Lubricant Care in 4-Stroke Dual-Fuel Engine | Passenger Vessel, Ferry
Customer case
System — Dual-Fuel Engine
Vessel: Passenger Vessel, ferry M/F “PRINSESSE ISABELLA”
Main engine: 4-stroke dual-fuel engine, type Wärtsila 6L20DF (1050 kW)
Lubricant: Texaco HDAX 5200
Oil volume: 375 Litres
Fuel: MGO, LNG, dual-fuel
Passenger vessel, ferry M/F “PRINSESSE ISABELLA”
Challenge
M/F „PRINSESSE ISABELLA“ was experiencing dirty and black lube oil for the main engines. Whenever the oil volume was replaced with new oil, its colour changed from almost golden to black in 8 hours. The previous oil filtration/cleaning method consisted of automatic inline filters, replacement of the lube oil and, in case of water contamination in the lube oil, a centrifugal separator. The existing centrifugal separator was time-consuming, expensive to operate and impractical to use due to a sludge tank of only 1m³. Frequent sludge disposal was required when operating the centrifugal separator. The chief engineer did not have the time to maintain the centrifugal separator, as the task required a full working day, and only one person was on board the vessel responsible for the engine room. The chief engineer wished to install an oil filter in order to prevent wear on engine components created from dirt and particles.
Environmental Focus
Furthermore, Samsø Rederi is managed by the commune of Samsø, which is currently 100% CO2 neutral. Due to this, M/F „PRINSESSE ISABELLA“ has a big focus on having a minimal environmental impact. The vessel has been designed to generate as little pollution as possible, and further improvements are always investigated. Prior to the installation of the CJC® Lube Oil Filter, there has been a great interest in extending the lifetime of the lube oil so that both the cost of operation and environmental impact are decreased.
Solution — CJC® Lube Oil Filter
The centrifugal separator was replaced with a CJC® Marine Lube Oil Filter 27/81. The integrated CJC® Depth Filter Insert consisting of 100 % natural fibres, removes particles, water, oil degradation products and acids from the oil.
Dirt holding capacity: approx. 6 kg
Water holding capacity: > 3.6 Litres
Filtration degree: 3 µm absolute, retention rate < 1 µm
Test
For a test period of two months an independent oil laboratory analyzed the oil samples, which were taken in an interval of one sample every 1-2 weeks. The oil samples were taken in the upstream flow
of the CJC® Lube Oil Filter at the integrated sample point of.
A happy crew next to the CJC® Lube Oil Filter, which replaced a Centrifuge Separator
CJC® Lube Oil Filter installed at the main engine, dual-fuel engine Wärtsila 6L20DF, Fuel: MGO/LNG, dual-fuel
Result of Lubricant Care
Installing the CJC® Lube Oil Filter meant that the overall quality of the lube oil was improved. Within 6 days, oil cleanliness improved from ISO code 20/16 to 18/15 and in 1.5 months to ISO 17/12 (acc. ISO 4407). Furthermore, it was recorded that the general trend for contaminants and wear elements present in the oil was starting to decrease.
Savings & Benefits for our customer:
Installing the CJC® Marine Lube Oil Filter on the oil sump of the main engine (dual-fuel 4-stroke engine) resulted in the below benefits for our customer:
- Decreased environmental impact
- Less sludge creation compared to centrifuge
- Decreased lube oil consumption due to longer refill and oil change intervalls
- Expected component lifetime extension by a factor of 3–5 (source: Noria Corp.)
Crankcase of the main engine
BEFORE
Crankcase of the main engine
with CJC® Oil Filter
Crankcase of the main engine
BEFORE
Test membrane from laboratory report
with CJC® Oil Filter
Particle content in the lubricant
of the dual-fuel engine
Impurities in the lubricant
of the dual-fuel engine
Particle content in 100 ml lubricant
| BEFORE | after 6 days with CJC® Marine Lube Oil Filter |
after 1,5 months with CJC® Marine Lube Oil Filter |
|
| Particles > 5 µm |
808.480 | 246.530 | 87.840 |
| Particles > 15 µm |
36.010 | 24.020 | 2.330 |
| ISO Code 4407 *) | 20/16 | 18/15 | 17/12 |
*) Information on the determination of cleanliness classes and oil analyses available on request. Laboratory report by Filtrex Services.
Customer comment
Christian Damhøj Jensen, Chief Engineer:
„You can clearly see the difference between before and after installing the CJC® Oil Filter as the colour of the oil would still be a bit golden. The primary challenge with the centrifuge is that it produces a lot of sludge, whereas 90–95 % of it is water. But it costs an arm and a leg to get rid of the sludge – the centrifuge is expensive to operate.“
Contact your maritime technical salesperson now
You would like to know more about the customer case? Let us start a conversation
Receive detailed information on the oil analyses, savings and calculations and a personal consultation specifically on your 4-stroke dual-fuel engine, your engine lube oil and your requirements and goals.
Write or call me.
