PONDICHERRY MARITIME ACADEMY

With its fixed and moving cutting edges and alternators, the steam turbine is a heat engine that converts high temperature and high strain steam intensity energy to mechanical or electrical energy. The steam turbine serves a number of functions and is an ideal core player. In power plants, larger steam turbines are used to power generators, and smaller steam turbines can be used to power siphons and fans. The power range of steam turbines is 0.5 to 200,000 HP. In order to prevent the smooth operation of the entire system, the ship's turbine generator has suitable standard operating procedures under sequential starting and shutting down procedures. The right technique makes sure that no equipment component experiences any form of stress, whether thermal or mechanical. Additionally, it ensures that no additional time is wasted as the ship operates. Following are the proper procedures for the ship's steam turbine generator: Pre-starting procedures All bearing points should ...

The most important aspect of any marine boiler is maintaining the correct water level. As the boiler fires, steam liberates from the surface of the water and thus as the steam gets consumed, there is subsequent drop in water level inside the boiler. Steam gets produced only when there is an effective circulation of water within the boiler. For tank type boilers, circulation is not distinct and the water circulates within the tank of the boiler itself. For water tube boilers, circulation is necessary within each and every tube and headers. This happens naturally if both the steam and water drums are connected with tubes. But there is some basic design reason which has to be emphasized on. Natural Circulation within a Water Tube Boiler The steam drum and water drum may or may not be separated depending upon the boiler design. To understand the boiler water circulation principle, we will assume the following components to be separate. A steam drum at the top is connected to the water ...

Turbine generator is a popular source of clean power generation on ships as they don’t use any type of fuel i.e. heavy or diesel oil. Steam is used for power production in case of turbine generators. Steam is an easy, environmental friendly and cheap form of fuel on ships. For turbine generators, the steam comes from the ship’s steam boiler plant. In turbine generator, steam is used with high pressure to rotate turbine wherein the thermal energy of the steam gets converted into rotary motion. The turbine is connected to the alternator’s rotor; hence the rotary notion of the turbine is utilized to generate electric power Alternate Uses of Steam Turbine On ships, the steam turbine can also be used as a direct propulsion plant, in which, the turbine shaft is connected to propeller shaft of the ship. Since the speed will be in thousand rpm, reduction gears and reduction systems are used to get a drop in propeller rpm. The propelling plant of the ship can be driven by steam turbine throu...

Generator is one of the prime machinery on board a ship. Ship’s generator supplies power to all other machines and acts like the lifeline of the ship. Like other machinery, generator’s on board routine maintenance is also done by the engineers. One of the important procedures of generator maintenance is d’carb, which is carried out by qualified engineers within the time limit set by the makers and technical department. D’carb or de-carbonisation of generator not only means cleaning and removing carbon from parts and spaces involved in combustion of fuel but also includes checking, overhauling and renewal of parts involved in power transmission like connecting rods, con-rod bearings, main bearings etc. Before d’carb of any of the generators onboard ship, preparation has to be done by management and operational level engineers, and the management level engineers will decide in consent with the office ashore, whether to proceed with the process or not. Following preparations and checks ...

A boiler is one of those machinery that gets the ship going. A boiler is something, though not required continuously in operating a ship, cannot be done away with. Moreover, it’s dangerous equipment that generates steam at extremely high pressure, and it is for this reason that proper care should be taken while operating it. In this article, we have brought to you a step-by-step procedure for starting and stopping a boiler on a ship. With this procedure, you can never go wrong, as far as boilers are concerned. Starting and stopping a boiler was never so easy. Starting a Boiler It is to note that the following steps may not apply to all types of boilers and each boiler requires some additional steps to be followed as per its system design. However, the basic steps remain the same: Ensure that the vent valve on the boiler is open and check there is no pressure in the boiler. Check that the steam stop valve is closed. Check that all the valves for fuel are open, and let t...

In the last article in this series on the energy audit of the ships boiler, we discussed the instruments required for ship’s audit, pre audit precautions and the energy conservation and optimization opportunities. In this article we discuss the other opportunities for energy conservation and also layout of the final audit report. Read the first two parts of the series here Energy Audit on Ships Audit of Marine Boilers Energy Conservation and Optimization Opportunities The other areas where energy conservation and optimization opportunities exist are as follows: Performance of Heat Transfer Areas: The heat transfer areas of the boiler must be monitored. The soot blowing of the boiler must be done religiously as build up of soot acts like an insulator and reduces the heat transfer rate. That means for generating the same amount of steam more fuel will be needed. The same goes for the buildup of scale in the tubes. The stack temperature must be monitored regularly and any in...

Choking refers to a blockage of a person’s upper airway due to food or other objects, thereby preventing them from breathing properly. It can either just lead to a coughing fit or completely block the airway in a manner such that it causes the death of the individual. Adults usually choke due to a piece of food, and choking happens in children owing to them swallowing smaller objects. Since choking prohibits oxygen from getting supplied to the brain, it can be life-threatening, which is why first aid should be provided immediately to save a person’s life. In order to understand choking, it’s important to understand the mechanism behind it: When we breathe in oxygen, it travels to the rest of the human body after entering the bloodstream. This oxygen is used as a source to create energy from the food we consume. As we exhale, we breathe out nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and oxygen. When we choke, it’s due to a blocked airway which doesn’t allow oxygen to get into the lungs, the...

In the annals of maritime history, there exists a vessel that has captivated the world's imagination like no other—the Titanic. Lauded as a marvel of engineering and deemed unsinkable, this majestic ocean liner met a tragic fate on the fateful night of April 14, 1912. More than a century later, the story of the Titanic continues to evoke fascination, sorrow, and enduring lessons for humanity. Let us embark on a journey to explore the history, grandeur, and legacy of the iconic ship. 1. The Creation of a Marvel: The construction of the Titanic commenced in March 1909, led by the British shipping company White Star Line. Designed by the visionary naval architect Thomas Andrews, the Titanic was a colossal feat of engineering, stretching 882 feet 9 inches (269 meters) long, 92 feet 6 inches (28 meters) wide, and had a gross tonnage of about 46,328 tons and It had nine decks and could accommodate around 2,435 passengers and 900 crew members. The ship boasted lavish interiors, luxuriou...

Every engine room machinery system requires a specific procedure for starting and stopping it. Boiler being one of the most important systems on board ships, requires special care and attention during operation and maintenance. Inability to do so leads to major failures and accidents, which can not only be life-threatening but also cause huge damage to the ship’s properly. Mentioned below are 10 boiler operating mistakes that can lead to heavy loss of life and properly on board ships: Starting a Boiler without Pre-purging the Furnace: Almost all boilers come with an automation system of starting and stopping comprising of programmed pre-purging and post-purging of furnace before the burner is fired. Never ignore or isolate this safety feature. If the boiler has to run manually, it must be pre-purged by means of FD fan for at least 2 minutes. Avoiding this step can lead to blowback and even explosion Ignoring Furnace Blowback: Several accidents in the past involving furnace blowb...