Diesel engine safety devices

1 Discuss the questions:

What safety devices do you use every day?
Why should we use safety devices for proper engine operation?
How can they improve engine operation?

Vocabulary

2 Match words with their definitions

a device (as a wire gauze across a nozzle inlet) for preventing

1 Interlock A the flame of burning gas from backing up into the supply pipe
and causing an explosion

2 Oil mist B Valves are used To relieve excess pressure inside the
crankcase thereby normalizing the pressure.
3 Relief door C oil droplets suspended in the air

a feature that makes the state of two mechanisms or functions

4 Relief valve D
mutually dependent

5 Trap E Doors are used to prevent the flames inside the crankcase
from coming out and counter damage

1 2 3 4 5

3 Fill in the gaps. Make a summary about safety devices frщm the abstracts.

Relief door | Relief valves| Flame trap| Interlock | Oil mist detector

__________________ is used to help prevent a machine from harming its operator or

damaging itself by preventing one element from changing state due to the state of another
element, and vice versa

The _________ extinguishes the fire, ensuring that it cannot come into contact with the raw
fuel supply. The________are used on internal combustion engines, lines for fuel gas such
as those which supply heaters and stoves, exhaust systems, and other types of equipment
which rely on combustion for heat or energy.

The___________ serve to relieve excessive crankcase pressures and stop flames being
emitted from the crankcase. They must also be self closing to stop the return of
atmospheric air to the crankcase.
The main reason for crankcase explosions is the accumulation of fuel mist in the crankcase
which gets ignited due to sparks for hot spots. A large pressure is generated inside the
crankcase due to this, which eventually bursts out the _____________ and casing.

_________________ protect large Diesel, Gas and Dual Fuel engines of all applications
from heavy consequential damage due to oil mist explosions as a result of overheating of
bearings or other moving parts
Reading

4 Read the statements. State as True or False and prove your opinion.

 Safety devices provide safe operation of the engine.

 Proper maintenance improves the risk of damage.
 Safety of the Engine is the first rule in the engine room

5 Read the dialogue. Complete the table. Exchange with your partner.

Engine Cadet: Chief, how can we protect engine operation?

Chief Engineer: To avoid any major loss or damage to the marine engine, several protective
devices are fitted to safeguard the engine from major damages and breakdown. There are
Crankcase Relief Door, Scavenge Space Relief Door, and Cylinder Head Relief Valve.
Starting Air Relief Valve, Starting Airline Flame Trap, Oil Mist Detector, Rotation Direction
Interlock, Turning Gear Interlock
EC: So many??

Chief: We need to ensure proper monitoring of engine operation, paying attention to

the engine parts. These are mainly of the type of pressure relief valve which release the
excess pressure built in case of malfunctioning of the engine and no action to avoid the
situation.

E.C. I read some basic info about crankcase relief valve and relief door. These serve to
relieve excessive crankcase pressure and stop flames being emitted from the crankcase.

Chief: Quite right. A light spring holds the valve closed against its seat and a seal ring
completes the joint. A deflector is fitted on the outside of the engine to safeguard personnel
from the
out flowing gases, and inside the engine, over the valve opening, an oil wetted gauze acts as a
flame trap to stop any flames leaving the crankcase. After operation the valve will close
automatically under the action of the spring.
E. C. What is oil mist detector?

Chief Oil mist detector is the result of oil vaporization caused by a hot spot. The oil mist
detector uses photoelectric cells to measure small increases in oil mist density. A motor
driven fan continuously draws samples of crankcase oil mist through a measuring tube. The
rotary valve which draws the sample then stops to indicate the suspect crankcase. The
comparator model tests one crankcase mist sample against all the others and once a cycle
against clean air. The level model tests each crankcase in turn against a reference tube sealed
with clean air. The comparator model is used for cross head type engines and the level model
for trunk piston engines.
E.C. Is the flame trap the same?

Chief: No!! The flame trap is a device (as a wire gauze across a nozzle inlet) for preventing
the flame of burning gas from backing up into the supply pipe and causing an explosion. A
number of holes are bored through the thick circular form to allow the air to pass through.
They are fitted in the main airline immediately before the air start valve to restrict the risk of
a flame in the cylinder propagating back to the main air start manifold, by dissipating the heat
energy in the flame
 E. C. Ok I see. What can you say about the interlocks?
Chief: The turning gear interlock is a valve which will not allow starting air to operate the
system when the turning gear is engaged. Running direction interlock prevents engine to be
started in reverse direction until all cam rollers of fuel pump have shifted. Telegraph position
interlock allows engine to be started only in the direction intended by bridge. Distributor
position interlocks. Checks whether distributor is whether in start or stop direction. It has to
be in either in one direction to commence starting.
E.C.I need time to study all the information and in a week I will be ready to answer all the
questions about engine safety devices.

Engine safety device Function Principle of operation

Crankcase Relief Door

to prevent the flame of

burning gas from backing
up into the supply pipe
and causing an explosion

to be started in reverse
direction until all cam rollers
of fuel pump have shifted

Turning gear interlock

a protective device fitted on

top of the cylinder head that
protects the engine and its
surroundings from
unprecedented damage from
overpressure.

6 Answer the questions:

What is the application of engine safety devises?
What diesel part can have safety device and why?
How can they be activated?

7 Correct the descriptions of the safety devices. Justify your variant.

 Cylinder Relief Valve is to lower when over pressure occurs in the combustion
area; the resultant combustion gas being expelled to a through a flanged pipe to
bridge “Normal” lifting of the relief valve can occur when too much air is supplied
by the engineer when on starting the engine
  A Flame Arrester also spelled arrestor is a device which allows fuel to pass
through it but stops a flame in order to prevent a larger fire or blackout (explosion).

 The Crankcase relief doors are also fitted to prevent any damage to the crankcase
and ingress of compressed air inside the crankcase. The crankcase doors are spring
loaded valves which lift up in case there is any rise of pressure inside the crankcase.
Once the pressure is released they re-seat to prevent any ingress of fresh air. This
helps especially in case of any ingress of air that can lead to a secondary explosion
followed by a lot of surge and damage to the crankcase.

Speaking

8 Make a summary about engine safety devices using the plan:

a) Locations of the safety devices
b) Functions and principles of operation.