forward Ships, talks about methane slips from LNG fueled engines. Mr. Trakakis notes that these emissions are not inherent to the natural gas. The problem lies at the applied heat cycle, making the amount of methane slip depend on the technology of each engine.

The natural gas has the unique – compared to liquid fuel, capability to be supplied to engine in either high or low pressure. Depending on the supply pressure, engine runs on Diesel (high...

https://safety4sea.com/methane-slip-from-lng-fueled-engines/

Complying with NOx Tier III standards: What you need to know

The shipping industry is now more than ever facing a pressing need to improve its environmental footprint. The IMO 2020 sulphur cap aims to promote green practices among the industry. However, already established measures have paved the way for a more environmental-friendly shipping. A key example is the IMO NOx Tier III limits. These limits apply to engines installed on or after 1 January 2016, that are operating in Emission Control Areas (ECAs) and establish a strict limit on their emissions.

W...

https://safety4sea.com/cm-complying-with-nox-tier-iii-standards-what-you-need-to-know/

LNG retrofitting begins for Baleària’s first ferry

Spanish ferry operator Baleària announced it has started LNG retrofitting work for its ferry ‘Napoles’, the first of the company’s six vessels to be converted to run on LNG. The ship arrived Sunday at Gibdock shipyards in Gibraltar, where the modification of the engines and the installation of the LNG tank will be carried out. The works completion is scheduled on 15 February 2019.

As such, the two current engines of the ship (MAN9L48 / 60) will be upgraded to the version 9L51 / 60DF, dual motors...

https://safety4sea.com/lng-retrofitting-begins-for-balearias-first-ferry/

Advance water-in-oil alarm developed to prevent engine issues

NYK and MTI Co. Ltd. have created an advance alarm system, able to detect anomalies on real-time, that water getting in lubricating oil cause. This alarm has already been installed on Haramachi Maru, aiming to prevent such problems and achieve preventive maintenance for the engine.

Controlling the quality of lubricating oil is very important for engines’ smooth operation. This is because water can contaminate lubricating oil when cooling water for the engine leaks or the oil purifier fails.

To...

https://safety4sea.com/advance-water-in-oil-alarm-developed-to-prevent-engine-issues/

Wärtsilä, partners to develop business case for alternative fuels

Finnish technology group Wärtsilä announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Finland’s Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT) and Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD), the largest electricity utility in Nebraska, for the study of the development of a business case for the use of alternative fuels with Wärtsilä generating sets. The MoU was signed on 13 November.

The aim of the business case is to achieve a technically and commercially viable solution that will allow...

https://safety4sea.com/wartsila-partners-to-develop-business-case-for-alternative-fuels/

Inappropriate modification leads to accident

UK MAIB informed of a pressure accident onboard a multicat vessel. Operators carried out an unrecorded modification to the supply fan flap support brackets, without consulting the shipbuilder, which led two crew members to be sucked into the engine room with severe force. MAIB advised that any modifications need to consider all aspects of the application being altered.

The incident

A multi-cat vessel was transiting between two Scottish ports when the engine room supply fan flaps closed. The...

https://safety4sea.com/inappropriate-modification-leads-to-accident/

USCG: Engine types accepted under MARPOL Annex VI

The US Coast Guard Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance issued a circular to outline how the Coast Guard will enforce MARPOL Annex VI Regulation 13.5.1.2 due to the unavailability of engines needed to comply with this regulation.

MARPOL Annex VI Regulation 13.5.1.2 generally prohibits the operation of any engine in the North American and US Caribbean Sea NOx Emission Control Areas (ECA) that does not comply with the MARPOL Annex VI Tier III requirements if the engine is installed on a ship...

https://safety4sea.com/uscg-engine-types-accepted-under-marpol-annex-vi/

USCG: Which engines can be certified by US EPA as meeting Clean Air Act Tier 3

USCG published a Work Instruction (WI) outlines how it will enforce MARPOL Annex VI Regulation because of the unavailability of engines needed to comply with this regulation.

Instead of complying with MARPOL Annex VI Tier III performance standards, engines covered by this guidance can be certified by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as meeting Clean Air Act Tier 3 requirements under 40 CFR part 1042.

MARPOL Annex VI Regulation generally does not allow the operation of any engine in...

https://safety4sea.com/uscg-which-engines-can-be-certified-by-us-epa-as-meeting-clean-air-act-tier-3/

New software developed to detect combustion chamber issues

NYK and MTI have created a software that uses photo data to prevent accidents by determining the causes of failures early. Kirari NINJA provides the images, by photographing the inside of a ship engine’s combustion chamber.

The combustion chamber includes the cylinder liner and piston, where low temperature corrosion and abnormal abrasion can lead to serious troubles. Kirari NINJA will attempt to address this by explaining the exact condition of the combustion chamber interior.

NYK by combining...

https://safety4sea.com/new-software-developed-to-detect-combustion-chamber-issues/

Wärtsilä eyes 15% GHG reduction from gas engines by 2020

As part of its efforts to minimize the environmental impact of its products, Finnish technology group Wärtsilä said it has set a target to cut Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from its gas engines by a massive 15% between 2015 and 2020.

To achieve this, Sebastiaan Bleuanus, General Manager, Research Co-ordination & Funding, says the first step towards reducing all emissions is to switch from diesel to gas:

If you want a pure win-win solution in terms of emission reduction, the first thing to do is...

https://safety4sea.com/wartsila-eyes-15-ghg-reduction-from-gas-engines-by-2020/

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