OPERATING

INSTRUCTION

Service, Wärtsilä Finland Oy

Section Engine type Ref. Date Issue Document No. Page
15 Turbocharger 46 AB/S 21.9.2004 03 4615Q002 1(3)

Turbine side water washing of the turbochargers

Turbocharger system performance in Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) applications is
adversely affected by ineffective cleaning of the turbocharger nozzle and
turbine (blades). These are prone to heavy fouling and consequential loss of
efficiency in HFO environment. Deposits, which are built up unevenly, will
effect the dynamic balance of the rotor assembly. Thus keeping the turbines
clean enough is a prerequisite for the successful operation of medium speed
diesel engines.

It is additionally to be mentioned, that the high utilization rate of the present

generation turbochargers means small fouling margins, anyway smaller than
earlier. Another remark to be made is the fact, that the HFO-properties are in
general slowly, but steadily deteriorating. This means that e.g. the contents
of sulphur, ash and asphaltenes are increasing. These all contribute to the
depositing of exhaust systems.

The purpose of this Service bulletin document is to make the owners and
operators of (especially the older) Wärtsilä 46-type diesel engines more
aware of the updates introduced both in the cleaning equipment and in the
procedures of the turbine side washing.

Flow controlled washing

The principle difference compared to the old pressure controlled way
combined with a certain time is to control the water volume, which is done
with a flow meter.

Fig. 1 Turbine washing equipment with volume meter (an example)

Distribution: Owners and operators concerned. Wärtsilä organization.

Validity: Until further notice.

Wärtsilä Finland Oy P.O. Box 252 (Tarhaajantie 2) Telecop. +358 10 709 7355 Tel. +358 6 3270 Registered in Finland No. 465.942
Service, Vaasa FIN-65101 Vaasa, Finland Telecop. +358 6 356 7339 Registered Office: Vaasa
Wärtsilä Finland Oy P.O. Box 50 (Stålarminkatu 45) Telecop. +358 10 709 3279 Tel. +358 10 709 0000
Service, Turku FIN-20811 Turku, Finland Telecop. +358 2 264 3410
Service, Wärtsilä Finland Oy Operating instruction
Issue Document No. Page
03 4615Q002 2(3)

Turbine cleaning procedure

1. Take a record of performance parameters. Turbocharger speed(s), exhaust

gas temperatures (after cylinders / before turbine) and charge air pressure
are essential.

2. Allow temperatures to stabilize after reducing the engine load to about 25%.
At least 10 minutes, preferably 15, should be allowed for the material
temperatures to stabilize after reducing the engine load. The turbine inlet
temperature should not be allowed to exceed 430°C before washing. In
installations, where no turbine inlet temperature indication exist, the
temperatures after exhaust valves are to be followed, i.e. the maximum
average figure (of all valves) should not exceed 330°C.

3. Open the valve in the supply pipe shortly and check that the line is not
clogged. Connect water hose.

4. Open the water drain valve. This is used to prevent the build up of water in
the turbine outlet casing. Normally some water is emerging from the drain
during washing or at least some exhaust gases. If not, then check that the
drain pipe is not blocked with deposits.

5. Prior to starting to inject water, please check, in addition to the exhaust

temperatures at the turbine inlet, that the engine is having a boost pressure
of minimum 0,5 bar.

6. Inject water with a pressure of 4 to 6 bar, however not longer than 10

minutes (=effective washing time).
The recommended flow rates acc. to the turbocharger make and type are:
VTR 354 25 … 30 l/min.
VTR 454, NA 457 40 … 45 l/min.
VTR 564, NA 557 60 … 70 l/min.

7. Allow temperatures to re-establish before injecting again. This normally

takes about 10 minutes.

8. Repeat the steps 6 and 7 maximum twice per day or till clear water, if any, is
seen to issue from the drain.

9. The drain should be kept under constant observation during the process.
Check that no water emerges from the drain before closing the water drain
valve.

10. On completion of the washing operation, disconnect the water supply to

prevent the possibility of any unscheduled leakage.

11. Run the engine for at least 15 minutes before returning it back to higher
load.

12. Take a record of performance parameters for comparison with the record
before washing.
Service, Wärtsilä Finland Oy Operating instruction
Issue Document No. Page
03 4615Q002 3(3)
Additional regulations

A. An important factor for the effectiveness of washing is the engine load, i.e.
water needs to be injected at the highest safe load as described earlier. The
result is a combination of droplets removing deposits by both scouring and
dissolving actions and of thermal shock.

B. During the cleaning the boost pressure should not fall below 0.2 bar. This
ensures that the seal on the turbine end receives sealing air.

C. Turbine is braked during cleaning and consequently rotor speeds fall by

about 10%. The engine receives less air and the exhaust gas temperatures
rise. The max. temperatures after cylinders of 500°C must not be exceeded
under any circumstances.

D. The engine must be run for at least 15 minutes at a moderate load after
turbine washing. This ensures the drying of the internal casing surfaces to
avoid premature corrosive attack.

E. Due to the earlier mentioned limitations it may not be possible to wash both
turbines on a V-configuration engine simultaneously.

F. The frequency of cleaning is determined through a combination of the

loading, the quality of the fuel and the effectiveness of cleaning. This should
be determined by the operator, once every 200 running hours being a good
starting point. It is to be done more frequently, e.g. every 100 running hours,
if the exhaust gas temperatures start to rise.

G. The water supplied for washing must contain no additives, as these can
cause damage to components. On no account is salt water to be used.

Recommendation for water quality:

Conductivity: max. 100 mS/m = 1000 µS/cm
Suspended solids: max. 20 mg/l
Total hardness: 28 dH = 500 mg/l as CaCO3
Chlorides: max. 100 mg/l
Silica: max. 50 mg/l

NOTE 1: Please be aware that if leaks in the washing piping exist, the efficiency of
washing is very much reduced.

NOTE 2: By keeping the turbochargers clean savings in the fuel consumption by several
per cents may be expected.
At the same time the thermal load of the engine is not unnecessarily increased.

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