Lubricant Care in 4-Stroke Dual-Fuel Engine | Passenger Vessel, Ferry

System — Dual-Fuel Engine

Ship: Passenger ship, car ferry M/F “PRINSESSE ISABELLA”
Main engine: 4-stroke dual-fuel engine, type Wärtsilä 6L20DF
Lubricating oil: Texaco HDAX 5200
Oil volume: 375 liters
Fuel: MGO, LNG, dual-fuel

Challenge

Dirty and black lubricating oil pollutes the main engine of the M/F Prinsessa Isabella. 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

Samsø Rederi is managed by Samsø Municipality, which has achieved 100%_{CO2 neutrality}. 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 centrifuge was replaced by a CJC® Marine Lube Oil Filter 27/81. The integrated CJC® Depth Filter Insert made of 100 % natural fibers removes particles, water, oil degradation products and acids.

Dirt holding capacity: approx. 6 kg
Water holding capacity: > 2.7 liters
Filtration degree: 3 µm absolute, retention rate 1 µm

Test

During the 2-month test phase, an independent laboratory analyzed the lubricating oil every 1 to 2 weeks. The samples were taken in front of the CJC® Lube Oil Filter at an integrated sampling tap.

A happy crew next to the CJC® Lube Oil Filter, which replaced a Centrifuge Separator

CJC® Lube Oil Filter installed on the main engine, dual-fuel engine Wärtsilä 6L20DF, fuel: MGO/LNG, dual-fuel

Result of Lubricant Care

The CJC® Lube Oil Filter led to better oil quality overall. In just 6 days, the cleanliness class improved from ISO 20/16 to 18/15 and in 1.5 months to 17/12 (ISO 4406). Furthermore, the content of impurities and wear particles in the oil fell steadily.

Savings & Benefits for our customer:

By installing the CJC® Lube Oil Filter on the oil pan of the main engine (dual-fuel 4-stroke engine), our customer achieves the following benefits:

• 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.)

Particle content in 100 ml lubricant

Customer comment

“The difference between the oil condition before and after installing the CJC® lube oil filter is clearly visible – the color of the oil is a bit more golden again. The biggest challenge with the centrifuge is that it discharges a lot of oil sludge. The sludge consists of 90-95% water, but the disposal of this oil-water emulsion, as well as the entire operation of the centrifuge, is very costly.”

Christian Damhøj Jensen, Chief Engineer