A chain drive is used to transmit motion from the crankshaft of the engine to the camshaft.

This drive is known as timing chain and it

is responsible for rotation of the camshaft which governs the fuel pump and exhaust valve timings.

Conventional Marine engines comprises of crankshaft and camshaft, whose combine effect produce large amount of power either to
drive a propeller or to generate electrical power for ship. A cam shaft unit is used to drive fuel pump and valve unit of the marine
engine.

In a 2 stroke engine, the rotational speed of cam shaft is half that of crankshaft rotational speed and in 4 stroke engine it is same as
that of crankshaft.
For 2 stroke conventional engines, two methods are used to transmit the crankshaft rotation to cam shaft

By timing gear or reduction gear

By timing chain

In this article we will learn the tightening procedure of timing chain drive which is mainly used in MAN B&W engines.
Following procedures to be followed:
1)

Inform company and take permission

2)

Take immobilization certificate from the port officials

3)

Read the manual and have a toll box meeting with everyone involved in the job. Discuss the procedure

4)

Prepare important tools and spares

5)

Prepare risk assessment which must include all the personnel involved in the operation

6)

Shut starting air for main engine. Paste notice and ply cards

7)

Engage turning gear

8)

Open indicator cocks

9)

After stopping and cooling down of engine for sufficient time, stop main lube oil pump

10)

Open crank case doors for forward, aft unit and the door incorporating the chain drive

11)

Put blower and ventilate it thoroughly.

12)

Prepare enclosed space entry checklist which involves checking of internal atmosphere for oxygen and hydrocarbon gas

13)

After sufficient ventilation wearing proper PPE you can enter the Crankcase.

14)

Open tab washer for nut A & B and C & D.

15)

Loosen the nut A, B, C, D to free the chain tightener bolt.

16)

Turn the engine so that the slack side of the chain is on the same side as the tightener wheel.

17)

Make sure that the balance weights are hanging downwards.

18)

Now tighten nut B as it is loose on the chain tightener bolt (keep measuring with feeler gauge) until there is a clearance of

0.1mm between the shaft and the nut.

19)

Now tighten nut B as stated in D-2 (Tightening angle 720 = 12 hexagons)

20)

Tighten nut C hard against the contact face of the shaft.

21)

Tighten nut D and then lock nut C & D with a tab washer.

22)

Tighten nut A and lock nut A & B with a tab washer.

23)

Measure distance X.

24)

If the chain is worn i.e. X >165mm repeat the whole tightening procedure. But tighten nut B on a reduced tightening angle

i.e. reduced tightening angle 600 = 10 hexagons.

25)

If the distance X exceeds the max distance of 265mm find and eliminate the cause of abnormal chain elongation e.g.

defective chain, damaged chain wheel or bearing etc.

You can see the tightening procedure on the following video[vsw id=qlfe3nLRe1I source=youtube width=550 height=400 autoplay=no]

You may also like to read-What is a Hull Roughness Analyzer and How is a Ships Hull Roughness Measured?
References:
MAN B&W Maintenanace Manual
Image Credits:

directindustry
MAN B&W Maintenanace Manual

Like It? Share It

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Lubrication of Chain Drive

Special attention to be paid to the securing of the lubricating oil pipes and spray nozzles. The spray nozzles must be directed so that the oil jets
correctly hit the side bars. During operation, the functioning of the spray nozzles must be periodically checked and the nozzles cleaned if necessary.

Maintenance of Chain Drive

The chain drive is to be checked at the prescribed intervals given in the manual. At overhauls, the chain must be examined for signs of damage, such
as cracks in the wheels or side bars, jamming links, pitted wheels, traces of blows on the outer parts on account of catching, or scoring on the insides
of the side bars, due to poorly aligned sprocket wheels. The causes of these defects must be put right immediately. Damaged or broken chains must be
replaced as soon as possible.
During operation, the teeth of the sprocket wheels acquire a polished or slightly worn band above the root circle. A slight polish is often produced on the
inner side bars, in-spite of correctly aligned wheels. If there are signs of marked wear, however, its cause is to be investigated and chain closely
inspected. Burrs on the edges of the teeth point to vibration of the chain. Sprocket wheels cause teeth sustained major deformation should be replaced
as soon as possible. The bearings and bearing pins, there fastenings and their true and even running are to be checked at overhauls.

Admissible Wear of the Chains

The chain wear is directly proportional to the lengthening of the chain. The maximum admissible chain elongation is approximately 1% of the length of
the chain. Also check relative position of camshaft w.r.t. crankshaft, the limiting maximum deviation allowed be 2 degree.
Chain drives are used by manufacturers, to give more flexibility in location of the camshaft, as well as ease of repair / replacement of parts at a lower
cost; however this gives a more complex arrangement, with a large number of moving parts subject to wear and slackening, which can affect timing of
fuel as well as other factors in engine operation.

the chain tension needs to be checked at intervals given in the maintenance schedule, or earlier if any doubt exists.

To carry out the checking, turn the engine to slacken the longest free length. At the middle of the longest free length, grasp the chain and try to pull it
away from the guide bar, by a distance of approximately half a chain link. if it is possible to pull more, the chain is slack and needs to be re-tensioned.

Loosen the screw of chain tightener, and by turning the loose plate of the chain tightener, adjust the tension of the chain as shown below.

Excessive chain tension overloads the chain and the bearings will wear unnecessarily. Insufficient chain tension may give rise to vibration, in the case
of resonance, which, in the long run, may damage the chain.