TECHNICAL

BULLETIN

Wärtsilä 2-stroke RT-161

Technical Services Issue 2, 21 September 2015

Cylinder Lubrication
Next opportunity

Information to all Owners and Operators of Affected products

Wärtsilä 2-stroke engines. All Wärtsilä 2-stroke engines.
Current situation
Keeping piston-running parts in a more
optimum condition for reliable engine
operation requires closer attention to
cylinder lubrication feed rate settings as
well as a more active approach to
monitoring and adjustment according to
actual operating conditions.
Preventive action
To ensure the best performance and
operation of Wärtsilä 2-stroke engines, it is
important to read the information and
follow the guidelines about cylinder
lubrication stated in this Technical Bulletin.
Validity / Issue
This Technical Bulletin remains valid from
the date of issue until further notice.
Note
This Technical Bulletin (issue 2)
supersedes the previous version
(Technical Bulletin RT 161 issue 1, dated
28th March 2014). Reasons:
• A new procedure for setting the
cylinder lubricating oil feed rate that is
based on measured value of residual
BN and iron has been added to the
content.
• A new selection procedure to help
choose the most suitable cylinder
lubricating oil has been included.
• A new permitted “Minimum
Continuous Cylinder Lubrication Feed
Rate” has been defined.

Wärtsilä Switzerland Ltd. Tel (24h): +41 52 262 80 10

PO Box 414
CH-8401 Winterthur [email protected]
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RT-161, Issue 2, Page 2 / 19

Contents
Page
1 Introduction 2
2 Base feed rate lubrication, engine load dependent 3
3 Effective feed rate 3
4 Selection of the cylinder lubricating oil 4
5 Residual BN and iron dependent lubrication 5
6 Running-in of newly fitted cylinder liners / piston rings 12
7 PUS drain oil sampling and analysis 14
8 Cylinder lubrication: Blending on Board (BoB) 16
9 Appendix 17
10 Limitation 18
11 Contacts 19

1 Introduction
This Technical Bulletin RT-161, Issue 2, provides information and guidance concerning
the cylinder lubrication of Wärtsilä 2-stroke engines.

NOTE:
• The new Technical Bulletin RT-161 provides information about residual BN and iron
dependent cylinder lubrication.
• This Technical Bulletin RT-161, Issue 2, supersedes Technical Bulletin RT-161,
Issue 1 dated 28 March 2014.
Reasons:
• A new residual BN and iron dependent lubrication has been added, allowing all
operators to adapt the lubrication to the engine profile.
• A new residual BN and iron screening process has been added
• A new supporting tool, “Piston underside drain oil analysis” has been developed
(appendix 2)
• A new permitted “Minimum Continuous Cylinder Lubrication Feed Rate” has been
defined.
• For more information about the latest validated lubricating oils – cylinder and system
oils – and recommendations about the application areas of the lubricants including
sample analysis, see the Data & Specifications bulletin RT-138 entitled “Lubricating
oils”.

The piston running behaviour of 2-stroke engines is exhibiting an ever growing

complexity. The key factors are the changes of operation patterns (e.g. slow steaming).
New tuning options including fuel saving retrofit packages have to be considered as
well. On the other hand, the very wide range of cylinder lubricant specifications, the use
of various fuels due to complex environmental regulations and the corresponding
solutions constitute external factors that may significantly influence the piston running
behaviour of the engine.
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RT-161, Issue 2, Page 3 / 19

This Technical Bulletin supports operators to adjust lube oil feed rates in an optimal
way to:

• Ensure the optimal and fit for purpose supply of lubricant to the piston ring – cylinder
liner system to lubricate and protect components from corrosion (see Figure 1).
• Ensure the reliable operation of piston running components.
• Ensure the achievement and/or the extension of the time between overhauls of the
piston running components.

Investigations have shown, that engines of the same design may experience very
different piston running behaviours. Operation pattern, engine load, fuel, the cylinder
lubricant applied or the specific engine tuning are possible influencing factors.

As a consequence the wear behaviour in general and the corrosion resistance

behaviour in particular may vary widely depending on the engine which is considered.

This bulletin describes the procedures that should always be applied to optimally tune
the lube oil system.

The first priority is to monitor the actual piston running behaviour by following these
recommendations:

• Regular analysis of the piston underside drain oil in regards to residual BN, Fe
content and Cr content (see Figure 5).
• Regular visual piston underside inspections.
• The fuel should be analysed by a laboratory to stablish its quality and sulphur
content before using it, in order to choose the correct cylinder oil.

2 Base feed rate lubrication, engine load dependent

The cylinder lubrication has various functions:

• Build an optimal oil film between the cylinder liner and the piston rings.
• Neutralize the sulphuric acid formed during combustion.
• Keep the piston, piston rings and cylinder liner free of deposits with the detergent
and dispersant properties of the cylinder lubricating oil.

The fulfilment of these functions require a load dependent correction of the adjusted
base feed rate.

3 Effective feed rate

The cylinder oil feed rate set in the control system is the specific feed rate in g/kWh at
100% CMCR. At part load, a correction factor is applied in order to ensure sufficient
quantity of oil at lower loads. The effective specific feed rate at part load is therefore
higher than the set feed rate.
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RT-161, Issue 2, Page 4 / 19

4 Selection of the cylinder lubricating oil

The proper BN selection of the cylinder lubrication oil should be driven by the results
from piston underside drain oil analysis or the fuel sulphur content. As general
guidance for suitable combinations Figure 1 provides both, BN selection for the
optimization process and recommendations in case piston underside drain oil
monitoring is not executed.

Wärtsilä recommends to bunker the highest possible BN cylinder oil selectable

according to Figure 1 (e.g. if a vessel bunkers fuel oil which is generally between
1.5% ≤ Sulphur ≤ 3.5% it is recommended to use a BN 100 cylinder lubricating oil).

4.1

2 5

1. 0.1% < Sulphur < 0.5% m/m: On board piston underside drain oil monitoring must be
strictly followed, residual BN must not be lower than BN10, iron (Fe) must be measured as
well and should be below 500 mg/kg. Additionally, piston and piston ring condition must be
inspected through scavenge ports in regular intervals. The cylinder lubrication oil feed rate
may be increased above 1.2 g/kWh if required.
2. 0.1% ≤ Sulphur < 0.5% Operation only permitted if strictly followed on board piston
underside drain oil monitoring and regular inspections of piston rings and liners guarantee
operation in safe area according to Figure 5.
3. 0.5% ≤ Sulphur < 1.0% m/m: Operation only permitted if strictly followed on board piston
underside drain oil monitoring and regular inspections of piston rings and liners guarantee
operation in safe area according to Figure 5.
4. 1.5% ≤ Sulphur < 2.0% m/m: Operation only permitted if strictly followed on board piston
underside drain oil monitoring and regular inspections of piston rings and liners guarantee
operation in safe area according to Figure 5.
5. 2.5% < Sulphur ≤ 3.5% m/m: Operation only permitted if strictly followed on board piston
underside drain oil monitoring and regular inspections of piston rings and liners guarantee
operation in safe area according to Figure 5.
Figure 1: Relationship between fuel sulphur content and cylinder oil BN
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RT-161, Issue 2, Page 5 / 19

5 Residual BN and iron dependent lubrication

5.1 Introduction
Service experience has shown that during any load operation, cold corrosion can be
observed on the cylinder liner and piston rings, in some cases leading to scuffing. This
corrosion indicates that the neutralisation and detergency provided by the lubricant at
the given feed rate are inadequate. Increasing lubricant BN and/or feed rates enhance
the supply of neutralising and cleaning additives.

The neutralisation of acidic components is achieved by the alkaline additives which are
present in the cylinder lubricating oil.

NOTE:
The neutralisation of the sulphuric acid produced during engine operation by the
calcium based additives follows the simplified equation:
CaCO3 + H2SO4 → CaSO4 + CO2 + H2O

Some cylinder oil formulations contain ashless detergents which also neutralise
sulphuric and other acids formed during fuel combustion in engines.

Moreover, one has to bear in mind that the piston running relevant functions of the oil
and additives are:
• Creation of a protective boundary film between the cylinder liner and piston ring
surface
• Provision of dispersancy and detergency
• Neutralisation of acids

In order to enhance the amount of protective chemicals in the system while observing a
low residual BN value, increased iron content or signs of corrosion on piston rings and
cylinder liners, it is recommended to adjust the cylinder lubricating oil feed rate and
consider the following:
• The current feed rate in g/kWh.
• The piston underside drain oil residual BN and iron content.
• The HFO sulphur content, i.e. the sulphur content in % by mass of the heavy fuel oil
in use.
• The cylinder oil BN, i.e. the BN of the cylinder lubricating oil in use in mg KOH/g.

As a consequence of the above mentioned points, it is advised to apply a residual BN

and iron dependent feed rate.

ATTENTION:
The Bunker Delivery Note (BDN) and bunker analysis can show inaccuracy in
measuring the sulphur content and possibly different HFO composition. The sulphur
content used to set the correct feed rate must be the higher value of the BDN or the
bunker analysis to ensure safe operation.
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RT-161, Issue 2, Page 6 / 19

Figure 2 is an example of the possible feed rate variation between various same type
engines with a BN 100 cylinder oil

Figure 2: Example of feed rates for engines using BN 100

An incorrect lubrication setup can cause cold corrosion that may lead to faster or even
severe wear of the piston running components.

As a consequence, the wear behaviour in general and the corrosion resistance of the
piston running components may vary widely.

In order to accomplish good performance of the piston running components, a

sequence of steps is described in this Technical Bulletin:

• Engine screening process

• Analysis of the PUS oil sample
• Cylinder lubrication feed rate optimisation
 TECHNICAL BULLETIN

RT-161, Issue 2, Page 7 / 19

ATTENTION:
It is extremely important to do a correct cylinder lubrication change-over in alignment
with the fuel change-over described in the Technical bulletin RT-82, “Operation on
distillate fuels” (especially with the change-over from MGO to HFO). Possible
consequences of a mismatch between fuel sulphur content and cylinder lubricant BN
are:
• Low BN used with high sulphur fuel: Corrosion of piston rings and liners
• High BN used with low sulphur fuel: Liner polishing caused by deposits on piston top
lands and high wear on piston rings and liners caused by deposits in the piston ring
grooves
Wärtsilä recommends to monitor the cylinder lubricating oil change-over, as well as
consider the cylinder lubricating oil consumption and cylinder lubricant quantity in the
measuring tank and pipe, to avoid the incorrect use of the cylinder lubricants with the
selected fuel (see following calculation). It is also recommended to start switching over
from low BN to high BN cylinder oil already inside ECA zone to avoid operation of high
sulphur fuel with low BN cylinder oil.

Cylinder lubricant quantity in piping and measuring tank:

𝑑𝑑 2 ∗ 𝜋𝜋
Volume piping: ∑ 𝑉𝑉 = ∑ ∗ 𝑙𝑙 [𝑉𝑉] = 𝑚𝑚3 [𝑑𝑑] = 𝑚𝑚 [𝑙𝑙] = 𝑚𝑚
4

𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘
Mass: 𝑚𝑚 = 𝜌𝜌 ∗ 𝑉𝑉 [𝑚𝑚] = 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘 [𝜌𝜌] = [𝑉𝑉] = 𝑚𝑚3
𝑚𝑚3

The density of the cylinder lubricant can be found in the technical data sheet. If not
𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘
available, an average value of 920 is suitable for this purpose.
𝑚𝑚3

Total mass: Mass of cylinder oil in measuring tank [kg]

+
Mass of cylinder oil in piping [kg]

Lead time until new lubricant is in use:

𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐 = 𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓 𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟 ∗ 𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐 𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝 𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 ∗ 1000

𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚
𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙 𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡 =
𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐

𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘 𝑔𝑔
[𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐] = [𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓 𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟] = [𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐 𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝 𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜] = 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘
ℎ 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘ℎ

𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘
[𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙 𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡] = ℎ [𝑚𝑚] = 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘 [𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐] =
ℎ

NOTE:
Consider the lead time value to initiate the cylinder lubricant change-over at the right
time.
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RT-161, Issue 2, Page 8 / 19

5.2 Engine Residual BN and iron screening process

The previous issue of the Data & Specification Bulletin RT-138, instructs engine
operators to do the piston underside (PUS) drain oil sampling after approximately every
10% load change when the fuel in use has a sulphur content of higher than 2.5%.

These requirements have now changed. Instead of doing PUS drain oil sampling after
a 10% load change, which means a lot of sampling is required even if the engine has
run on similar loads before, the sampling results from previous tests at respective
engine loads can now be used to set up the required feed rate for a specific cylinder
lubricant.

Also, the requirement to only sample when using fuels which contain more than
2.5% sulphur, is now changed due to the new minimum allowed continuous feed rate of
0.6 g/kWh. Higher BN oils can be applied for fuel with a low sulphur content as long as
the PUS drain oil sampling results are within an acceptable range (see Figure 3 and
Figure 4). Therefore, the PUS drain oil sampling now needs to be carried out when the
engine is running on fuels with a sulphur content above 1.5%.

In order to create an overview of all the PUS drain oil sampling results a new tool called
the “Piston underside drain oil analysis” (see appendix 2), will help in structuring all the
PUS drain oil sampling results collected over a period of time. The tool will also give
recommendations for all the sample results entered into it

ATTENTION:
The piston underside drain oil analysis tool is intended to be used for cylinder
lubrication oils with BN ≥ 40.

If no PUS drain oil sampling results have been collected yet, it is recommended to start
taking PUS drain oil sampling after the first running-in period with the highest available
BN oil suitable for the fuel in use (according to Figure 1) and using a baseline feed rate
of 0.9 gr/kWh at different loads, e.g. 10%, 20%, 30% CMCR etc., whatever the ships
operating schedules allows. This is called the Residual BN and Iron Screening Process
and creates a reference scale for future benchmarking. When the results from the PUS
drain oil samplings are received, these are to be entered into the tool and a
recommendation will be automatically given of what actions the operator must take, if
any, for that specific fuel with that specific cylinder lubricating oil.

The next time a fuel oil with the same sulphur (± 0.125% sulphur) is bunkered and the
same cylinder lubricating oil is used, the feed rate can be set according to the
recommendation previously given by the tool for those same conditions. It is strongly
recommended for the operator to do at least PUS drain oil sampling at similar loads to
the previous screening, purely for confirmation purposes. The results of those “new”
PUS drain oil sampling shall then again be entered into the tool as a cross-check that
the previous recommendations remain valid and to check if anything can/needs to be
optimised.

Based on the results and recommendations in the tool, one can decide to keep the
feed rate settings in the Safe Zone or whether required adjustments into the Alert Zone
(see Figure 3 and Figure 4), where frequent PUS inspections are then also necessary.
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5.3 Analysis of the piston underside (PUS) drain oil samples

In order to optimise the feed rate, the PUS drain oil samples results must be compared
using Figure 3 and Figure 4. The results need to be filled in the piston underside drain
oil analysis tool (provided by Wärtsilä) which includes the mentioned graphics. The link
to the tool can be found in appendix 2.

60
Residual BN
Trouble area decrease BN and/or feed rate
50
Residual BN (mg/kg)

40
Safe area
30

20
Alert area increase BN and/or feed rate
10
Danger area, do not operate here
0
5 15 25 35 45 55 65 75 85 95
Engine Load (%)

1. Residual BN
Figure 3: Residual BN screening diagram for cylinder lubricants with BN 40 or higher

NOTE:
If the engine is using a fuel of sulphur content < 0.1 % while the cylinder lubricating oil
has BN in range 15 to 25, then a residual BN of the PUS drain oil sample measured at
a value above 10 is considered safe. Check Figure 1 for more information.

1000
Iron (Fe)
900
800
Danger area, do not operate here
700
Iron (mg/kg)

600
500
400
Alert area increase BN and/or feed rate
300
200
100 Safe area
0
5 15 25 35 45 55 65 75 85 95
Engine Load (%) 1

1. Iron content
Figure 4: Iron content screening diagram for cylinder lubricants with BN 40 or higher
 TECHNICAL BULLETIN

RT-161, Issue 2, Page 10 / 19

Fuel sulphur in the range 0.5 < Sulphur % < 3.5 m/m and cylinder oil with 40 < BN < 100

Figure 5: Piston Underside (PUS) drain oil residual BN and iron (Fe)

NOTE:
There are smooth transitions between the various areas as shown in Figure 5.

ATTENTION:
• If the feed rate is kept while operating in the alert area, regular visual inspections of
liners, pistons and piston rings are required.
• An increase of the total iron content is an indication of an increased corrosive and/or
abrasive wear. However, if a visual inspection of the piston running components
does not show any abnormalities it is recommended to check the condition of the
piston rod

Depending on the adjusted feed rate, the actions for the different areas are varying.
Please check the piston underside drain oil analysis tool to find the specific
recommendations in Appendix 2.

The chromium content in the piston underside drain oil sample is also an important
indicator of corrosion or wear on the piston ring running surface, if chrome ceramic
piston rings are fitted. Chromium values less than 25 mg/kg indicate that there is little
corrosion and wear on the piston ring running surfaces. Values above about 25 mg/kg
indicate that corrosion and/or wear are occurring which may reduce piston ring and
liner life. The chrome content of the piston underside oil should not exceed 25 mg/kg
for long periods of time.
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5.4 Cylinder lubrication feed rate optimisation

In order to have a satisfactory piston running behaviour and based on customers
operation procedures, Wärtsilä recommends the following strategies to choose the
correct cylinder lubrication of the engine.

5.4.1 Feed rate optimisation with regular PUS inspections and PUS drain oil
sampling
This strategy is intended for operators that perform PUS inspections and PUS drain oil
sampling on regular basis. First, follow the recommendations mentioned in chapter 5.2
and chapter 5.3. Check if one or more residual BN points are in the alert zone of Figure
3 and compare it with the iron content results of Figure 4; if the iron content is not
exceeding the allowed value of 500 mg/kg the feed rate can be kept, but frequent
piston underside inspections are recommended.

ATTENTION:
Wärtsilä recommends to operate the engine in the safe area of residual BN and iron
content. If the engine is operating in the alert zone described in Figure 3 and Figure 4,
a PUS drain oil sampling must be done and analysed every 2 days in order to check, if
the values have changed.

If the iron content in the results of the PUS drain oil sampling is more than 500 mg/kg,
the feed rate must be increased by 0.1 g/kWh steps, until the value of the iron content
drops below 500 mg/kg. Conversely, if the iron content in the results of the PUS drain
oil sampling is below 500 mg/kg and the residual BN is in the safe zone 25 ≤ BN ≤ 50,
the feed rate can be reduced in steps of 0.1 g/kWh until one of the values reach the
alert zone.

Frequent PUS inspections should be done to check upon the piston rings and liners
appearance. Wärtsilä recommends to check the coating thickness of the rings every
1500 - 2000 running hours.

The engine can be operated in different loads than the mentioned in chapter 5.2. These
PUS drain oil sampling analysis results can be added in the piston underside drain oil
analysis tool diagrams, as shown in Figure 3 and Figure 4, to create an improved
screening of the engine.

5.4.2 Feed rate optimisation with irregular PUS inspections and PUS drain oil
sampling
This strategy is intended for operators that do not perform PUS inspections and PUS
drain oil sampling on regular basis. First, follow the recommendations mentioned in
chapter 5.2 and chapter 5.3. If one or more residual BN results are in the alert zone of
Figure 2, the feed rate must be increased in steps of 0.1 g/kWh and a PUS drain oil
sampling at the lowest load that showed the lowest residual BN must be done again.
This procedure must be repeated until the residual BN of this lowest load point is in the
safe area of Figure 2.

ATTENTION:
It is advised to do a PUS drain oil sampling after every bunker change with different
sulphur content than the previous fuel on board (difference > +/- 0.125 %S).
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6 Running-in of newly fitted cylinder liners / piston rings

Each time is changed a component of the piston running system, as for any
mechanical system, it is crucial to follow some procedures. Wärtsilä defined surface
and material specifications of cylinder liner and piston rings that allow to complete the
running-in of the component within shortest time. No time consuming running-in of
piston rings and cylinder liners is necessary anymore. The running surface of the new
cylinder liners is executed with a plateau honing, a state of the art procedure in engine
industry (standard since the year 2000). The piston rings of portfolio engines are
chromium ceramic coated, profile ground and afterwards lapped, so that they are gas
and light-tight when installed into a new cylinder liner. Both components are therefore
fit to be loaded up in a normal manner after installation, following the normal engine
load up program. The same applies for new piston rings that are installed into an
already used cylinder liner. Provided that running surface is free of surface damages,
loading up can be done according to control system settings.

A special attention is required that cylinder liner and piston ring surface are well
lubricated after the overhaul. Since lube oil feed rates are as low as possible, to keep
operational costs low, a longer time is needed to fresh up the entire lube oil film. This
situation is considered in our running-in guideline with slightly higher feed rates.
Figure 6 shows the recommended running-in feed rates for newly fitted cylinder liners
and/or piston rings.

1
1,25

1,2

1,15
Feed rate in g/kWh

1,1

1
1,05

0,95

0,9
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Running hours

1. Inspection of liner and rings is recommended after 24 hours and 72 hours after
fitting a new component.
Figure 6: Running-in feed rate for newly fitted cylinder liners and piston rings

NOTE:
After the running-in procedure of 72 hours, the feed rate can be set to normal settings.
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Wärtsilä does not request a special loading up of the engine after component overhaul
anymore. Any load, fuel, lube oil type / feed rate plus ambient condition change leads
to a different thermal, chemical and finally wear situation in the combustion space. In
other words, there is a theoretical continuous running-in procedure ongoing on very low
wear rate level for the entire engine lifetime. So engines can be operated up to the
required load and no special running-in is required when engine load increases or
decreases later.

ATTENTION:
Wärtsilä recommends to follow the running-in procedure described in the
operation manual for engines equipped with older executions than full chromium
ceramic ring pack and plateau honed liner.

For particular attention, the following parameters should be adhered to.

Table 1, Running-in recommendations

Medium Recommendation
Fuel oil Running-in can be done on any fuel.
HFO to be correctly treated and preheated to the
recommended injection viscosity before the engine is started.
Cylinder lubricating oil Fuel-suitable cylinder lubricating oil has to be selected as for
normal operation.
VIT / FQS / ICC VIT (Variable Injection Timing) system should be switched off.
FQS (Fuel Quality Setting) set to zero.
ICC (Intelligent Combustion Control) system should be
switched off.
Cylinder cooling water Check the stability and the level of the cylinder cooling water
temperature frequently.
Temperature fluctuations should be avoided as far as
possible:
+/- 2 °C at constant load
+/- 4 °C during transient conditions
Cylinder liner wall temperature The monitoring tool MAPEX PR is of great advantage as it
allows close monitoring of the cylinder liner wall temperature
for safe running-in.
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7 PUS drain oil sampling and analysis

7.1 Piston underside (PUS) drain oil sampling

2 3 1

1. Sampling cock 3. Oil drain valve in sampling position

2. Oil drain valve in normal position
Figure 7: PUS, Scrapedown or drip oil sampling

Oil sampling should only be done when the engine has been in a stable operating
condition on a known fuel with the same cylinder oil feed rate, engine load and other
variable factors for at least 12 hours. Further samples should be taken under similar
conditions to improve data trending information.
The procedure how to take oil samples is described in paragraph 7.1.1, entitled
“Flushing” and paragraph 7.1.2, entitled “Sampling”.

7.1.1 Flushing
The system should be flushed to prevent non representative accumulated debris from
entering the sample bottle.
1. Close the oil drain valve to allow oil to accumulate for about 30 minutes to 60
minutes, depending on engine load, oil feed rate, etc.
2. After enough oil has accumulated, open the sampling cock slowly and carefully
blow any old oil into a bucket. When the sampling cock and sampling pipe are
thoroughly flushed, close the sampling cock.
3. Open the drain valve to allow the remaining oil to be blown down the drain pipe,
this only takes a few seconds.
4. When this is completed, close the oil drain valve again.
5. Record the engine operating conditions, fuel parameters, cylinder oil feed rate and
other data required on the used oil analysis form.
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7.1.2 Sampling
Complete this procedure for every cylinder of the engine.
1. Wait for 10 minutes to 60 minutes to accumulate enough oil to fill the sample
bottles. These are normally 100 ml sample bottles but may vary.
2. Open the sampling cock slowly and carefully fill the sample bottle. Ensure that the
sample bottle has the cylinder number and references marked so that it can be
clearly identified.
3. Close the sampling cock.
4. Open the oil drain valve into the normal position again so that surplus oil can drain
away.
5. Proceed to the next cylinder and perform the same procedure.
6. It is good practice to also submit a sample of fresh cylinder oil taken at the engine
inlet pipe after the filter for analysis. There are sometimes contaminations, because
wrong oil may have been delivered or placed in the wrong tank. This is important to
ensure that cylinder oil change over has been correctly performed and the
appropriate oil is in the system.
7. Ensure that the sample bottle caps are closed securely and the bottles are
accurately marked before submitting them for analysis. The sample bottles must be
securely packed to prevent leakage when dispatching the parcel by postal or
courier service to the laboratory.

7.2 PUS drain oil analysis

There are different options available in the market for the monitoring of PUS oil
condition. Several widely used systems need consumables (chemicals) and the results
are based on the accurate handling of the equipment. As an alternative, there is a
recommended product available without consumables and highly accurate for TBN
(mgKOH/g) measurements, the FluidScan® Q1200 family by Spectro Scientific. It
requires only a droplet of sample, therefore, sampling time is below one minute.

Figure 8: FluidScan® Q1200 family by Spectro Scientific

For inquiries, contact your nearest Wärtsilä representative or your key account
manager.
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8 Cylinder lubrication: Blending on Board (BoB)

There is a significant choice of cylinder lubricants on the market to address the need
for different BN-values based on the operation profile of the engine. A growing and
interesting concept to reduce the variety of oils on board is the blending of needed
lubrication oil on board, by means of a blending unit.
This solution is able to mix two different oils to produce a fit for purpose and tailored
cylinder lubricant. The major application is to mix the system oil as a base oil and add
the correct quantity of over based additives. An alternative solution is to mix system oil
with high-BN oil used for running with high sulphur fuel or also mix oils with different
BN-values to have the needed BN-value available.
Various BN oils can therefore be produced on board. The key interest is that there will
not be a need to adjust the feed rate to various operation conditions. Instead the BN-
value of the cylinder oil will be adjusted to keep the feed rate constant. In addition the
usage of the system oil is keeping the quality of the system oil high and the crankcase
clean and the variety of different lubrication oils on board is reduced to a minimum.
To be able to profit most from the blending system, the use of an on board PUS oil
condition monitoring system is needed. The residual BN-value will give a clear
indication whether the base number of the lubrication oil is sufficient. Adjusting the BN-
value of the lubrication oil by means of the blender to fit to the residual BN-value will
improve the corrosion protection as well as the detergency.
BOB appears to be technically the most viable solution for vessels operating on a
variety of fuels and operating conditions, as it covers the range from low sulphur fuels
to high sulphur fuels.
Table 2 provides a guidance for operation without regularly updated values of the PUS
oil monitoring, but during the operation, this table can be optimised by the operator as a
function of the residual BN of the PUS.
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Table 2, BN values for BoB depending on sulphur content for base feed rate of 0.8 g/kWh

Sulphur content Normal operation Low load In case or

(%) (above 60 % CMCR) (below 60 % CMCR) corrosion on
cylinder liners
or piston rings
1.0 40 40 40
1.1 40 40 40
1.2 40 40 40
1.3 40 40 40
1.4 40 40 40
1.5 40 40 50
1.6 50 50 50
1.7 50 50 50
1.8 50 50 60
1.9 50 50 60
2.0 50 50 60
2.1 50 50 60
2.2 50 70 60
2.3 50 70 70
2.4 50 70 70
2.5 50 70 70
2.6 50 70 70
2.7 50 70 80
2.8 50 70 80
2.9 51 72 80
3.0 53 75 90
3.1 55 77 90
3.2 57 80 90
3.3 59 82 100
3.4 61 85 100
3.5 63 87 100

9 Appendix
Wärtsilä cylinder lubrication systems (Appendix 1)
Link to tool – Piston underside drain oil analysis and Brochure – Guide for judging
condition of relevant piston running components (Appendix 2 and Appendix 3):
http://www.wartsila.com/products/marine-oil-gas/engines-generating-sets/low-
speed-rt-flex-engines#
Link to Brochure – Wärtsilä Blending On Board system for 2-stroke engines
(Appendix 4):
http://www.wartsila.com/docs/default-source/Service-catalogue-files/Engine-Services---2-
stroke/blending-on-board-system-for-2-stroke-engines.pdf?sfvrsn=0
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10 Limitation
The lubrication procedure as described in Chapter 5 and Chapter 8 may not be used in
the territorial waters of Germany, China, the Republic of Korea or Japan unless it is
used on a vessel registered in a country being a contracting party to the Paris
Convention for the Protection of Intellectual Property, except Germany, China, the
Republic of Korea or Japan and unless said vessel is travelling in said territorial waters
only temporarily.

10.1 Contracting parties to the Paris Convention

Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria,
Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia
(Plurinational State of), Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi,
Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros,
Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic
of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador,
Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany,
Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras,
Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan,
Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho,
Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta,
Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal,
Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New
Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova,
Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra
Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland,
Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, The former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United
Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, United States of America, Uruguay,
Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
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11 Contacts
11.1 How to contact Wärtsilä
For questions about the content of this Technical Bulletin, or if you need Wärtsilä
assistance, services, spare parts and/or tools, please contact your nearest Wärtsilä
representative.
If you do not have the contact details at hand, please follow the link “Contact us” – “24h
Services” on the Wärtsilä webpage:
www.wartsila.com

11.2 Contact details in case of emergency

11.2.1 Operational support
For questions concerning operational issues, please send your enquiry to:
[email protected]
or phone 24hrs support: +41 52 262 80 10.

11.2.2 Field service

If you need Wärtsilä Field Service, please send your enquiry to:
[email protected]
or phone 24hrs support: +41 79 255 68 80.

11.2.3 Spare parts

If you need Wärtsilä spare parts and/or tools, please contact your nearest Wärtsilä
representative or your key account manager.

© 2015 Wärtsilä Services Switzerland Ltd. – All rights reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, graphic, photocopying,
recording, taping or other information retrieval systems) without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. Wärtsilä Switzerland Ltd.
makes no representation, warranty (express or implied) in this publication and assumes no responsibility for the correctness, errors or
omissions for information contained herein. Information in this publication is subject to change without notice.

Unless otherwise expressly set forth, no recommendation contained in this document or any of its appendices is to be construed as
provided due to a defect of the product, but merely as an improvement of the product and/or the maintenance procedures relating thereto.
Any actions by the owner/operator as a result of the recommendations are not covered under any warranty provided by Wärtsilä and such
actions will thus be at the owners/operators own cost and expense.

NO LIABILITY WHETHER DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL, IS ASSUMED WITH RESPECT TO
THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN. THIS PUBLICATION IS CONFIDENTIAL AND INTENDED FOR INFORMATION
PURPOSES ONLY.