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ME354

Diesel Generator System Oil Consumption Increase

Technical committee

Ship type Bulker

Date of build January 1997
Navigation route Tramper, Japan - North America
Trouble machinery
Category Generator engine
Name System oil
Type Yanmar M200L-UN
Maker Yanmar Diesel Engine Co., Ltd.
Date of trouble From around July 1997

1. Outline of breakdown
Since delivery of the ship, LO consumption by the generator gradually increased and eventually reached 35
liters/day in about 5000 hours of engine working hours.
Thus during voyage, the pistons were pulled out to investigate the cause of this problem. However, it fell
short of determining a specific factor that was causing an increase in LO consumption.
It also turned out that, some of the generators of the same type on other 10 ships that were completed at
about the same period were also experiencing an increase in LO consumption like this ship.

2. Cause
Weighing heavily on the fact that increased LO consumption was occurring on some of the ships
equipped with engines of the same unit that were manufactured at about the same period, the maker
launched an investigation of the actual cause, jointly with our engineering personnel and ship crew.
Overhaul investigation of the condition of pistons, liners, and piston rings of each ship led them to
believe that insufficient processing of the No. 1 piston ring cut end was probably the primary factor.
The following is what the team presumes how insufficient processing of the No. 1 piston ring cut end
would induce an increase in LO consumption (See Fig. 1 - Mechanism behind LO Consumption
Increase).
1) If the fine processing of the gas-tight cut end of the No.1 piston ring is insufficient, when cut end
clearance narrows due to thermal expansion, the cut end incurs interference (contact), causing the
ring cut end to dislocate in the radial and vertical direction.
2) As a result of (1), the No.1 piston ring gas sealing performance degrades.
3) Over the course of thermal expansion of the piston, ring flutter occurs to the No. 1 piston ring,
allowing LO to flow along the back of ring into the combustion chamber, and this explains why LO
consumption increased.
4) Furthermore, flow of combustion gas into the second ring land increases. As a result, ring
temperature increases degrading lubrication of the No. 1 piston ring sliding surface, again
inducing increase of LO consumption.
5) Moreover, the blow-by combustion gas induces sticking of the piston ring. This not only spurs the
increase of LO consumption, but also produces a very risky condition.
6) Furthermore, LO that flows into the combustion chamber is subjected to high-temperature
combustion gas to form lacquer in the liner surface or hard carbon deposit on the piston top land,
accelerating LO consumption even more.

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3. Repair
During voyage, the crew performed piston pull-out to replace the No.1 piston ring having a insufficient cut
end with a ring having a gas-tight cut end modified by the maker.
After the replacement, LO consumption returned to a level equivalent to that of the day of completion, i.e.,
about 4 liters/day, and has remained thus to this date.
Considering the nature of the problem, it will be necessary to keep monitoring the change in LO
consumption toward the future until the day of complete solution.

Fig. 1 Mechanism Behind LO Consumption Increase

Fig. 2 Shape of No.1 Piston Ring Cut End

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The Marine Engineer Nov.1998
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No.1 Cyl.

No.2 cl
#2
3 ring stick

No.3 Cyl.

Photo : No.2 Diesel Engine Piston Ring Condition

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The Marine Engineer Nov.1998