Total Lubmarine is a specialised marine lubricants business which affords inventive solutions to the global shipping industry. Total Lubmarine provides the shipping industry with the best marine lubricants and greases, associated with first class service. Total Lubmarine is conducting tests on automated device and analysis package which constantly monitors cylinder oil, contributing a potentially powerful tool from preventing the cylinder wear and augmenting lubricant consumption.
Jean-Philippe Roman, technical director of Total Lubmarine, in a paper presented at CIMAC Congress in June, observed that existing sampling means are time consuming if analysis is to be conducted by onshore lab or potentially unpredictable and demanding on crew if analysis were to be conducted on board.
The Online Reporting System (ORS) conducts continuous, automated oil sampling from engine cylinders. It effectively checks six parameters: temperature, density, viscosity, water content and the crucial cylinder condition indicators of residual basicity and iron content. The system can be effortlessly connected to the cylinders’ drain oil pipes and requires little maintenance, excluding the exchange of parts and software upgrades. The unit comprises of twin developed sensors, one for base number (BN) and the other for iron content, approved and marketed by Total Lubmarine.
In a simple alignment, the data’s acquired constantly, are administered and offered visually in the engine room through the IT system in the vessel management. More of sophisticated data treatment and management can be changed to suit the user requirements.
“The ORS is ideal for the chief engineer to monitor in real time the critical parameters of cylinder lubricating oil on-board the vessel,” said Roman, “but for the fleet managers as well because data can be sent on-shore.”
The system has been tested in service on the 13,800 teu CMA CGM containership Corte Real, which is powered by a Doosan-built Wärtsilä 14 RT-flex 96C-B engine fitted with a CLU4 lubricator. The ORS was shown to function well in tests under a variety of operational conditions and oil types. Another vessel, fitted with a MAN B&W 6S70 ME-C.7 engine is also being prepared for a service test.
Did you subscribe for our daily newsletter?
It’s Free! Click here to Subscribe!
Source: Total Lubmarine
