When it comes to the shipping industry, there are three main areas: commercial fleets, marine corps, and cruise ships. It should be noted that this industry has been using on-site oil analysis to ensure the normal navigation of ships. 90% of trade is conducted by sea, with only around 70000 ships used for transporting goods. All countries with navies must use ships for combat deployment and enhance combat effectiveness. Reliability is crucial, therefore shipborne oil analysis has been widely applied. The cruise entertainment industry is a rapidly growing industry with a large profit margin, and ship reliability is also crucial.

On ships, there are other critical lubrication equipment besides engines. There are hydraulic thrusters, backup generators, gear reducers, and air compressors. Since there are so many different lubrication devices, there are various lubricants available. The design of the engine, fuel type, and compliance requirements all complicate the monitoring task. Regular monitoring is becoming increasingly important.

The main challenges faced by the shipbuilding industry

There are three major challenges in the shipbuilding industry. Firstly, there is an excess of transportation capacity, with more ships at sea than the public supply of goods. Therefore, businesses have to adopt various methods to reduce costs. Some of these methods can have a negative impact on the reliability of the equipment, which is why on-site oil analysis is important, especially in slow navigation. The second one is the new sulfur limit regulation that will be implemented in the near future. In 2020, the sulfur emissions of all heavy fuel oils and high sulfur fuels will be reduced from 3.5% to 0.5%. In order to meet this requirement, there will be some significant investments in the future. In addition, there are also many issues in ensuring fuel quality. Some regions in Europe, the United States, and China are already implementing sulfur emission controls. When entering ports in these areas, ships must switch from high sulfur fuel to low sulfur fuel. When switching fuels, the matching of engine lubricating oil (especially for two-stroke engines) from high alkali value to low alkali value is also important. Later, in 2013, the US VGP or General Rules for Ships were issued, which required any vessel longer than 25 meters or 79 feet to comply, and any oil in contact with water must be biodegradable; Rotating equipment should use environmentally friendly or biodegradable lubricants. These requirements will affect the entire shipbuilding industry. Therefore, ship based oil analysis is becoming increasingly important.

Engine and Fuel

Two stroke power is very common in cargo ships. The design of these engines needs to ensure longevity and reliability. Two stroke engines are generally easy to manage, but larger two-stroke engines have two different lubrication systems.At the location where compression occurs, there is a cylinder lubrication system. BN (Base Number) is crucial as it serves as a neutralizing agent for the sulfuric acid produced during the combustion of high sulfur fuels. The second lubrication system is the engine's own lubrication system. Lubricating oil is basically separated from the cylinder surface, like traditional four stroke engines. Some four stroke engines burn high sulfur fuel. If this is the case, TPE or cylindrical piston engine lubricating oil can be used, whose additive package can neutralize the sulfur in high sulfur fuels.

As the industry shifts from high sulfur to low sulfur, everyone will turn to more traditional lubricants or TPE type environmentally friendly lubricants. Under the requirements of VGP, many rotating equipment, such as propellers and hydraulic systems that come into contact with water, must use environmentally friendly or biodegradable lubricants. Therefore,It is necessary to manage insoluble or water-soluble PAG/EAL plant-based lubricants. If not managed, the service life may not meet expectations. Some gearboxes require a longer lifespan for the drive. These devices are usually quite expensive, but if they are monitored and managed very carefully, their lifespan will be longer.

Recommended detection parameters

Marine engines are mainly two-stroke and four stroke engines, and it is important to distinguish them because there are significant differences in testing requirements. Two stroke engines are mainly concerned with base number (BN) and viscosity. This is related to whether the lubricating oil can reach the cylinder normally and whether there is sufficient alkali value reserve to neutralize any acids being produced. The base number may range from 40 to 200, which is a very wide range. Suggest continuous observation, whether it is the lubricating oil entering or the lubricating oil being used by the system. When you add new oil, it is recommended to monitor its alkalinity before the oil comes into contact with the cylinder. Once lubricating oil splashes off the cylinder wall and drips onto the drain pipe, its alkalinity value will change. If the alkali value decreases significantly, it indicates a high sulfur content in the fuel. Another is to detect the oil scraped off the cylinder wall, mainly residues. The iron content should be checked, as improper alkali storage or processing rate of the cylinder can cause corrosive wear, and the iron content can indicate the degree of wear. The concentration of ferromagnetic particles is important because it can observe large fragments generated due to excessive wear. However, relying solely on the concentration of ferromagnetic particles is not enough, what is more important is corrosive wear. For the detection of corrosive substances, we recommend using elemental spectroscopy. These two results combined can determine the total iron content. If the system oil is separated from the cylinder oil, the alkali value and ferromagnetic particle concentration should be tested to confirm the presence of abnormal wear. The viscosity of lubricating oil is between 40 and 100 (remember, this is a long-life oil that should be stored in the system). In this case, moisture content detection is crucial, even if it can accommodate a large amount of water. Spectral analysis is required for wear elements, pollutants, and additive packages.

The alkaline value, ferromagnetic particle concentration, and viscosity of conventional four stroke engine lubricating oil are very important testing indicators. It is also recommended to test the water content and elemental spectra. With the sulfur emission limits mentioned earlier, more engines will use natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas to provide power. In this case, a higher total acid value may be required, which is very similar to onshore natural gas compressors and requires testing of TAN and TBN.

For rotating equipment, especially hydraulic thrusters, due to the use of mineral oil orEAL oilThe density, viscosity, and moisture content of iron should be evaluated. EAL typeLubricating oil has strong water absorption abilityIn some cases, there may be 4%, 5%, or 6% water, but this does not affect the application as it is dissolved. But measurement and control are needed. In addition, the total acid value is also important as it indicates the oxidation level of the lubricating oil. Elemental spectroscopy is used to detect the presence of wear additives and pollutants. Particle counting is crucial for determining the total wear debris and the working condition of the filter.

If it is a gear system, it is recommended to measure the concentration of ferromagnetic particles, as it is the key point for all large ferromagnetic particles and viscosity, and is crucial for the strength of the lubricating oil film. The water content and total acid value tests can reveal the service life and degree of oxidation of the oil. Elemental spectroscopy and particle counting, especially for pressurized gearboxes or transmission systems, can determine filtration efficiency. It is also important to observe whether there are any changes in the shape or morphology of the material. We can determine whether there is abnormal wear by observing the shape and size of the material.

The compressor system is very similar to the gear system, and it is important to detect the concentration, viscosity, water content, acid value, and elemental spectrum of ferromagnetic particles. Particle counting is optional and depends on the type of compressor.

Recommended solutions

For ship oil monitoring, we recommend the MiniLab series oil analysis system. The MiniLab solution can be customized according to your needs and can perform all the tests mentioned above. We also recommend TruVu 360, which can help you manage and analyze detection data, and can immediately publish reports. For commercial fleets that are concerned about sulfur emissions, we recommend investigating the quality of fuel, especially when determining the sulfur content.