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ME447
Main Engine Turbocharger Damage
Technical committee

Ship type Cement Tanker

Date of build 1997
Navigation route
Trouble machinery
Category Main engine
Name Main engine turbocharger
Type MAN-B&W 7L35MC
MKII VTR354-32
Maker
Date of trouble December 2001

1. Outline of breakdown

At time of port entry, when the main engine was brought to stand-by and speed was reduced to ‘half
ahead’ with telegraph, pre-surging occurred from the turbocharger and the scavenging temperature
increased. Later, a fire alarm sounded for the No. 1 scavenging manifold which was immediately fol-
lowed by the following damages caused by turbocharger over-run:
• Major damages mainly on the exhaust gas side such as heavy damage to all turbocharger tur-
bine blades, gas inlet casing breakage among others.
• Scavenging pipe inner and outer damage and burn damage to the scavenging manifold inspec-
tion cover paint.
• Cooling water had entered and accumulated within the exhaust gas receiver due to turbocharger
casing damage. Furthermore, due to the above, cooling water had also infiltrated into the cylinder
interior and induced rusting of the internal surface of the cylinder liner and sticking of the piston
ring.

2. Probable causes of breakdown

1) Turbocharger pre-surging occurred during low-load operation and pulsation occurred within the
exhaust manifold.
2) Due to this pulsation, hot carbon deposits dropped onto the under space of the piston and ignited
the sludge.
3) Fire broke out in the aforementioned under space (judging from conditions, it is presumed to be
around the No. 1 cylinder.)
4) The combustion gas created from the fire flowed into the cylinder interior together with the scav-
enging air and lead to incomplete combustion.
5) Within this incomplete combustion environment, unburned fuel built up within the exhaust re-
ceiver and ignited, abnormal combustion occurred and damaged the turbocharger.

1
3. Repair work

The following repairs were carried out on dock activities:

• Total replacement of the turbocharger which incurred total damage, replacement of all cylinder
exhaust valves, and inspection, cleaning and painting of pipes.
• Furthermore, although stuffing box inspection, air cooler water pressure test, drawing out of all
cylinder pistons, exhaust valve timing inspection, timing measurement and injection tests to all
FO valves, and inspection of auxiliary blower automatic starting action was carried out, no ab-
normalities were confirmed.

4. Countermeasures

As countermeasures to turbocharger pre-surging, to carry out maintenance of the exhaust system at an

early stage as soon as symptoms of pre-surging are manifested, not limited to maintenance during the
docking interval (overhaul cleaning of the turbocharger, exhaust economizer.) Furthermore, as fire
outbreak prevention measures in the scavenging manifold, to carry out strict observance of regular
piston under space cleaning and scavenging manifold drain line cleaning.