LPG/C Jag Vayu
Chief Engineer Handing Over Notes
On behalf of the Engine team I, Sudhakar.P welcome you onboard this good old Lady.
Following notes will give you a fair idea of onboard machineries prior to your joining, the details can be
done when onboard.
With 37313 m3 transportation capacity this fully refrigerated 2G type Gas carrier was built by
FINCANTIERI, GENOVA ITALY and delivered on May 1995 with IMO number 9108099. With ex name
SOLARO, vessel was taken over by our company on 09 MAY 2018 @ 1923 hrs
The vessel was taken for its dry dock at KEPPEL SHIPYARD, Singapore soon after takeover.
Presently under HPCL time charter till June 2020 and following are the fuel allowance:
At 14 Knots speed
Loading : 30 mT/day
Ballast : 28 mT/day
Harbour steaming : 1 mT/hour
Idling : 5.5 mT/day
Port operations : 7.0 mT/day.
Vessel’s consumption is always more than CP so every noon fuel consumption to be recorded as per
Office (tanker operations) instruction. As per office CP figures have been declared less due to competitive
market .
Engine room is in UMS condition without any much of alarms during the UMS period.
Propulsion System:
Main Engine:
Make : GMT Sulzer 5RTA 62U.
Power: 15100 hp @113 rpm
Performance of the same has been found good during my tenure. Apart from planned maintenance no
necessity of major jobs occurred in my tenure. Work has been carried out to rectify fuel leak from high
pressure to one fuel injector each of unit #3 and #4 at Rastanurah anchorage.
Scavenge cleaning and inspection carried out on 17th August 2019. Condition of all units found normal.
Lube oil leak from the camshaft still persist even after the seal renewal by the engine makers as the seal’s
sealing area on the camshaft is grooved. Leaked oil is being discarded.
Cleaning of the pickup sensors is required if the VIT system gives Speed Measurement Failure alarm.
Performance of the same is satisfactory.
If any Remote control failure alarm occurs (happened while restoring after trying out emergency
maneuvering) and not resetting, the fuse inside the FAHM 200 control unit to be removed and put back.
Decarb of all units have been carried out in last dry dock. Turbo charger was not overhauled as major
repair work was carried out in Jan-2018 by the previous owner. During that repair T/C cartridge, lube oil
pump bearings were renewed. Recently on 21st Sept 2019 T/C L.O. bearing oil has been renewed for
Turbine and Blower side @ Rastanurah.
Few alarms/ parameter display is not available on the SEPA (control automation system) as 2 cards are
suspected to be faulty. Vessel has landed defective cards for repair and awaiting their connection to
rectify this issue.
Stern Tube System:
System has a retrofitted header tank (by previous owner) at a lower height (in use) than the actual yard
installed header tank. Presently vessel is losing around 180 liters of system oil in a month into the aft seal
system. The aft seal system seal (outbound) is leaking. As per latest shore analysis report of the stern tube
system oil is found in good condition.
Steering System:
Rotary vane type system by Rolls Royce performance is normal. All alarms tried out and found normal.
The pumps will not change over due to low level alarm of the oil header tank. Any of the steering motor
can be selected to run on emergency power via selector switches provided.
Power Generation System:
Auxiliary Engines:
Vessel is equipped with 3 numbers of SULZER 9 S 20- 1000KW auxiliary engines. After all the
troubles, repairs after take over all 3 AEs have gone through a complete makeover right from the base.
Crankshaft of AE #1 and #3 are new and AE#2 crankshaft has been ground by 0.1 mm. 500 hourly
inspection of AE#2 thrust bearing to done as per office instructions.
Performance of all found to be normal during my tenure except the breakdown of turbochargers
of AE#1 and AE #2. A brand new ABB supplied turbocharger is installed in AE#2 and awaiting supply
of new one for AE#1. As per office advise normally vessel does not cross 600 kW on each AE but not
limited when the demand arises. Presently vessel loaded at Rastanurah with two generators # 2 & 3
working and # 1 gen being utilized only for initial start up of cargo plant to share max. load of 200 KW as
T/C of same is damaged. Expecting a new spare T/C supply this loaded voyage.
Cylinder routines due to water leak from exhaust valve seat have happened (for one unit of AE
#2 during my tenure). Few cylinder head routines of AE #3 and inspection of AE #3 turbocharger has
been planned during this loaded voyage for troubleshooting high exhaust temperature issue – will
update.
Crankshaft of AE #1 and #3 are new and AE#2 crankshaft has been ground by 0.1 mm.
The AEs are taken on/off load manually and load increased/decreased manually for avoiding
racing of turbocharger due to sudden increase/decrease of load when this is done in Auto.
Each AE has 2 AVRs which can be selected with a selector switch provided on the MSB panel.
Recently fine tuning of No Voltage of all AEs carried out as the amperage drawn by them are found to
have too much of a difference –on receiving shore/office communication, same under observation.
AE #2 air gap between the exciter stator and rotor found to be less, being monitored regularly
and in communication with office/shore expert.
Sump oil to be renewed every 1500 hrs.
Shaft Generator:
Vessel is equipped with 1400 kW rated shaft generator. Minimum ME rpm required to take shaft
generator on load is 83 rpm on the VIT panel. Performance of the same found good.
Emergency Generator:
200 kW rated Emergency generator has two modes of starting Electric (battery) and Pneumatic
start. Engine has to be manually stopped after restoration of main power and breaker to reset manually.
Performance of the same found in good order.
Oil System
Bunkering system:
Vessel has 3 bunker tanks namely forward centre (769 m3 ), aft port ( 595 m3 )and stbd (839 m3 ) for heavy
fuel oil. Settling and service tank each of capacity 105 m3. Condition of the bunker lines is in good order.
General practice is to take bunker in Centre and Stbd tanks so as to intake maximum bunkers of 1250 mT.
Diesel tank forward port and stbd of capacity (101 m3), Aft diesel tank side (132 m3 ) and aft diesel tank
(143 m3 )are provided for LSMGO.
Lubricating oil bunker manifold is provided at the engine room skylight area.
Purification system:
Two each of HFO and MELO purifiers along 1 AELO purifier are provided. Apart from the aft HFO
purifier all are in good order. Parts like oil fan and bearing cap (found damaged on investigation after my
joining) on vertical shaft are requested and awaiting supply. Once received this purifier can be made
operational. All bearings have been renewed; shafts boxed back on this purifier and kept ready.
Practice of purifying AE sump oil done prior every 250 hours.
Fuel Oil service system:
Fuel oil service system for ME and AE are individual with ME system provided with LSMGO chiller unit.
No fine filter provided on the ME fuel oil system. The recirculation valve on the ME line has to be crack
opened to regulate the fuel pressure when ME is stopped. Same to be done on AE fuel system if all 3 AEs
are stopped (when only shaft generator in use).
Compressed Air System:
Vessel is equipped with 2 Main Air compressors and 2 Service/Control Air Compressors whose
performance found to be in order.
Main bearing and crankpin bearings of Stbd MAC has been renewed as the LO pressure found dropping.
Inter and after cooler of both MAC has been cleaned. The HP piston rings of the port MAC have been
renewed as blow past observed.
Separate emergency air compressor is not provided, the stbd MAC is supplied via ESB. The air bottle for
the emergency generator starting is filled from main air bottle.
The outlet of the control air dryers’ for engine and deck part has been made common to avoid any
emergency in case of failure of any of the one.
Cooling Water System:
All machineries are cooled by centralized low temperature fresh water which is in turn cooled by sea
water in the LT coolers. Both the cooler plates have been cleaned. The sea water inlet and outlet pipe of
the outbound LT cooler have been renewed along with the sea water outlet valve.
Both coolers’ sea water lines have been retrofitted with pipelines and valves to enable back flushing of the
sea water side plates. The high and low sea chest filters cleaned. High sea chest filter found in damaged
condition same repaired and put in use. During filter cleaning routine found shell growth to be heavy.
On consultation with the MGPS maker the current setting has been increased, after this change the
condition of filter is normal.
All the temperature controller 3 way valves are in manual mode. Manual operation (from ECR) of ME
JCW controller valve is mainly done to maintain temperature as that card in the automation system
(SEPA) is defective.
Though fresh water cooled the heat exchangers requires cleaning as the LT water has dirt as vessel
receives shore water.
Fresh Water System:
Fresh Water Generator:
Vessel is achieving a generation of 10-11 m3 with this 20 m3 capacity plate type fresh water generator. The
educator pump has been overhauled with new impeller, wear rings and seal which attains a pressure of
4.0 bar. Due to pressure drop across the condenser plates the brine educator drive pressure is only
around 2.3 bar (which should be around 3.0 bar) which leads to drop in vacuum and thereby affecting the
production. The brine educator internals chemicals cleaned inspected and found normal.
Potable Water System:
The UV sterilizer, mineralizer and hardener provided in the fresh water line prove useless due to the
layout of pipelines. Water from FWG has to pass through them to the fresh water storage tanks in which
we take shore water too. There are no separate pipelines for drinking and other accommodation water.
The Hydrophore supply pumps are in good working order. The aft pump has been overhauled with new
impellers and seals as found not building adequate pressure.
Hot Water System:
The hot water Calorifier has electrical and steam connection for heating. Performance of the same is good.
Steam System:
Auxiliary Boiler:
Oil fired auxiliary boiler operation is satisfactory in Auto without much of trouble during my tenure.
Apart from normal routines not much of major work done. The PLC battery has been renewed during my
tenure.
Exhaust Gas Boiler:
Separate water drum, feed pump for the same and circulating pumps for the EGB are provided. Circuit
has been modified enabling the feed pump for Auto operation for maintaining the water level in the
water drum. Once the SEPA cards are renewed this can be put back to normal so that the Automation
system (SEPA) will do the job.
Steam return drain from all the steam service leads to Observation tank which then passes through the
atmospheric condenser prior to hot well. No major trouble in this system apart from minor leakages
which are being attended to as required. All tanks steam heating coils are in good order.
Air Conditioning and Reefer System:
Accommodation air conditioning system has two separate compressors and both have been in operation
during my tenure due to the summer. Stbd compressor has leakage from the shaft seal which needs oil
and gas charge accordingly. Seals under requisition. Both motors have been replaced with shore
overhauled motors. The tyre coupling tends to give way. Alignment checked and adjusted.
Only one supply blower is provided and 100 percent spare for the same available.
Reefer system has two separate compressor unit. Operation of the same is in good order. The PLC found
to be defective (no output signal for the vegetable room evaporator fan). Now the connection has been
modified to keep the fan running continuously. Condition of the evaporator coils of both meat and
vegetable room is good. One spare evaporator coil is available onboard (supplied by previous owner). Oil
leak from seal is a concern.
CCR and Wheelhouse have separate split air con installed.
ECR and MSB room air con system is separate, consisting of two separate compressor system.
Marpol Equipments:
Equipments like Oily Water separator, Incinerator, Sewage discharge pump are in good working order.
Vessel is equipped with vacuum toilet system and has a storage tank. Contents of this storage tank are
pumped out when vessel is clear in open sea (no sewage treatment plant onboard) and same recorded.
Pumps:
Main sea water pump casing internals is not in good condition and the pressure of the same has dropped
but not a concern for now as the LT water temperature are well within limits. Requisition is pending for
the casing. Sea water from Ballast pump or Cargo cooling sea water pump can also be supplied to the LT
cooler as an alternative to main sea water pump.
IGG cooling sea water pump is not able to develop required pressure and same needs overhauling.
Awaiting spares for the same. Cargo cool sea water pump is being used for the requirement.
HFO transfer pump leaks from the seal. Seal is expected to be supplied for overhauling the pump.
The performance of all the other pumps is in good order.
Emergency fire pump is located forward and same develops sufficient pressure as per requirement.
Inert Gas Generator:
Performance of the plant is satisfactory. Cooling sea water leak is being observed from the burner side
end cover which creates problem for the flame sensor to sense the flame. Presently the flame relay is
manually bypassed on visualizing the pilot flame and making it normal after the main flame stabilizes.
Plan to work on this issue during this loaded passage –will update.
Nitrogen Generator:
This system is provided for vent mast fire fighting. Checked once and found operating satisfactorily.
Deck Machineries:
All the deck machineries including the mooring system is in good working order and no trouble
experienced during my tenure.
Cargo Equipments:
Cargo Compressor:
Performance of all the three compressors found to be in good order. Presently one of the two 2 nd stage
controlled suction valve of the centre compressor is made to be like normal suction valve because the
unloading mechanism parts of the same found damaged. Requisition has been raised for the same.
Regular cleaning of the condenser tubes’ sea water side is required to achieve smooth loading especially
during summer when the sea water temperature is on the higher side.
Cargo Pumps:
The performance of all the pumps is in good order. The spider of 1S cargo pump found damaged after
discharge operation same renewed and all the other pumps’ spider coupling inspected and found in good
condition. Performance of both the booster pump is in good order.
Cargo Heaters:
Sea water tubes port side heater which was initially used for propane tends to leak more frequently
almost after every operation. Presently around 25 tubes are plugged and the cargo line up changed so as
to use this for butane if required. Stbd side heater was newly installed after take over and that is being
used for propane heated discharge.
Cargo tank:
Vessel has 4 tanks with P-B-P-B. The magnet, counter weight and the perforated tape of the 1S level
gauge has been renewed. Same job on 4P will be done prior your joining –will update.
I hope the above has given you a fair idea of various machineries onboard. Will discuss in detail along
with paperwork requirement when your good self join us.
With regards
Sudhakar.P
