BrightHubEngineering

CivilEngineering
CivilEngineering
BuildingConstruction&Design
ConcreteTechnology
GeotechnicalEngineering
Hydraulics
StructuralEngineering
ElectricalEngineering
ElectricalEngineering
Appliances&Electronics
CommercialApplications
DIYDigital/Analog
PowerDistribution/Generation
MarineEngineering
MarineEngineering
Machinery&ShipSystems
MarineHistory
NavalArchitecture
Seafaring
MechanicalEngineering
MechanicalEngineering
CADReviews&Tips
Energy/PowerPlants
FluidMechanics/Hydraulics
HVAC/HVACR
MachineDesign
ManufacturingTechnology
Robotics
Thermodynamics

Starting&ReversingProblemsinMarineEngines

Leaveacomment

writtenby:WillieScotteditedby:KennethSleightupdated:11/14/2011
Thereareanumberofreasonsforstartingandreversingproblemsinmarineengines.Thismalfunctionisoneofthe
mostfrighteninganddangeroussituationstoencounterwhenmaneuveringashipsmaindieselengine,butitcanbe
avoidedthroughregularmaintenanceoftheairstartcomponents.
Ashipsmainmarinedieselengineisstartedoncompressedairthatiscontrolledbyvariouscomponentsoftheairstart
system.Itisawelltriedandtestedreliablesystem,butitcangowrongifnotproperlymaintained.

SUBSCRIBE&FOLLOW:

Thefollowingsectionsexamineatypicalairstartsystem,withthefirstsectionprovidinganoverviewofthesystem.

OverviewofSystem
Theairstartsystemlooksrathercomplicated,butitisquitesimplewhenyouexamineitwithoutthesafeguards.These
areputinplacetopreventsuchoccurrencesasstartingtheenginewithouthavingasignalfromtheengineroom
telegraph,tryingtostarttheenginewiththeturninggearengaged,ortryingtostartaheadwhenthetelegraphasksfor
astern.Therearealsosafetysystemsincorporatedsuchasaburstingdiskandnumerousnonreturnvalvesintheevent
ofaleakingairstartvalve.

WHATOTHERSARE
READING
RoleOfCompressedAirIn
StartingaMarineDiselEngine

Thenextsectionlistssomeoftheproblemsthatcanbeencounteredwhenmaneuvering.

WorkingPrincipleofRotary
Pumps

ProblemsinAirStartSystems

ElectricalGroundingOnShips

Weshalllookattwocommonproblemsencounteredwhenmaneuveringthemainengine:notstartingandstartinginthe
wrongdirection(reversinginsteadofstartingahead).

SoundingtheTanksofaShip

NotStarting
Aswehaveseen,therearevariousinterlocksinplacetopreventtheenginebeingstarteduntilcertaincriteriaaremet.If
theenginewontturnoveronair,thebridgeshouldbeinformedthenthefollowingchecksshouldbecarriedout.
1.Checkairstartsupplyvalvesfromairreceiversareopenandthatthepressureis30bar.
2.Checkthattheturninggearisdisengaged
3.Checkthattheturninggearandtelegraphsolenoidvalveshaveactuated.Thiswillsupplyairtotheautomaticvalve,

HowDoesAnAirEjector
Work?
MarineElectricalPower
Distribution
HowSteeringGearsWorkOn
Ships?

airdistributer,theairmanifold,andairstartvalve.
Thesearetheinitialchecksthatcanbequicklycarriedout.Iftheseareallsatisfactory,thentheproblemliesinthe
controlsahead/asternsolenoids.Theairdistributerortheairstartvalveitselfmaybestuckintheclosedposition.The
shipwillneedtoanchororbetowedalongsideforthesecheckstobecarriedout.
Enginestartsinwrongdirection
Iftheenginestartsintheasterninsteadofaheaddirection,thefollowingchecksshouldbecarriedout.
1.Ensuretheairstartcontrolmovestoreversemodeatthecontrolstation.Thisisavisualcheckandcanbeobserved
whenthetelegraphringsfromaheadtostopthenastern.Ifthisdoesnothappen,thesolenoidvalvemaybestuck.
2.Theoilandairsupplytoandfromthereversingvalveshouldbechecked.Ablockageofeitherwillstopthe
reversingservomotoroperatingandallowingchangeoverfromtheasterntoaheadposition.

CrankshaftDeflection:Marine
DieselEngineComponents
ProcedureofSWPumpSea
ChestCleaning
FunctionsofShipsMain
EngineThrustBlock,Prop
Shaft,andSternTube

RELATEDTOPICS:
Machinery&ShipSystems

Thisagainwilltakefurtherinvestigation,sotheshipshouldanchororremaintieduptothequay.

MarineHistory

Asthisahead/asternchangeoveriscontrolledbylubeoilandcompressedairandisinterlockedwiththefuelpumps.

NavalArchitecture

Thesearetheusualculpritsandthestartingpointofathoroughinvestigation.Ihaveexperiencedthissituationonly
onceandfortunatelywewereleavingportandstilltiedtoquaybysternspring.Oncethebridgewasinformed,arope
fromthefocslewasthrownashoreandmadefast.Thisgaveusthechancetocheckforthefault,whichturnedouttobe

Seafaring
Tweetsby@BH_Engineering

theoilsupplyfromthecrossheadoilsupplypipebeingblocked.

SIGNUPFOREMAILS

AsIhavesaidbefore,themaintenanceoftheairstartsystemcomponentsisparamounttotheoperationofthesystem.

Clickheretosignupforour
newsletter

MainComponentsoftheSystem
Airsupplysystem
Twoaircompressors
Twoairstartvessels
Numerousnonreturnvalves
Numerousdrainvalves
Controlsystem
Turninggearoutsolv/v
Telegraphsignalsolv/v
Automaticvalve
Aheadandasternchangeover
Airdistributer
Airstartvalve
Antiexplosioncomponents
Airsupplytomanifoldfromairvesselsnonreturnvalvethispreventshotgassesfromreturningtoairreceivers.
Airmanifoldpressurereliefvalvethisoperatesifpressurerisesduetoheatfromgasses.
Airsupplytoairstartvalveburstingdiskthisdiskrupturesunderincreasedpressurecausedanairstartvalve
leakingback.

MandatorySafetyPrecautions
Beforewegetintotheoperationofthesysteminthenextsection,thisisanopportunemomenttomakeacloser
examinationoftheprecautionagainstexplosion,whichisaveryrealthreatevenintodaysmodernenginesthat
incorporatethelatestinenginemanagementsystems.
Compressors
Thecompressorairinletfiltersshouldbepositionedinanoilfreezone,i.e.nooilfumesshouldbepresent.
Thecompressedairsupplylinestotheairreceiversmustbeprotectedbynonreturnvalves.
Theairreceivers
Therearetwoairreceivers,linkedbyacommondischargepipetothesystem.Theairfromthecompressorswillcontain
oilandwater(thereisnowayaroundthis).Thismixtureendsupintheairvesselsasamist,eventuallysettlingtothe
bottomofthevessel.Itisimperative,andIcannotoverstressthis,thatthemixturebedrainedfromthevesselsafterevery
charge,andregularlywhenmaneuvering.Theoilalsocoatstheinternalofthesupplypipesthistoocanbereducedby
drainingtheairvessels.
Theseactions,aswellascheckingbyhandforheatintheairsupplypipebetweentheairstartvalveandtheair
manifold,formpartofthewatchkeepersduties.Anyexcessheathere,andthefuelandairtothatparticularcylinder
shouldbeisolated,andthebridgemadeawareofthesituation.
Beforeweleavetheprecautionstherearemanyexamplesofairstartsystemexplosions.Oneofworstonesoccurredon
theMVCapetownCastle,killingsevenengineers.Lloydsregisterrecorded11suchexplosionsbetween1987and
1998alldowntooilgatheringinthereceiversandpipingandignitedbyexhaustgasses.Oneayearspeaksforitself:
draintheairvesselsregularilyandmaintainthesystem.
Asketchshowinganairstartsystemwheretheairstartvalveisleakingisshownbelow.Notethepipethatshouldbe
checkedbyhandforoverheating

TheOperatingPrinciplesofMarineEngineAirStartSystems
Ihavesailedonquiteafewmarinedieselengines,includingB&W,Sulzer,andStork/Werkspoor.Allhadvariationsofthe
systemIamabouttodescribe,buttheprinciplesaremuchthesame.
Idrewasketchfrommemory(45yearsago)butupdateditfromaverygoodwebsitereferencedattheendofthesection.
Thesketchalsoappearsattheendofthesectionandcanbereferredtoduringthereadingofthenotes.
Webeginthenwiththebridgeringingdownstandbyontheengineroomtelegraph.(Weusedtochangeoverfuelfrom
HeavyFuelOiltoModifiedDieselOilformaneuvering.)
1.Ifinport,ensureturninggearisnotengaged.
2.Openbothairreceiversisolationvalvesandstartupacompressortofillreceiverstomaximumdrainoilywaterof
reservoirsandalsofromdeadlegonsupplypipework.
3.Thisallowsthecompressedairtoflowasfarastheturninggearsolenoidvalve.Providedtheturninggearis
disengaged,thiswillallowthesupplyofairat30bartotheautomaticvalvepassingthoughthenonreturnvalveandinto
themanifold.Fromheretheairispipedtotheairchamberintheairstartvalve.(Thisisthepipethatwillgethotifyou
havealeakingairstartvalve.)Thevalveisheldintheshutpositionbythespringtension.
4.Whenanaheadorasternmovementisrungandansweredontheengineroomtelegraph,thetelegraphstartsignal
solv/visactivatedallowingairtotheaheadandasternsolenoidvalvesmechanism.
5.Theairisnowdirectedtothestartingairdistributerthatisfittedontheendofthecamshaft.Thisenablesittoselectthe
appropriatecylinder(s)tosupplyairto.ThiswillbetherelevantcylinderthatisjustpassedTDCandonthedownward
stroke.
6.Theairfromthestartingairdistributerisat30bar,andthisisinjectedintotheairstartvalvetoppiston.This
overcomesthespringtensionandforcesthepistondownwardsthusopeningthevalveandintroducingtheairat30bar
tothecylinder(s)havingbeensuppliedearliertotheairchamber.
7.Dependingontheenginemakeandmodel,aircanbesuppliedtoseveralcylinderstoassiststarting.A"slowstart"
supplycanbeusediftherehasbeenalapseofhalfanhourbetweenmovementswhenmaneuvering.

MaintenanceofSystemComponents
Compressors
Regularinspectionoffilters,suctionanddischargevalves,aswellaspistonandringchecksshouldbeperformedatthe
manufacturersrecommendedperiods.Intercoolertubenestsshouldbecleanedensuringoptimumairflow.
AirsupplyManifoldReliefValve
Thisshouldberegularlyinspectedtoensurethatthespringisoperatingcorrectly,withthecompleteoverhaulbeingto
manufacturersinstructions.
AirStartValves
Thisisthemostimportantcomponentandifnotmaintained,willbegintostickduetoaweak/badlyadjustedspringor
wornpistonringsallowinghotcombustiongassesintothecompressedairpiping.
Thevalveshouldbereplacedregularlywithanoverhauledandtestedspare,thesparethenbeingstrippedandspring,
pistons,andringsinspected.Thevalveisgroundintotheseatusingfinelappingpastebeforerebuildandbench
pressuretesting.

References
marinediesels:AirStartSystem
Author'sExperience
AllDrawingsbyAuthor

AboutBHEngineering

TermsofUse

ContactUs

PrivacyPolicy

AdvertiseWithUs

CopyrightPolicy

RSS

2012BrightHubInc.AllRightsReserved

Navigation
CivilEngineering
ElectricalEngineering
MarineEngineering
MechanicalEngineering
Copyright2016brighthubengineering.com.
PrivacyPolicy