MODULE 2 WEEK 8

OPERATING PARAMETERS OF
THE MAIN PROPULSION
 A ship’s propulsion engine is what keeps the ship going at sea. Considered as the
heart of any vessel, the marine engine of the ship takes the entire load to propel
the ship forward. Of course, without an engine a ship is almost a “dead ship.”

 Throughout its life, the propulsion engine of the ship goes through various loads
and stresses from rough weather to harsh manoeuvring and breakdowns.

 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.
Different Types of Protections on a Ship’s
Marine Engine
Basically there are four main types of protection systems used to safe
1. Alarm: In case of deviation of engine parameters from a set value, an audible and
visual alarm will sound which will give an early warning of the problem.

2. Slow down: It is the next stage of protection when actions taken are not sufficient
to control the ongoing problem; hence engine slow down is done to counter the
disturbed parameter.
 3. Shut down: When there is a higher fluctuation in the engine parameters which
can harm other systems of the engine, the shut down protective devices cut off the
fuel supply and the engine stops.

 4. Starting Interlock: This will not allow the engine to start from the stand-still
condition if some important system within the engine has not been operated or
arranged properly guard propulsion engine:
Different Engine Slow Down Situations
In this situation the main engine will come to dead slow RPM i.e. below 30 RPM as
the slow down protection gets activated. Following are different slow down situation
for main engine:
• Lube oil pressure falls to 1.5 bar
• Cam shaft pressure falls below 2 bar
• There is no flow of piston cooling media (water or oil)
• Oil mist detector or Main bearing sensors has been activated
• Lube oil temperature at the inlet of engine is high > 60 deg C
 Piston Cooling temperature is high > 75 deg C
 Jacket water Temperature is high > 88 deg c
 Engine cylinder exhaust temperature is high > 450 deg C
 Scavenge air temperature is high > 65 deg C
 Thrust block temperature is high > 75 deg C
 Low flow of Cylinder lube oil
 Control air pressure is low < 5.5 bar
Different Shut down Situations:
Lube oil inlet pressure to engine is very low <1 bar
Cam shaft Lube oil pressure is very low < 1.5 bar
Very high Jacket cooling water temperature >95 deg C
Low Jacket cooling water pressure < 0.1 bar
No flow of Cylinder lube oil
Thrust block temperature very high > 90 deg C
Lube oil inlet pressure for turbocharger is low < 0.8 bar
Over speed of the engine which activates shut down at 107 % of Max. continuous
rating MCR
Different Starting Interlocks are:
 Turning gear engage interlock
 Auxiliary blower off interlock
 Lube oil and other important pump not running interlock
fixed and variable pitch propeller
If you look at a propeller axially, you will notice a twist in the propeller
blade along the length of the propeller hub. It is this twist in the blade that
results in the forward motion of the propeller with each rotation .
 A propeller is a type of fan which generates an adequate thrust to
propel a vessel at some design speed with some care taken in
ensuring some “reasonable” propulsive efficiency. Considerations
are made to match the engine’s power and shaft speed, as well as the
size of the vessel and the ship’s operating speed, with an
appropriately designed propeller. Generally, propellers are of two
types – Fixed Pitch Propeller ( FPP) and Controllable or Variable
Pitch Propeller ( CPP).
Fixed or conventional Propellers (FPP)

 As the name suggests, a fixed pitch propeller is a propeller with fixed pitch. A
propeller’s pitch is defined as the distance the propeller would move during one
complete revolution if operating in a solid material, if in water the movement will
be less due to slip. If a propeller has a pitch of 50 inches it will move forward 50
inches during a complete revolution. To increase or reduce the vessel’s speed, the
rpm of the propeller is increased or reduced. To give astern movement the
direction of rotation is reversed, i.e., the propeller rotates the opposite way to
ahead movement.
 The propeller size and design is dependent on the size of the vessel and type of
operation. Most commonly used propellers on cargo vessels have four or five
propeller blades, but six blades have been used. The propeller may have a
diameter of more than nine metres and a weight of 130 tons. The most commonly
used materials are stainless steel or a bronze alloy

 These propellers are mounted on a propeller shaft that turns on “demand”.

Speaking of its type, the blades on this type of propeller do not move and the
pitch is fixed. The shaft changes the direction of its rotation to effect a motion
either ahead or astern depending on the type of the blade.
Controllable Pitch Propeller or CPP

 These propellers now have a relatively good track record for

reliability and are becoming increasingly common in a wide range
of tonnage. Unlike the fixed pitch propeller, the blades of these
propellers can be altered, set whatever pitch is required, across the
whole power band from full ahead to full astern. This is usually
achieved with hydraulic pumps or pistons, the older mechanical
systems being less able to cope with the size and speeds of the
modern vessel.
 The hydraulic pumps themselves are activated by an electric motor, which is in turn
operated by remote bridge control. This may be either pneumatic or electronic. In
small craft and in some older systems the bridge control may be mechanical, using
cables linked direct to hydraulic rams, but these are becoming increasingly rare.
 To use a controllable pitch (CP) propeller the main engine has to be clutched in so that
the propeller is continuously turning, usually at quite high revolutions. As it is neither
practical nor economical, to run an engine continuously at excessively high rpm, it is
important to have some sort of combined control over both rpm and pitch, so that the
pitch for slow speeds is balanced with a reduction in revolutions.

 On most ships this is achieved by installing a ‘combinator‘ which automatically

balances engine revolutions against propeller pitch, thus producing a saving in fuel and
better propeller performance.
Advantages of CPP:
Allow greater manoeuvrability
Allow engines to operate at optimum revs
Removes need for reversing engines
Reduced size of Air Start Compressors and receivers
Improves propulsion efficiency at lower loads
Disadvantages of CPP:
Greater initial cost
Increased complexity and maintenance requirements
Increase stern tube loading due to increased weight of assembly, the stern
tube bearing diameter is larger to accept the larger diameter shaft required
to allow room for OT tube
Lower propulsive efficiency at maximum continuous rating
Prop shaft must be removed outboard requiring rudder to be removed for
all prop maintenance.
Increased risk of pollution due to leak seals
Ahead movement
To use ahead power, a ship with a CP propeller is not restricted to the stepped
progression, through dead slow ahead to full ahead, that has for some, been
long associated with fixed pitch propellers. Any speed can be selected, simply
by adjusting the combinator control to the required setting. It is also possible
to set the propeller pitch for extremely low speeds so that on these occasions
when it is essential to proceed at very slow speeds, the propeller and rudder
are still active and steerage way can be maintained for a lot longer than is
usual. This is particularly advantageous if compared to the many ships with
fixed pitched propellers, where the speed for dead slow ahead can sometimes
be as high as five or six knots, due to excessive engine revolutions and/or
stalling speed of the engine.
Slowing Down
When ‘low speed’ or ‘stop’ are demanded, the blades of the CP
propeller are set with a very fine angle and pitch, to the extent that
when they are viewed from astern, they will appear to open like a fan
and the propeller will look rather like a closed disc or wheel. If the
ship’s speed is too high and does not already match the propeller speed,
the flow of water through it will be restricted and a great deal of
turbulence will develop behind the propeller, which will also have an
adverse effect upon the rudder (see illustration below).
 If therefore, the ship’s speed is not reduced slowly and progressively, in much the
same way as a large directionally unstable ship, the rudder will be shielded and
the steering may become erratic or poor. Whilst it is irritating if the steering is
poor, it should not be forgotten that CP propellers are instantly available for
corrective ‘kicks ahead’, in a virtually unlimited supply, and are not liable to the
restrictions that can be experienced with fixed pitch propellers, such as limited air
supplies for starting the engine or delays whilst the engine is put astern.
TRANSVERSE THRUST

 One of the most common concerns mentioned by many officers, and

quite rightly so, is the uncertainty as to which way the bow will cant,
if at all when a controllable pitch (CP) propeller is put astern. This is
also something the pilot needs to know when he comes on board. To
answer this question, it is first necessary to know which way the
propeller is turning when it is viewed from astern. With the majority
of CP propellers, it is in an anti-clockwise direction and they are
called left-handed.
 It is important, however when informed that a CP ship is left-handed, that it is not
confused with a fixed pitch left-handed ship, because the CP propeller, it should
be remembered, rotates the same way all the time. When the pitch is set for stern
power, it is only the angle of the blades that has changed and the propeller is still
rotating anticlockwise or left-handed. The effect is now similar to a fixed pitch
right-handed propeller working astern. The flow of water through the propeller is
directed up onto the starboard quarter and may be strong enough to thrust the
stern to port so that the bow is seen to cant or ‘kick’ to starboard.
 It is important to note that the transverse thrust on some ships with a CP propeller
may be weak and unreliable, due to vortices or turbulence around the propeller
blades. This is usually the result of specific design limitations and might, for
example, occur when a CP propeller is designed to operate at slow speeds, with
fine pitch settings, but high shaft revolutions. In another example, if the pitch is
altered from ahead to astern, some of the inner or lower sections of the blades
may be set at rather crude angles and this, too, can create vortices around the
propeller. These characteristics can also have a detrimental effect on the
maximum stern power available when compared to a similar ship with a fixed
pitch propeller. It is, therefore, advisable to exercise some caution when
anticipating the effects of stem power on some CP ships.
Stopped and alongside

 On some ships, due to an inferior design, age or poor maintenance, when the
control stick on the bridge is positioned for a stop with zero pitch, the propeller
might not be accurately aligned to the same setting and some residual thrust may
still exist. Although with experience, a ship’s master can compensate for this error,
it is still imperative to remember, that even though ‘stop’ has been requested, a
ship with a CP propeller can unexpectedly creep ahead or astern.
 This is very important during the period prior to slipping from a berth, when the
engine is started and the shaft is clutched in. If the ropes are not kept tight,
particularly while singling up, the vessel may start to move along the dockside
with serious consequences if other ships are tied up close ahead or astern. It is
also noticeable on some ships that the CP propeller, which is constantly running
with high revolutions, can pump quite a lot of water up onto the quarter and along
the ship’s side, even with zero pitch set. In the case of a left-handed CP propeller,
this water will be flowing along the starboard side.
Controllable Pitch Propellers | How they are used to power ships
https://youtu.be/sB3rnfwNh30
Preparing To Start Ship’s Main Engine

All components that have been overhauled are to be checked and wherever possible
“function tested”. All equipment, tools, and rags used during overhaul are to be
removed from the engine.
1. Air systems
a)Drain any water present in the starting air system
b) Drain any water present from the control air system at the receivers
c) Pressurize the air systems and ensure that the pressures are correct
d) Ensure compressed air is available at the exhaust valve ‘air spring’ closing
cylinders
2. Lubricating oil systems

 a) Check the oil level in the main engine sump and replenish if necessary
 b) Start main engine LO pump and a turbocharger LO pump
 c) Ensure all of the oil pressures are correct
 d) Ensure there is adequate oil flow for piston cooling and turbochargers
 e) Check the oil level in the cylinder LO tank and that the supply to the lubricator
is open. Check cylinder oil flowmeter is properly functioning and note the counter
of the flowmeter
 3. Cooling water systems

 a) Ensure Main Engine Jackets are under normal circumstances, the main engine
jacket water is continuously circulated through a preheater during the stay in port
and are never allowed to cool down
 b) Ensure that the cooling water system pressures are correct and that the systems
are not leaking. Checks should be made again when the engine is at its correct
operating temperature
 c) Check the level of the expansion tank. An evident decrease in the water level of
the expansion tank indicates leakage.
4. Slow turning the engine with the turning gear

 Slow turning of the engine must be carried out to prevent damage caused by fluid leaking into
any of the cylinders. Permission from the bridge must be sought before turning the engine. Pre-
lubrication should be carried out. Always carry out the slow turning operation at the latest
possible moment before starting.

 a) Ensure the regulating handles are in the FINISHED WITH ENGINES position
 b) Ensure all of the cylinder indicator cocks are open
 c) Turn the engine one revolution with the turning gear. Check to see if fluid flows out of any of
the indicator valves
 d) Disengage the turning gear and ensure it is locked in the OUT position
 e) Check that the indicator lamp for TURNING GEAR ENGAGED extinguishes
 5. Slow turning the engine on starting air (blow through)

 Permission must be sought from the bridge before turning the engine. The bridge should be asked for
propeller clearance. Always carry out the slow turning at the latest possible moment before starting
and within the last 30 minutes. Bring Main Engine to standby mode.

 a) Select SLOW TURNING on the main engine operating panel if present or give a kick from the
engine control room by moving the regulating handle to dead slow momentarily. When operating
telegraph from engine control, communicate with the bridge, they should follow your command on the
telegraph. As the engine turns, check to see if any fluid flows out of the indicator cocks

 b) When the engine has turned one revolution, move the regulating handle back to the STOP position

 c) Close all of the indicator cocks. Also, close the turbocharger drains
 6. Fuel oil system

 a) Check fuel oil supply pump and fuel oil circulating pump. If the engine was
running on heavy fuel oil when stopped, the circulating pump and fuel heaters
should still be running
 b) Check the fuel oil pressures and temperatures. Check fuel oil flowmeters are
properly functioning and note the counter of the flowmeter
7. Miscellaneous

 a) Check that all of the engine instrumentation is reading correctly.

If not, check the instruments and replace as necessary
 b) Check that all scavenge air receiver and box drains are open and
that the test cocks are closed
 c) Check that the engine top bracing system is in service
 d) Check the thrust bearing temperature and lube oil pressure is in range. Check
axial vibration damper and torsional vibration damper lube oil pressure is in range
 e) Check the fuel leak off alarm is functional. Check the level of fuel leak off tank
to notice any rise in level later due to leakage
 f) Check the level of scavenge drain tank, the tank should not be full or else will
lead to overflow of scavenge spaces of Main Engine
 g) Check the governor is responding efficiently
Securing After Stopping

 AfterBridge has given Finish with Engines, switch the

engine control to the engine control room
 Check that the auxiliary blowers switch off automatically
at Finish with engines(FEW) if they are in AUTO mode or
else switch them off manually
 Close the starting air valve of the main engine and vent control air system. A good
practice is to lock the main starting valve in its lowest position by means of the
locking plate
 Close the valve for starting the air distribution system
 Engage the turning gear and check the indicator lamp
 After stopping the engine, wait a minimum of 15 minutes before stopping the
main engine LO pump if work is to be undertaken in the crankcase. This prevents
overheating of cooled surfaces in the combustion chambers and counteracts the
formation of carbon deposits in the piston crowns
 Keep the engine preheated to a minimum of 50°C or
according to the main engine manual requirement
 If the engine was operating on HFO, do not stop the FO
circulating and supply pumps. If the engine was operating
on MDO, both the FO circulating and supply pumps may
be stopped
 Switch off any equipment which is not required during the
engine standstill period
How To Start The Ship's Main Engine : From Preparation to Full Away
https://youtu.be/5mFmCxOjY_A