Introduction Engine breakdown

An engine breakdown is a phenomenon which occurs either through human error or machine failure. Hence the necessity of a well organised, continuous main­tenance programme.

A total lack of power, or "black-out^" could be serious, especially if the ship is in congested waters, or encountering heavy weather. A black-out would entail loss of steering and propulsion, with all the consequent dangers of not being able to manoeuvre.

When the Engine Room alarm sounds all engineers report to the Engine Room in order to help in the emergency, for a number of auxiliaries have to be started in sequence. Total black-outs are rare, as engineers are often able to act quickly to avoid a total plant failure. However, if it did occur, it could take a few hours for the engine to be ready to start up again.

SCENE 10

On the return voyage to Cardon the ^"MARA^" is in the Caribbean steaming south-wards from the Mona Passage. It is 11.55, and in the Engine Room the 12 to 4 watchkeeping engineers are standing on the control platform, preparing to take over from the previous watch.

Third Engineer: (To Fourth Engineer) All right, Raphael. I'll have the settling tanks changed over now.

Fourth Engineer: (Who is at the desk writing in the Engine Log). Yes, OK.

Third Engineer: (To his Junior) OK, Pedro? Time to change over the settling tanks now. Have they been dipped and drained?

Fifth Engineer: Er, yes they have.

He leaves the platform to change over the settling tanks.

A few moments later the Fourth Engineer finishes writing up the log and is about to leave the platform when ...

Third Engineer: Raphael, the steam pressure^'s failing! What's up?

Without waiting for a reply the Third Engineer moves quickly to the fuel burners at the boiler fronts. He calls back to the Fourth Engineer.

Third Engineer: Sound the alarm and shut off steam to the turbines. Some-thing^'s gone wrong with the change over, the fires are out! Seems like water in the fuel oil. Get Pedro to change back to the port settling tank!

As the Third Engineer shuts the fuel valves to circulate the fuel through the fuel oil pump, the alarm is sounded, and the Fourth Engineer shuts off the steam to the main turbines, using the main throttle valve on the control platform.

Meanwhile the 12 to 4 Junior has returned to the platform. The Third Engineer rushes past on his way to start the emergency (diesel) generator.

Third Engineer: (To Junior) Come with me. Let's get the generator going. (To Fourth Engineer) Start draining the water out of the fuel lines.

The Fourth Engineer who has by now stopped the main turbines goes to the boiler front and begins slackening back the union nuts on the fuel oil burner hose.

Just before noon the Chief and Second Engineers had been in the Chief's office discussing the next scheduled cleaning of the starboard boiler.

Chief Engineer: At this time of the year we have always to consider the

possibility of a hurricane. We should carry the cleaning out

on the next ballast leg, and at as southerly a point as is

practicable.

Second Engineer: OK. I take it you^'ll let me know after talking to the Captain. Chief Engineer: Yes, I'll see him shortly. (The alarm rings.)

Second Engineer.. (Thinking it is the noon-time alarm test) Noon already. I^'ll see you at lunch, Chief.

The Second Engineer walks towards the door, but the alarm is still ringing. He turns and looks quizzically at the Chief.

Chief Engineer: He^'s letting it ring on a bit, isn^'t he? Second Engineer: Yes, unless it^'s a real alarm.

Chief Engineer: (Getting quickly to his feet) If it is, we^'d better not hang about here — after you Second!

The Chief Engineer grabs a boiler suit and both men rush to the Engine Room. Arriving on the control platform they find the Fourth Engineer returning from the boiler front.

Second Engineer: What^'s the trouble, Fourth?

Fourth Engineer: We lost the fires while changing over the settling tanks. The Third and his Junior are getting the emergency diesel going now. My Junior is draining the fuel lines.

Chief Engineer: OK, Fourth, stay here. Second. You'd better see that the Third is OK with that, generator. I^'ll see how the Junior is getting on.

Two more Junior Engineers arrive on the platform. Chief Engineer: You two. Quick, with me.

At the boiler front the Chief Engineer directs the Juniors in draining water from the fuel lines and re-tightening the unions. A few moments later the 2nd and 3rd Engineers arrive. The latter goes immediately to help the three Juniors.

Second Engineer: (To Chief Engineer) Diesel^'s on the board now. How are things here?

Chief Engineer: Going as fast as they can. We^'ll be through in a few minutes. They^'ve done nearly a third of them. Not a lot of water so far.

The Chief Engineer leaves and walks back to the control platform. A few moments later he returns. The engineers, racing against time, are trying to clear the water from the fuel lines and re-start the fires before the steam pressures fall drastically, causing the alternator, and with it all the auxiliaries, to be stopped, which would result in a total blackout.

Chief Engineer: (To Second Engineer) We^'ve not long left to us now. Second Engineer: Yes, I know, but we^'re nearly there.

The Second Engineer now goes to each fuel oil line and checks the securing of the joint flanges.

Second Engineer: (To Chief Engineer) OK, that's it. I^'ll try flashing her up again.

The Second Engineer proceeds to direct the others in the flashing-up procedure. Meanwhile, on the Bridge the Second Officer, who so far knows only that the ship has lost power and is rapidly slowing down, has hoisted the Not Under Command (N.U.C.) signal and changed from automatic to manual steering.

(Engine telephone rings.)

The Captain, who had come to the Bridge as soon as he realised that the engine-room alarm had not been a test, answers.

Captain: Yes?

Chief Engineer: Hello, Chief here. We^'ve had water in the fuel oil line, but it seems OK now. The fires are back on, and I think we^'ll be under way again in about a half hour.

Captain: Thanks very much Chief. Let us know when you are ready to move off again.

Later, whilst the ship is steaming normally, the Chief Engineer enters the Captain^'s Office.

Captain: Ah, Miguel, come in. Have a seat. Everything all right now?

Chief Engineer: Yes, all OK now.

Captain: Good. Well, at least the delay is negligible, and there was no navigational or collision danger. What was the cause of the trouble?

Chief Engineer: Water in the fuel lines. I can only think they didn't check the starboard settling tank for water before changing over to it.

Captain: Well, they^'ll know next time. I take it you'^ll be talking to those concerned and making sure that everybody knows what^'s expected in future.

Chief Engineer: I certainly will, Sir. We don^'t want to go through this kind of experience again.

FUNCTIONAL PRACTICE Engine Failure

Using the dialogue as a guide, answer the following questions with the verb construction indicated.

Example:

Question: In the event of an engine breakdown, what is the first action which must be taken?

Response: In the event of an engine breakdown, the alarm must he sounded.

1. If the breakdown occurs during the change-over of the settling tanks, what must be shut off immediately?

2. Which valve should be closed in order to shut off the steam to the main turbines?

3. Why must the union nuts he slackened on the fuel oil burner hose?

4. Why has the water got to be drained from the fuel lines as quickly as possible?

5. Why should the N.U.C. signal be hoisted?

Project 7

Give a verbal, followed by a written, description of the consequences of an engine room breakdown.

RETURN VOYAGE

Finale

On the return ballast voyage a number of other (empty) cargo tanks are cleaned with high velocity water washing machines. The wash water, which will have oil mixed with it, is sucked out leaving clean tanks which are then filled with fresh ballast water from the sea. The 'dirty^' ballast is then disposed of. This is done by first pumping out to sea the clean water lying under the oily layer on the surface of the ballast water. The oil and oily-water mixture which forms the surface layer of the 'dirty^' ballast is then pumped out to a collection tank -- the same one as holds the dirty wash water from the 'clean' ballast tanks. This tank, called the slop tank, will then hold all the oil and oily water recovered from the ballast and tank washings.

After having a day or two to settle, free (clean) water which will have settled out under the oil may be carefully run off to sea, but the slops remain on board to be discharged ashore with the next oil cargo.

On short voyages there will not be time to clean tanks, take on clean ballast and separate out the oil slops. In these circumstances the 'dirty' ballast is retained on board. At the loading port, instead of being pumped to sea, it is discharged ashore to a ballast reception facility. There, the oil is recovered and the oil-free water is pumped back into the sea. With tank cleaning complete, the ship^'s company revert to normal maintenance programmes. The shipboard management system defines work targets which must he completed, identifies parts to be replaced at fixed intervals, gives basic instruction for each job, and even lists the tools needed.

All over the world other tankers are loading their vast cargoes of crude oil, trans-porting them to refineries where they will be processed and converted into products which, in turn, their small sisters will carry to consumer areas; fuels for transport, heating and agricultural uses, lubricants for machinery of all sizes and descriptions, raw materials for the plastics and petro-chemical industries, for fertilisers and even for animal protein production.

Oil is the life-blood of the 20th Century. For its supply, modern civilisation depends on tankers and the men and women who sail in or support them.