Shell Marine outlines its work with OEMs, vessel owners and crew to monitor lubricant oil and detect engine issues
Vessel owners can gain insight into the health of their propulsion machinery by observing and analysing lubricant oils for debris and deposits, which are indicative of potential performance problems.
As Shell Marine services and technical general manager Marcus Schaerer points out, sensors on engines are important and provide insight into performance, but the engine sensor data also needs to be combined with lubricant monitoring and sample analysis for a true picture of overall engine health.
“It is like having insurance against these issues,” he tells Riviera Maritime Media.
Shell Marine’s Remote Sense is a data-based solution offering insights from both samples and data points by combining algorithms and signals from sensors and Shell’s lube analysis system Shell LubeAnalyst.
Data comes in packets from vessels to shore for further analysis and benchmarking against other engines of the same type.
“We can come up with information and insight on the constant oil stream in four-stroke engines, gearboxes and in thrusters,” says Mr Schaerer, who likens lubricant oil testing to patients in hospitals having blood tests.
For example, measuring conductivity through lubricant oil could indicate sea water and viscosity drops in thrusters and other tests can identify metallic deposits in engine oil.
“We get indicators of what is going wrong at a very early stage,” he continues. “It provides indications on the frequency of sample taking as there is still a need for lube oil analysis.”
Operational profiles of vessels are also important to understand loads and stresses on propulsion systems and the issues they create.
For example, in propulsion systems on tugs, support vessels and workboats that take on complex operations, vigilance in monitoring engines and thrusters is needed in order to detect, identify and prevent hazards that could include towline loss and even vessel damage or grounding.
Engines on tugs and workboats, for example, must cope with variable power loads, start-stop operations, sailing at different speeds and providing differing levels of bollard pull during towage. This complexity can lead to oil stress and water ingress into engines, which can be detected through lube oil analysis.
“We can benchmark results with other engines of similar types and with industry averages,” says Mr Schaerer, “We can calculate oil replacement intervals, whether operators should continue putting fresh oil into the engine or replace it.”
Modern four-stroke engines have smaller oil sumps, reducing the volume recirculating and increasing oil stress. “Lubricants are designed to cope with variable loads, but the more extreme the engine use, the more frequently samples should be taken,” he comments.
“Tugboat engines are used differently to offshore support vessels and ferries, so knowing the operating profile and having the right lube oil is important, as is keeping oil in the right condition.”
Shell Marine works with original engine manufacturers (OEMs) to analyse engine performance and health, and to develop more advanced, optimised lubricant oils.
“We work with OEMs who have sensors in their systems and engine data, but not the “blood test”, which is what we have, to check the health of the engine; help customers detect issues and react to them at a very early stage” says Mr Schaerer.
Shell Marine combines traditional lube oil monitoring with data science, artificial intelligence, engine and ship profiling. “We want to combine knowledge with OEMs and help customers,” he adds.
“Collaboration has changed things as OEMs are more interested in combining their knowledge. There needs to be more collaboration as the road is becoming more complex because of new fuels and lubes.”
More complex propulsion systems and their optimised performance is unlocking this collaboration and enabling technical experts to provide insight to crew for safety and maintenance requirements. “We help them get the information and experience,” says Mr Schaerer.
“We are introducing health, safety and environmental elements into our services; to protect the equipment and provide a care element to engines and crew. We are using our knowledge, data and intuitive platforms to guide crew to generate value and create levels of collaboration.”
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