1. MARITIME
REPORTER
The World’s Largest Circulation Marine Industry Publication The Information Authority for the Global Marine Industry since 1939
AND
ENGINEERING NEWS
M A R I N E L I N K . C O M
July 2015
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Who’s in the Driver’s Seat?
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2. Reprinted with Permission from the July 2015 edition of Maritime Reporter - www.marinelink.com
T
he International Convention for the Prevention of
Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) ANNEX VI Regu-
lation 14 requires ships with Marine Compression-
Ignition Engines at or Above 30 Liters per Cylinder
use fuel with sulfur content less than 0.1%, after 01 January
ZLWKLQ WKH %DOWLF 6HD DUHD ± DV GH¿QHG LQ $QQH[ , RI
0$532/ 1RUWK 6HD DUHD ± DV GH¿QHG LQ $QQH[ 9 RI 0$5-
POL; within 200 miles of the North American area and when
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LQ $SSHQGL[ 9,, RI $QQH[ 9, RI 0$532/ $V EDFNJURXQG WKH
California Air Resources Board (CARB) created regulations
for vessel emissions reductions for California’s ports as part of
its continued mission to improve air quality around the state.
The requirements came into effect in July 2009, under Title 13
California Code of Regulations (CCR), Section 2299.2, Fuel
Sulfur and Other Operational Requirements for Ocean Going
Vessels within California Waters and 24 Nautical Miles of the
California Baseline. The regulations require vessels use distil-
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results from sunset review in April 2015. Following the imple-
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ence Loss of Propulsion (LOP) incidents within state waters
at a much higher rate than was seen prior to July 2009. The
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discussion.
GROUP 1
Engine failures resulting in the LOP are due to the inability
of the main engine, operating with MGO/MDO, to overcome
the forces on the propeller from the forward momentum of the
ship. The engine may turn over at higher RPM and initiate
combustion; however, as the engine reduces speed to come to
dead slow or slow astern there is not enough BTUs in the fuel
to maintain engine inertia. The engine stalls with the subse-
Fuel Switching
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MARINE FUELS
BY CAPT. JEFF COWAN
3. Reprinted with Permission from the July 2015 edition of Maritime Reporter - www.marinelink.com
quent loss of propulsion. Similarly, ships not getting engine
starts while anchoring when an astern bell is given, typically
initiates a “Failure to Start” scenario. The remedy due to the
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the cylinder. This procedure cannot be done from most ship
bridges but only from the Engine Control Room or from the
Engine Side (manual).
GROUP 2
Failures resulting in the LOP are due to problems with con-
trolling the temperature of the MGO/MDO. Each engine has
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timal temperature range for an engine might be 1350C for a
heavy fuel oil (HFO) and 400C for the MGO. Because heavy
fuels must be heated (for the right viscosity to burn) and lighter
fuels may not need to be heated, there are problems associ-
ated during the fuel oil switch over in both heating and cool-
ing the different fuel oil systems (since the fuel oil is supplied
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in LOP.
GROUP 3
Failures resulting in a LOP are associated with the loss of fuel
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of pressure could be a result of many factors including wrong
control set points, use of bypass valves, in-operable equip-
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through “O” rings and seals. The problem lies with physics.
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evolved to burn the heaviest and cheapest fuel available, HFO.
To utilize the HFO on ships, the fuel is heated to as much as
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burned at ambient engine room temperature or 400C and no
heating is required. Once the cooler MGO is introduced into
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One of the other issues using MGO in an engine that has
successfully run HFO for some time is viscosity. Typically the
engine manufacturer’s recommended minimum viscosity is 2
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ature for MGO/MDO range from 1.5 cst to 6.5 cst. The MGO
loaded in California has a viscosity of 2cst to 3cst at 400C.
When the temperature of the MGO is increased into an already
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that the cylinder temperature is usually maintained at 800C and
this heat migrates into the fuel lines as well.
Unsurprisingly, the introduction of distillate fuel into the fuel
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Replacing “O” rings at the manufacturer’s recommended inter-
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RI LQMHFWRU ³2´ ULQJV RQ D VKLS WKH PDQXIDFWXUHU VXJJHVWHG
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The engineers on this ship found an interval of 2,000 hours
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GROUP 4
Failures resulting in LOP are associated with the loss of fuel
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WDLQ RSHUDWLRQ 6WUDLQHUV DQG ¿OWHUV RU WKH ODFN RI D VWUDLQHU DQG
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VVWHP 7KH 0*20'2 DFWV DV D VROYHQW FDXVLQJ D GHFRNLQJ
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RI +)2 WKDW KDV H[FHVVLYH DPRXQWV RI DVSKDOWHQHV 7KHVH DV-
phaltenes adhere to the inside of the fuel lines and assorted oth-
er fuel components. When MGO is introduced the asphaltenes
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In recent years due increased demand for Marine Gas
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raw crude per barrel than ever before. While blenders/suppliers
are wresting every dollar from product, there is a downside.
Within the last 18 months the issue is the difference between
pour point and the cloud point of fuels which was fairly close,
+/- 3°C; however, since the implementation of the ECA’s glob-
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IXHO VVWHP VWUDLQHUV¿OWHUV UHVXOWLQJ LQ ORVV RI SRZHU DQG SUR-
pulsion. Heating the fuel past its cloud point could reduce vis-
cosity which is addressed in Group 3.
GROUP 5
Failures resulting in the Loss of Propulsion appear to be as-
sociated with problems in either the starting air system or the
control air systems. Problems with starting air systems are not
fuel related and only need to be mentioned as a cause of LOPs.
GROUP 6
Failures resulting in the Loss of Propulsion appear to be
associated with mechanical failure not associated with other
groups. Since implementation in 2009 there have been many
and varied reasons for ships suffering a Loss of Propulsion in-
cident. Three scenarios stand out as most prevalent for deter-
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1. 70% experienced during inbound Transit.
7. 2. Most occur during slow speed maneuvering.
3. Duration of transit/complexity of maneuvering.
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was to reduce the LOP incidents occurring within the state of
California boundaries. For California, many of the LOP inci-
dents that occurred since 2009 involved “First Timers” (ships
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D JXLGH ZDV FUHDWHG WR SURYLGH VXJJHVWLRQV IRU VKLSV ZRUNLQJ
with low sulfur distillate fuel oil (LSDFO), while trying to
comply with the assorted ECA’s.
(See Box below)
OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES
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![Reprinted with Permission from the July 2015 edition of Maritime Reporter - www.marinelink.com
T
he International Convention for the Prevention of
Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) ANNEX VI Regu-
lation 14 requires ships with Marine Compression-
Ignition Engines at or Above 30 Liters per Cylinder
use fuel with sulfur content less than 0.1%, after 01 January
ZLWKLQ WKH %DOWLF 6HD DUHD ± DV GH¿QHG LQ $QQH[ , RI
0$532/ 1RUWK 6HD DUHD ± DV GH¿QHG LQ $QQH[ 9 RI 0$5-
POL; within 200 miles of the North American area and when
RSHUDWLQJ LQ WKH 8QLWHG 6WDWHV DULEEHDQ 6HD DUHD ± DV GH¿QHG
LQ $SSHQGL[ 9,, RI $QQH[ 9, RI 0$532/ $V EDFNJURXQG WKH
California Air Resources Board (CARB) created regulations
for vessel emissions reductions for California’s ports as part of
its continued mission to improve air quality around the state.
The requirements came into effect in July 2009, under Title 13
California Code of Regulations (CCR), Section 2299.2, Fuel
Sulfur and Other Operational Requirements for Ocean Going
Vessels within California Waters and 24 Nautical Miles of the
California Baseline. The regulations require vessels use distil-
ODWH IXHO HLWKHU PDULQH JDV RLO ZLWK PD[LPXP VXOIXU RU
PDULQH GLHVHO RLO ZLWK PD[LPXP VXOIXU LQ WKHLU PDLQ DQG
DX[LOLDU HQJLQHV 7KHVH UHJXODWLRQV DUH VWLOO LQ HIIHFW SHQGLQJ
results from sunset review in April 2015. Following the imple-
PHQWDWLRQ RI WKH UHJXODWLRQV DOLIRUQLD FRQWLQXHG WR H[SHUL-
ence Loss of Propulsion (LOP) incidents within state waters
at a much higher rate than was seen prior to July 2009. The
/23V FDQ EH ORRVHO FDWHJRUL]HG LQWR VL[ JURXSV IRU HDVH RI
discussion.
GROUP 1
Engine failures resulting in the LOP are due to the inability
of the main engine, operating with MGO/MDO, to overcome
the forces on the propeller from the forward momentum of the
ship. The engine may turn over at higher RPM and initiate
combustion; however, as the engine reduces speed to come to
dead slow or slow astern there is not enough BTUs in the fuel
to maintain engine inertia. The engine stalls with the subse-
Fuel Switching
WƌĞǀĞŶƟŶŐŽƐƐŽĨWƌŽƉƵůƐŝŽŶ ŌĞƌƵĞů^ǁŝƚĐŚƚŽŽǁ^ƵůĨƵƌŝƐƟůůĂƚĞƵĞů
MARINE FUELS
BY CAPT. JEFF COWAN](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)