Are you looking for easy ways to avoid unscheduled vessel downtime? Here are three common causes and three proven solutions – they’re simpler than you’d think, according to Wartsila.
Unscheduled Downtime
Unscheduled downtime is a nightmare. Whether you’re operating a ferry full of paying passengers or a tanker with a valuable cargo of fuel, when your vessel cannot sail on time there will be negative consequences. The nature of these consequences varies depending on the type of ship, and often a vessel will need to operate inefficiently to catch up once the issue is solved. This compounds the negative effects.
How you prevent downtime depends on what’s caused the problem. Here are three common causes and the solutions that can help.
Unexpected technical challenge
Picture the scene: the chief engineer on your LNG carrier is trying to leave port but the engines won’t start. If you can’t get moving quickly you will be liable for big financial penalties on top of your loss of earnings, with the additional threat of losing the charter.
However you get the issue solved, time is of the essence. Crew costs are rising and you’re not making any money to offset them.
Your engineer might be staring at a screen full of alarms as they try to work out why the equipment has stopped. And if you have a less experienced crew or an especially complex issue – for example a sensor problem that causes temperature readings to look normal when they’re not – problems become expensive fast.
Unexpected downtime can lead to serious problems whatever your vessel type. On top of the significant expense comes the threat of unhappy paying customers and the potential for reputational damage, both of which can harm profits.
Solution: Having operational support available around the clock to assist with troubleshooting can help you get your vessel sailing again as quickly as possible. In the case of the LNG carrier, the chief engineer had access to Wärtsilä Expertise Centres.
One phone call and a Wärtsilä expert immediately started investigating the case.
Result: The expert gave the chief engineer step-by-step instructions on things to check, such as pressure and temperature levels and fuel quality. In addition, the expert had access to the vessel’s history and real-time data and trends from equipment onboard.
Most importantly, the expert knew where to find the problem and had the experience to solve it as quickly as possible.
Poor performance
Before equipment breaks down there are often small signs that show something isn’t quite right. The problem is that these signs might not be visible to your crew. For example, the following can be indications of poor engine health:
- a slight increase or decrease in temperature or pressure
- turbocharger RPM fluctuating due to faulty bearings
- an increase in exhaust gas temperatures
These changes aren’t enough to cause an alarm, and no one onboard would notice a problem. But there is still a way to monitor these signs and fix small issues before they develop into something more severe and take your vessel out of action.
And prevention is always better than cure!
Solution: Predictive maintenance services like Wärtsilä Expert Insight continuously analyze incoming data from sensors onboard a vessel.
Advanced rule-based analytics and a layer of artificial intelligence help to recognize when there’s a potential issue and flag it to the most important element of the Expert Insight service: Wärtsilä experts. They alert the customer to any anomalies and use their knowledge and experience to provide actionable advice and recommendations.
In one case the Expert Insight service picked up that the charge air temperature on board a vessel was too low, meaning the engine wasn’t operating efficiently. Working with the chief engineer onboard, Wärtsilä’s experts helped to solve the problem: a faulty actuator.
Another example of where Wärtsilä Expert Insight helped avoid a costly and time-consuming problem is the shuttle tanker Aurora Spirit. The service flagged an abnormality in the lube oil pressure at the turbocharger. This early warning helped the vessel’s owners avoid a potential engine failure with a relatively simple bearing replacement.
Result: Data from hundreds of operating vessels around the world is combined to build a vast knowledge base. This helps to catch problems earlier and benefits everyone involved. Although crew often move between vessels, because they have a dedicated Wärtsilä expert to work with they can rely on consistent advice around the clock from an experienced professional who knows your vessel. Crew also learn more about common issues and how to solve them.
Scheduled maintenance
Many vessels are still following maintenance schedules that are based on the operational hours of each piece of equipment. Maintenance stops are chosen when running hours hit predefined levels, whether equipment needs servicing or not.
There is some logic to this because obviously, you can’t simply run equipment until it fails. However, with the right data at your fingertips, you can safely delay maintenance work until the equipment needs it.
Solution: Data-driven dynamic maintenance planning (DDDMP) provides the flexibility to schedule maintenance for when it’s needed rather than according to running hours.
If performance data and inspections are all looking good, the time between overhauls can be extended. This cuts overall lifecycle costs.
Different maintenance activities can often be combined according to dry dock schedules to make the best use of docking time.
The Expert Insight service is at the core of DDDMP. The technology is used to track real-time data from the vessel and monitor the condition of fluids such as lube oil, cooling water, and fuel.
These ongoing checks are combined with intermediate and open inspections that determine whether it’s safe to postpone maintenance activities.
Wärtsilä can either carry out all inspections for you, or your crews can be trained to handle intermediate inspections with Wärtsilä carrying out open inspections. This training is also a great way to build crew competence, which helps them to deal with unexpected events as quickly and effectively as possible.
Result: In some cases, DDDMP has allowed operators to take lucrative contracts that would have clashed with previously scheduled maintenance. In these cases, Wärtsilä can provide a statement, accepted by classification societies and insurance companies, that shows that maintenance can be safely postponed for a given length of time.
Did you Subscribe to our daily newsletter?
It’s Free Click here to Subscribe!
Source: Wartsila
