Steering Gear

Steering Gear

Steering Gear

Steering Gear
THE SINGLE
FAILURE CRITERIA
(Safematic design of
steering system)

Some oil tankers, gas
tankers & chemical
tankers are required
to have a safematic
design of steering
system i.e. no single
failure on a steering
should make the
steering of the ship
inoperative and thus
give the rudder a
chance to become
free.
Steering Gear
If, in the 4 Rams hydraulic system
described the leakage had developed at
say point "X" (as happened in case of `MT
Ameco Cardiz' that resulted in total loss of
the tanker and its cargo), there would be
no way to isolate this leak to have the
steering capability of the system available
to the ship after the leak.
To take care of such leaks (i.e. leaks
outside isolating valves of the rams),
safematic designs have been developed.
Steering Gear
Safematic Design:
Method No.1 (Also
called 100% redundancy
method), refer figure
All valves are
automatically controlled
and electrically operated
valves.
In this arrangement
System I supplies to ram
No. I & 2 . System 2
supplies to ram No. 3 &
4 . However, as it is not
practical to have both
systems work
simultaneously, and
therefore the only
combination of
operations available are:
Steering Gear
Combination No. 1:
Isolating valve I & 2
open, By pass valve 5
shut; system No. I In
operation.
Isolating valve 3 & 4
shut, By pass valve 6
open; system No. 2
stopped
Top two rams are in
operation, working on
system No. I and are
providing 100%
torque.
Bottom two rams &
system No. 2 is shut.

Steering Gear
Combination No.2:
Isolating valve 3 & 4
open, By pass valve 6
shut, system No. 2 in
operation.
Isolating valve 1 & 2 shut,
By pass valve 5 open,
system No. stopped
Bottom two rams are in
operation, working on
system No. 2 and are
providing 100% torque.
Top two rams & system
No. l is shut.
Steering Gear
Now the logic circuit of safematic design in
this method will cause the condition of
operation to change from Combination No. I
to Combination No.2 or Combination No.2 to
Combination No. 1 (depending on which
Combination was in operation when the
heavy loss of oil LLL (Low low level) alarm is
actuated).

Steering Gear
Example if Combination No.1 is in
operation, (i.e. system No.1 & rams No.
1& No. 2 are in operation) & LL (Low level)
alarm actuates. This alarm takes care of
normal leakage & can be set right by filling
in some oil in the tank during the watch.

Steering Gear
However, if LLL (Low low level) alarm follows
immediately, it indicates a heavy loss of oil and logic
circuit will cause the condition of operation change
from Combination No.1 to Combination No.2.
It may be noted that as said earlier even though we
have 4 rams, only 2 rams are in operations at any
given time. Thus each set of 2 rams should provide
100% torque.
Most ships will not employ this method to take care of
single failure criteria, as this method means a 100%
duplication and a costly one.
Steering Gear

Steering Gear
Combination No. 1: Isolating valve I,2,3 & 4
open, By pass valve 5 & 6 shut; system No. I
or system No. 2 working. All 4 rams are in use
and provide together 100% torque.
Combination No.2: Valve a & b shut.
Isolating valve I & 2 open, By pass valve 5
shut; system No. I working. Isolating valve 3 &
4 shut, By pass valve 6 open; system No. 2
shut. Top two rams are in operation, working
on system No. I and are providing 50% torque.
Bottom two rams & system No. 2 are isolated.
Steering Gear
Combination No.3: Valve a & b shut.
Isolating valve 3 & 4 open, By pass valve 6
shut, system No. 2 working.
Isolating valve 1 & 2 shut, By pass valve 5
open, system No. stopped.
Bottom two rams are in operation, working on
system No. 2 and are providing 50% torque.
Top two rams & system No. l are isolated.
Steering Gear
Logic circuit of this safematic design shall on
detecting a heavy leak actuate low low level
(LLL-1) alarm and cause change over from
condition No.1 to condition No.2 or condition
No.3.
And if the leak persists in the system, it will
actuate (LLL-2) alarm. This will cause change
of the condition further from condition No.2 to
condition No.3 or condition No.3 to condition
No.2 (depending on what was the existing
condition.)
Steering Gear