ArticlePDF Available

Abstract and Figures

The paper characterizes an engine room as a place of a fire’s origin and its spread. It presents potential sources of fire and fire protection onboard. Examples of international rules and regulations are described as well. It also gives the statistics and some scenarios for fires and some recommendations for machine spaces. It presents problems of engine room fire safety, understood as a result of the analysis of different criteria. The engine room was chosen for analysis because many factors whose presence result in a fire could be found there in the way of combustible materials: fuel oil, lubrication oil, hydraulic oil and thermal oil consumed by the main engine, generator engine, boiler, thermal oil heater and hydraulic oil equipment, paints, solvents etc. Sources of potential fires are mainly the hot surfaces of exhaust gas pipes, turbochargers, boilers and waste oil incinerators, ignitions, sparks, static electricity etc. In addition, many engine room fires have an electrical source, such as electrical short-circuits and thermal overheating in the switchboards. Approximately 70% of fires in the engine room have typical scenarios: the outflow of combustible liquid and contact with a hot surface and can reach temperatures between 700–1000°C. They spread rapidly, their power and dynamism depending on the intensity of the outflow of the combustible liquid and its properties, but also the local conditions and the geometry of engine room as well. Fire safety in engine rooms is determined both by good design and the company’s and crew’s focus on fire prevention. Some of the recommendations are high standards of cleanliness in the engine room, regular checks of materials used for insulating high temperature surfaces, attention to fire risks when repairs and maintenance works are carried out and many other factors.
Content may be subject to copyright.
Scienc Journals Zeszyty Naukowe
of the Marime University of Szczecin Akademii Morskiej w Szczecinie
Zeszyty Naukowe Akademii Morskiej w Szczecinie 47 (119) 29
2016, 47 (119), 29–35
ISSN 1733-8670 (Printed) Received: 29.04.2016
ISSN 2392-0378 (Online) Accepted: 08.08.2016
DOI: 10.17402/145 Published: 20.09.2016
Engine room re safety
Agata Krystosik-Gromadzińska
West Pomeranian University of Technology, Faculty of Maritime Technology and Transport
Department of Safety and Engineering
41 Piastów Ave., 71-065 Szczecin, Poland, e-mail: agata.krystosik@zut.edu.pl
Key words:
Abstract






      -

    

      

      

       



Introduction
      
       -
       -

      
  


  

      


       
     




       
   -
    
     

         

  -
        
  

Agata Krystosik-Gromadzińska
30 Scienc Journals of the Marime University of Szczecin 47 (119)
Fire statistics

  

-
       
      


      
 

         
-
       
-
-


-

      
   
  -

-

 

    
     







Flammable materials and sources
of ignition in engine rooms


  -
        
       -
       -
      


-

        -


-

      

   
      


        
      

       


-
        



       
    




  

Oil
leakage
-hot
surface;
56%
Compo-
nent
failure;
14%
Boiler
incidents;
14%
Electrical;
9%
Hot work;
7%
Figure 1. Engine room re (DASPOS, 2016)
Figure 2. Causes of re (based on: DNV, 2000)
Engine room re safety
Zeszyty Naukowe Akademii Morskiej w Szczecinie 47 (119) 31
      



    

     
   


        
       

       -
       
  
    

      

    






-

        

-
       -
       
 
    
-
        
        
       









 

 



 










 





 


















Figure 3. The sources of re in engine room (NKK, 1994)
Agata Krystosik-Gromadzińska
32 Scienc Journals of the Marime University of Szczecin 47 (119)
     



-
  
   -
  


      
        
      

         
  -

       -

       
-
     

     
    

Fire protection methods

       
      
   
         
     
       
        
    

      

       

      
-


       

     -


   


     



      -
    

-

      

     -
        


     

     -
       

  


      -

  -
    
      



     
       

       
-

-
       
   

    
          

    
        
         
-

      

Engine room re safety
Zeszyty Naukowe Akademii Morskiej w Szczecinie 47 (119) 33

       


    
  
     
     

-
       
       

-
-
       

     

Typical scenarios- examples

       

First Scenario
   
  
    

-
       -
       



     
    -


          

Second Scenario
-
      
 

-
     

  
       

  -

      


Some recommendations for engine room
re safety

     -
  
      
-




        -
      
       


-

     

    

     -
    


      

 
       
        
-


        
     



  -
    -
       
Agata Krystosik-Gromadzińska
34 Scienc Journals of the Marime University of Szczecin 47 (119)




Conclusions


      

   -
   -
  
        

    
     
-



  


      
-



         
-
    
     


References
 
  Jour-
nal of Kones
     

     


     





-

      -

    -
    Sci-
entic Journals Maritime University of Szczecin  

  Training Pakage TDM01-

 -

Fire safety of engine room
Good design, materials and
technology of production
Authorities and classification
societies controls
Measures on board
Procedures to ensure the compliance with the provisions of the
relevant rules and regulations
Crew properly trained
Crew equipped with adequate resources/tools to perform task in
accordance with the required standards
High standards of cleanness in engine room
Any leakages in fuel, hydraulic, or other
flammable oil systems must be dealt with
promptly
Regular checks the position and condition
of spray shields for both high and low
pressure flammable oil lines and
the drainage arrangements for jacketed
fuel oil pipes
Regular checks of materials used for insulating high temperature
surfaces (visually and using temperature measuring tools)
Attention to fire risks when repairs and
maintenance are carried out.
Creation by training and experience transfer between crew
a common understanding of all hazards present in an engine
room and their potential consequences
Figure 4. Fire safety in the engine room – some recommendations (based on: Gard, 2016)
Engine room re safety
Zeszyty Naukowe Akademii Morskiej w Szczecinie 47 (119) 35
     -


     
-
-
  


-

        
   Archivum Combustionis  

  Engine room re-

       
  -

      



      
  


  -

   -



... They also commonly supply marine generator sets [4][5][6]. Fire and explosions represent threats to ships and offshore facilities during their operation [7][8][9]. The most dangerous are explosions in the crankcases of internal combustion engines [10][11][12]. ...
... Therefore, the article supplements other publications by presenting the results of previous research on multi-aspect assessment of the contamination impact of circulating lubricating oil with distillate fuel and the impact of this contamination on the crankcase explosion risk in a marine engine. In addition to previous analyses of the rheological, ignition, and anti-wear properties of lubricating oils, this article presents the effect of lubricating oil dilution by diesel oil on the morphological characteristics of oil mist droplets produced by the mixtures (study of structure and/or form of droplets [8][9][10]). ...
Article
Full-text available
This article presents research results on mechanically generated oil mists. The research was carried out for oil mixtures for the Agip/Eni Cladium 120 SAE 40 API CF industrial and marine engines diluted with diesel oil Orlen Efecta Diesel Bio at diesel oil concentrations of 2%, 5%, 10%, 20%, and 50% m/m. Pure lubricating oil and pure diesel oil were also tested. Droplet size distributions were determined for the reference moment at which residual discrepancies R between the measurement data and the sprayed pure diesel oil calculation model obtained the lowest value. For mechanically generated oil mists, the light transmission coefficient through the oil mist T, the specific surface area of the oil mist SSA, and the volumetric share of drops DV(V%) for 10%, 50%, and 90% of the total volume of the generated oil mist were determined. The span of the volumetric distributions of droplet sizes SPAN, Sauter mean diameter D[3,2], De Brouckere mean diameter D[4,3], the volumetric and mass percentage of droplets with diameters ≤5 µm (diameters necessary for a crank-case explosion), the minimum difference between the measurement results, and the calculation model used by the residual error measuring device were determined. The best fit in each measurement cycle (the smallest R value was analyzed. For specific indicators, correlations with diesel oil levels in the mixture were determined using the Pearson rXY linear correlation coefficient. Those results confirmed an increase in smaller-diameter droplets, an increase in the number of droplets with diameters up to 5 µm, and an increase in the span of the oil mist droplet diameter distribution with additional diesel oil. This confirmed a relationship between an increased lubricating oil dilution and an increased explosion risk in the crankcase.
... Contaminants cause an increase in the intensity of the corrosive and abrasive wear, and incorrect self-ignition properties result in chronic combustion or no combustion in the cylinders [1][2][3]. Accumulated excess fuel can damage, seize and disable the air intake and exhaust outlet valves and cause fires in the scavenging air receiver and exhaust manifold [3][4][5]. The occurrence of these factors may, in turn, result in explosions in the crankcase [6][7][8], turbocharger explosions [9][10][11] and fires in the marine power plant [12][13][14]. ...
Article
Full-text available
This article presents the effects of a severe failure of three four-stroke auxiliary engines in a container ship’s power plant. The failure included jammed cylinder valves, fuel equipment damage, a fire in one of the engines and an explosion of its turbocharger. An analysis of fuel as a factor that constitutes the source and common cause of failure of each engine is made. Laboratory analysis of the fuel is performed. Auxiliary indicators describing the fuel properties are determined, including the calculated carbon aromaticity index (CCAI) and the calculated ignition index (CII). Laboratory analysis of the fuel ignition properties, including the determination of the equivalent cetane number (FIA CN and ECN) and the delay of self-ignition in test conditions (ID). The possible causes of non-compliance with quality standards by the fuel used to power the damaged engines before and during the failure are consulted. Recommendations that may improve safety are presented.
... Some of the hazards [1] that occur during the operation of marine engines are fires [2] and explosions [3]. Among the engine components exposed to these phenomena are turbochargers [4], whose failures are particularly dangerous to the engine and the immediate environment [5], as they can result in fires in the ship's engine room [6], as well as injury to crew members [7] and damage to machinery [8]. ...
Article
Full-text available
The scientific aim of this paper is to analyse the topicality of the turbocharger explosions and to attempt to answer the question of whether some technical characteristics of the engine can be perceived as directly connected with the risk of the turbocharger explosion. Moreover, our objective was also to calculate the turbocharger explosion probability. This article presents the results of a quantitative and qualitative analysis of 42 explosions of marine main engine turbochargers occurring between 1977 and 2022. The number of explosions was analysed, and the average and instantaneous frequencies of turbocharger explosions each year were determined. An analysis was performed of the number of explosions with respect to the age and type of ship on which the accident occurred. An analysis of the contribution of different types of main engine to the studied population of explosions was also carried out. Criteria such as the number of strokes, engine speed, type of crank-piston mechanism, cylinder arrangement, engine power per cylinder, and number of cylinders were considered. An analysis was carried out of the disasters that had occurred, considering the contribution of the various engine manufacturers. An integrated distribution of the number of turbocharger explosions by year was presented, considering the engine speed, the maximum continuous rating of the engine, and the engine design. The analysis did not indicate a significant correlation between the type of ship and the number of explosions that occurred. More than half of the analysed population of explosions (median) occurred on vessels no older than 15 years. It is highly likely that engine type does not directly affect the number of turbocharger explosions and the risk of explosions. On the other hand, it is not possible to exclude the influence of the individual characteristics of an engine built to a particular manufacturer's design on the magnitude of the risk of a turbocharger exploding during engine operation. Considering the number of ships worldwide, the probability of an explosion in a given year on a given ship is not less than 1.61 × 10 −7 .
... Ship engine rooms have high explosion and fire risks because they contain all three of the factors necessary to initiate combustion: combustible materials (fuels, lubricating oils, oil waste), oxygen sources (ventilation systems, starting air systems, engine charging systems), and heat sources (exhaust gas discharge manifolds, potential exhaust gas purges to underpiston spaces, friction processes) (Bistrović et al., 2017;Cieślak et al., 2000;Gawdzińska et al., 2015;Krystosik-Gromadzińska, 2016Ubowska and Szczepanek, 2016). A fire is an uncontrolled, spontaneous combustion of materials (Gawdzińska et al., 2017), whereas an explosion is a rapid release of large amounts of energy, which is usually accompanied by a rapid increase in temperature and pressure, radiation emission (e.g., lightning, sparks), and acoustic waves (e.g., sound, bang). ...
... With respect to fire, the project consortium aimed to derive, implement and, most importantly, monitor safety barriers that prevent and/or mitigate fire hazards. The project focused solely on fire originating at the engine room of large passenger ships due to their phenomenal loss (societal, environment, asset) potential (Krystosik-Gromadzińska, 2016;Charchalis and Czyż, 2011). Through workshops, fire hazards in engine rooms were investigated and ranked towards their risk potential. ...
... Ship engine rooms have high explosion and fire risks because they contain all three of the factors necessary to initiate combustion: combustible materials (fuels, lubricating oils, oil waste), oxygen sources (ventilation systems, starting air systems, engine charging systems), and heat sources (exhaust gas discharge manifolds, potential exhaust gas purges to underpiston spaces, friction processes) (Bistrović et al., 2017;Cieślak et al., 2000;Gawdzińska et al., 2015;Krystosik-Gromadzińska, 2016Ubowska and Szczepanek, 2016). A fire is an uncontrolled, spontaneous combustion of materials (Gawdzińska et al., 2017), whereas an explosion is a rapid release of large amounts of energy, which is usually accompanied by a rapid increase in temperature and pressure, radiation emission (e.g., lightning, sparks), and acoustic waves (e.g., sound, bang). ...
Article
Full-text available
This article presents topics concerning fire hazards during the use of low-speed diesel engines in marine vehicles. The causes and effects of fires in the spaces of scavenge air receivers in marine diesel engines are presented. Methods to prevent and fight these fires are shown, including the operating procedures required from ship engine room operators. The possibility of training personnel to apply the abovemen-tioned procedures during operation using simulations of a Kongsberg MC-90 IVship engine room is presented. Simulations were conducted which included a fire in a scavenge air receiver occurring during the operation of a MAN B&W 5L90MC main engine,with loads corresponding to 50% and 100% of the machine's recommended setting.
... On-board ships, and especially in the engine room, there are always various flammable types of waste, which produce large amounts of toxic gases and consume large quantities of oxygen during burning. More than 50% of all engine room fires (excluding yard repairs) were caused by the combination of oil leakage and a hot surface ( Krystosik-Gromadzińska, 2016). On the basis of smoke and flame characteristics ( Toreyin, Dedeoglu & Cetin, 2006;Chen et al., 2012), by studying various classical concepts of smoke and flame detection algorithms and the distribution of output signals, a fire alarm system which combines the classical algorithm concept, upgraded with a video system using the ship's already installed CCTV system is proposed. ...
Article
Full-text available
Although various methods of using new techniques and technologies in ship fire alarm systems have been developed to date, some of which have made significant improvements in the functioning of such systems, in practice there is still plenty of room for further research regarding the operational efficiency of ship fire alarm systems and its impact on crew, passenger and overall ship safety. The application of electronic and computer technologies enables the development of intelligent solutions to improve the efficiency of ship fire alarm systems. Besides the economic justification, this paper presents a comparative analysis of classical and modern approaches based on video detection and computer vision in the detection of early phase smoke as a precursor to fire incidents. The economic justification of the new approach is concerned with decreasing the costs incurred by the untimely detection of the early stages of fire in ship engine rooms.
Article
Full-text available
The paper describes problems of fire protection on a ship. The main idea is a presentation of alternative design method of fire protection on the ship- dislocation of objects. Some examples are described. The algorithm for quantity verification of dislocation, and some calculations are presented too. The ship is a very specific object and it may be hard to detect similarities with any land one. It’s safety is a very complex problem connected with navigation, fire safety, proper work of mechanisms, human behavior and many other factors. Multiple factors whose presence could result in a fire are easily found aboard ships, such as combustible materials: fuels, oils, combustible cargoes, paints, solvents etc. Sources of potential fires are hot surfaces, ignitions, sparks, static electricity etc. Furthermore fire fighting conditions are very different from on land ones. Fires at sea are potentially the most hazardous and costly in terms of human life. The fire protection of the ship is connected with active and passive methods. First include fire extinguishing appliances and media, for crew use. Passive methods are connected with the construction itself of the ship. They determine the restricted use of combustible materials, separation of spaces with fire resisting bulkheads and decks, protection of evacuation roads and division of the ship into main vertical zones. Additionally crew should be adequately trained and passengers appropriately briefed; they should act according to proper procedures in case of fire (the so-called human factor). This paper mainly focuses on passive methods of fire protection. The main idea of it is a presentation of dislocation of risk objects as an alternative method of fire protection, which aim is to stop fire spread between risk objects like an engine room and accommodation spaces but also other ones. The dislocation can apply with a significant benefit to almost all types of ships. The algorithm, helpful in analysis of risk objects interplay during fire spread and indication of the safety distance between them, is described in this paper too. The algorithm describes dependencies between the place of fire origin, time of spread between risk objects, material used to produce object e.g. bulkhead and the distance between them. The algorithm is based on five steps: identification of fire source, description of fire parameters, description of heat transfer, characteristic of risk object and identification of safety distance between objects due to the different criterions. The idea of this solution is presented on the example of simplified configuration (dislocation) of two bulkheads in a situation of fire occurrence. The possibilities of use of this solution could be described by algorithm of fire spread, which finds optimal distance between objects, comply influence of fire parameters, heat transfer parameters but also the thickness of insulation which prescribe costs. The algorithm could be helpful tool in decision making process of location of risk objects as an engine room casing/ superstructure, superstructure/ lifeboat, window of superstructure/ lifeboat, etc. It could be used also as a help to design engine room equipment, location of helicopter landing fields on ships and platforms and many others.
Article
This paper presents the results of research on fire hazard coordinated by the Fire Safety Subcommittee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). On the basis of statistical data, it identifies the main sources and frequency of fires in engine rooms. It also presents calculations of frequency of fires caused by self-ignition of flammable liquids in fuel oil and diesel oil systems, which constitute 60% of the overall hazard. In the theoretical analysis (frequency calculation), changes in construction protection of systems as well as changes in safety equipment of adequate rooms, have been taken into consideration. Fire hazard identification has been conducted on the basis of statistical data of 73 fires of merchant vessels engine rooms out of the overall number of 6,000 vessels in the 13-year-long period of use. As the final result of the research, fire prevention requirements for engine rooms and pumping stations have been developed. The requirements include, in particular: construction elements of systems preventing leakages with self-ignition, protection of ignition sources ('hot spots'), and ensuring safe engine room atmosphere. The results of the experiment have confirmed the possibility of conducting fire hazard quantitative assessment (estimation), the reliability of which is limited because of the nature of the model. As far as quality is concerned, results of risk sensitivity analysis confirm the effects expected when using safety requirements applied creatively.
Nippon Kaiji Kokai. Engine room fire. Guidance to fire prevention
NKK (1994) Nippon Kaiji Kokai. Engine room fire. Guidance to fire prevention, Japan.
Online] Available from: www.gard.no [Accessed
  • Gard
Gard (2016) [Online] Available from: www.gard.no [Accessed: April 6, 2016]
Available from : http://www.dnv.pl/ industry/maritime/servicessolutions/cmc/marine_systems
DNV (2016b) [Online] Available from : http://www.dnv.pl/ industry/maritime/servicessolutions/cmc/marine_systems/ firesafety/engine_room_fire/ [Accessed: April 6, 2016]
Annual overview of marine casualties and incidents 2014
EMSA (2014) Annual overview of marine casualties and incidents 2014. European Maritime Safety Agency.
Międzynarodowa Organizacja Morska. Międzynarodowa konwencja o bezpieczeństwie życia na morzu
  • Imo
IMO (2015) Międzynarodowa Organizacja Morska. Międzynarodowa konwencja o bezpieczeństwie życia na morzu. Tekst jednolity polski.
Comprehensive review to SOLAS chapter II-2, Result of the research on applicability of Formal Safety Assessment to comprehensive review to SOLAS chapter
  • Imo
IMO (2016) Comprehensive review to SOLAS chapter II-2, Result of the research on applicability of Formal Safety Assessment to comprehensive review to SOLAS chapter II-2.
Training Pakage TDM01. [Online] Available from: http://www.splashmaritime.com
  • R Hope
Hope, R. (2016) Training Pakage TDM01. [Online] Available from: http://www.splashmaritime.com.au/Marops/data/ rescue/Rescexer/Workshop/Ccex/Fireaboard7.pdf [Accessed: April 18, 2016]
Drogi ewakuacji z pomieszczeń maszynowych -liczba wyjść
  • R Getka
Getka, R. (2011) Drogi ewakuacji z pomieszczeń maszynowych -liczba wyjść, konstrukcja i rozmieszczenie. Scientific Journals Maritime University of Szczecin 28 (100) z. 1. pp. 19-26.