Paduga, Manuel Robert

The Marine Fuel Oil System Operation

Marine diesel engines are designed to burn heavy residual fuel. This is made up of the
residues after the lighter and more costly fuels and gases have been taken out of the
crude oil at the refinery. The graphic below illustrates the process.
One. Internal combustion engine procedure
The fuel oil system for a marine diesel engine can be considered in two partsthe fuel
supply and the fuel injection systems. Fuel supply deals with the provision of fuel oil
suitable for use by the injection system.
Two. Fuel oil supply for a two-stroke marine diesel engine
A slow-speed two-stroke diesel is usually arranged to operate continuously on heavy fuel
and have available a diesel oil supply for manoeuvring conditions.
In the system shown in the figure, the oil is stored in tanks in the double bottom from
which it is pumped to a settling tank and heated. After passing through centrifuges the
cleaned, heated oil is pumped to a daily service tank. From the daily service tank the oil
flows through a three-way valve to a mixing tank. A flow meter is fitted into the system
to indicate fuel consumption. Booster pumps are used to pump the oil through heaters
and a viscosity regulator to the engine-driven fuel pumps. The fuel pumps will discharge
high-pressure fuel to their respective injectors.
The viscosity regulator controls the fuel oil temperature in order to provide the correct
viscosity for combustion. A pressure regulating valve ensures a constant-pressure supply
to the engine-driven pumps, and a pre-warming bypass is used to heat up the fuel before
starting the engine.

A diesel oil daily service tank may be installed and is connected to the system via a
three-way valve. The engine can be started up and manoeuvred on diesel oil or even a
blend of diesel and heavy fuel oil. The mixing tank is used to collect re-circulated oil and
also acts as a buffer or reserve tank as it will supply fuel when the daily service tank is
empty.

The system includes various safety devices such as low-level alarms and remotely
operated tank outlet valves which can be closed in the event of a fire.
Three. Operation on Heavy Fuel Oil
Main engines designed to manoeuvre on heavy fuel oil are to be operated according to
the manufacturers instructions. All other types of main engines are to be manoeuvred
on diesel oil according to the manufacturers instructions.

In the event of problems during manoeuvring on engines using heavy oil there must be
no hesitation in changing over to diesel oil irrespective of whether the engines are being
operated using bridge control, or using engine room control.

It is the Chief Engineer's responsibility to inform the Master of the particular engine
types maximum period that it can safely remain in the stopped position. He is also to
inform the Master of the procedures which will have to be carried out if the particular
engine types maximum period at standstill during manoeuvring is exceeded.
Four. Fuel injection
The function of the fuel injection system is to provide the right amount of fuel at the right
moment and in a suitable condition for the combustion process. There must therefore be
some form of measured fuel supply, a means of timing the delivery and the atomisation
of the fuel. The injection of the fuel is achieved by the location of cams on a camshaft.
This camshaft rotates at engine speed for a two-stroke engine and at half engine speed
for a four-stroke. There are two basic systems in use, each of which employs a
combination of mechanical and hydraulic operations. The most common system is the
jerk pump; the other is the common rail.
The diagram below shows a Fuel oil supply system for a large 2 stroke crosshead engine.
However the set up is typical of any fuel system for a marine diesel engine operating on
heavy residual fuel.

Components:
One. Engine Fuel Pump and Injectors - From the main engine inlet rail the
fuel enters each fuel pump (one per cylinder). The fuel pump delivers the fuel
at high pressure (250bar +) to the fuel injector(s). The lower connection on the
fuel pump is the fuel return. More than the required fuel is delivered to
the pump. The excess is recirculated back to the buffer (mixing) tank. The fuel injectors
deliver the atomised fuel to the cylinder. When not injecting fuel, the injectors recirculate
back to the fuel return.
Two. Pressure Control Valve - To maintain the fuel oil pressure at
the required setting (on this system about 8 bar) there is a
backpressure control valve fitted on the return line.
Three. FO Buffer Tank or Mixing Column - The fuel then passes to
a mixing column or buffer tank where it mixes with fuel returned from
the engine. The mixing column is fitted with a relief valve and an air
release and the outlets from these are led via a sight glass to the fuel
oil drain tank.
Four. Fuel Meter - The fuel is pumped via a meter
so that the quantity of fuel used can be monitored and the specific fuel
consumption of the engine calculated. In the case that the meter has to
be bypassed, then the fuel is led across a pressure retaining valve.

Five. Backflushing Filters - From the supply pumps the fuel passes to a set of
backflushing filters (25 micron). The pods contain the filter elements. When the filters
start to clog up, a differential pressure sensor initiates a backflushing routine so that the
filters clean themselves. The backflushing oil with the sediment from the filters drains to

the fuel oil drain tank from which it can be recovered and
purified. The filter can be taken off line for cleaning, when a
mesh type filter is put into operation.
Six. Suction Filters, Supply Pumps
and Pressure Control Valve - Before the fuel enters the supply
pumps a suction filter removes any particles which could cause
damage. There are two filters, one for each pump. Made from fine
metal gauze, they can be cleaned as necessary and reused.
The supply pumps raise the pressure to about 7 bar. To keep the
discharge pressure constant, a pressure regulating valve is used.

Seven. Fuel Oil Circulating Pumps - From the buffer tank fuel oil
circulating pumps pressurise the fuel to about 8 bar through the
heaters and to the engine.
Eight. Heaters and Viscosity Control - The oil is
heated by steam (although thermal oil or electric
heaters are used on other systems). The temperature
of the oil is controlled by a viscosity measuring
device. The viscosity must be maintained at the
correct level for injection. On this particular system it is set at 16 Centistokes.
The viscosity controller in this particular case is an
electronic device. It measures the damping of a vibration
signal. The more viscous the fuel the less the vibration is
damped. The output from this signal is sent to the heater
control valve.
Nine. Final Filters - After the heater and before finally going
to the main engine inlet rail the fuel passes through a final set
of filters to ensure that it is free of abrasive contaminants which
could damage the fuel pumps, injectors and cylinder liner.

Operation of Marine Turbine Generator

Turbine generator is a popular source of clean power generation on ships as they dont
use any type of fuel i.e. heavy or diesel oil. Steam is used for power production in case of
turbine generators. Steam is an easy, environmental friendly and cheap form of fuel on
ships. For turbine generators, the steam comes from the ships steam boiler plant.
In turbine generator, steam is used with high pressure to rotate turbine wherein the
thermal energy of the steam gets converted into rotary motion. The turbine is connected
to the alternators rotor; hence the rotary notion of the turbine is utilized to generate
electric power.

Components:
One. Turbine Prime Mover
A turbine will act as a prime mover in turbo generator and is fitted on the same shaft as
of the alternators rotor.

Two. Alternator
The alternator is used to convert the rotary motion of the turbine to electrical energy and
its output is supplied to the main switch board of the ship.
Three. Steam Control Governor
The governor is used to control the speed of the turbine generator during starting,
normal operation and shutting down. It controls the quantity of the steam inlet to the
turbine generator.
Four. Steam Control Valve
Different pressure control valves are fitted in the steam line and are controlled using
governor for the flow of steam from the ships boiler system.
Five. Condensate pump
The condensed steam, after the turbine is further cooled down, is pumped back to the
cascade tank by condensate pump.
Six. Vacuum pump for glands
The steam turbine shaft is provided with glands wherein steam is sprayed at a pressure
of 0.3~ 0.5 bar so that the vacuum inside the turbine casing doesnt drop.

Seven. Condenser
The heat exchanger acts as a condenser to cool down and condense all the steam from
the turbine into water so that it can be pumped back to the hot well.

Eight. Vacuum pump header tank

A vacuum pump header tank is provided to cool down the vacuum pump as the later
deals with high temperature steam.

Correct starting procedures to operate are as follows:

One. Check turbo generator lube oil sump level and drain it for water. Replenish it if
level is less than normal.
Two. Start the lube oil priming pump from the local station and check the lube oil
pressure. Put the priming pump on auto.
Three. Check and fill up the Turbine Generator vacuum pump operating water tank to
normal level.
Four. Check vacuum condenser condensate level from the condensate pump. Put the
pump on auto so that the level is maintained all the time.
Five. Operate the steam drain valve to drain any condensed water from the steam line
to avoid excessive hammering and vibration while starting turbo generator.
Six. Open the main stream inlet valve for turbo generator.
Seven. Adjust the gland steam pressure to normal level.

Eight. Check and open the sea water valves for vacuum pump cooler, T/G lube oil cooler
and vacuum condenser are opened.
Nine. Start the vacuum pump and bring up the vacuum in the condenser.
Ten. Open condensate pump valves and switch on the pump.
Eleven. Check whether the condensate vacuum, gland steam pressure, steam inlet
pressure, and lube oil pressure are normal.
Twelve. Start turbo generator from the local station and close the drain in the steam
line.
Thirteen. Check first and second stage steam pressure.
Fourteen. Check condenser vacuum and water level.
Fifteen. Check lubes oil pressure and vibration levels.
Sixteen. Check turbo generator speed, voltage, frequency, vacuum, condenser level
and other parameters.
Seventeen. Give control to remote station from the local control and take the TG on
load.

References:
[1] http://www.marinediesels.info/Basics/fuel_system.htm
[2] http://www.machineryspaces.com/fuel-oil-system.html
[3] http://www.marineinsight.com/tech/auxiliary-machinery/an-introduction-to-ship
%E2%80%99s-turbine-generator/
[4]http://www.marineinsight.com/tech/proceduresmaintenance/starting-procedure-forturbine-generator-on-ship/