Lubricator System for Cutting the Cylinder

Oil Bill and Reducing Emissions on

MAN B&W Two-Stroke Engines

The cylinder lube oil consumption represents a large expenditure for an engine operating with the nominal guiding
feed rate and, especially for the large
bore engines, even a 0.1 g/bhph reduction in the cylinder oil dosage represents a significant yearly saving for the
owner. Cylinder lubrication is therefore
an important development theme with
the aim of reducing the cylinder lube oil
dosage while maintaining a satisfactory
piston ring/liner wear rate and maintaining or improving the time between
overhauls. Reduced lube oil consumption also has a positive impact on the
environment as emissions will be lower.
The cylinder oil must be injected into
the cylinder at the exact position and
time where the effect is optimal, which

is not always possible with the conventional lubricators of today. MAN B&W
Diesel A/S therefore initiated the development of the new electronic system,
the so-called Alpha Lubrication System shown in Fig. 1.
The development work for the new
system was started in 1997, and the
prototype entered service on an MAN
B&W type 7S35MC engine in 1998.
Since then the system has been
fine-tuned on MAN B&Ws 4T50MX research engine, and service tests were
extended to cover several K90MC engines. The first large bore engine with
the new lubricator fitted as standard, a
12K90MC engine, was tested in Korea
in September 1999 with very satisfactory results, and the system has now

Cylinder oil
service tank

been in service on a number of engines

for up to 20,000 hours, with good results.
The system is now standard on all
MAN B&W two-stroke engines with a
diameter bigger than 600 mm and is an
option on the smaller engines. The system has been ordered for more than
100 engines, and 30 sets are in service.
The new lubricating system is based on
the principle of injecting a specific volume of oil into the cylinder, via a number of injectors, for every four (or every
five, six, etc.) revolutions. Furthermore,
the precise timing ensures that all cylinder oil is delivered directly onto the piston ring pack where it is needed. This
can be seen in Fig. 2, which shows the
pressure measured in the oil injector

Cylinder
liner

Cylinder
liner
Feed-back
sensor

Feed-back
sensor

Feed-back
sensor

Accumulator
Lubricator

Solenoid
valve

Accumulator

Lubricator

Lubricator

Lubricator

Solenoid
valve

Solenoid
valve

Solenoid
valve

Pump station
with
stand-by pumps

To other
cylinders

To other
cylinders
Cylinder lub.
oil pipes

Tacho
signal

Electrical
connections

Index
signal

To other
cylinders
Alarm
system

Master control unit and backup control unit

Slow-down
system

HMI panel

Fig. 1: Principle of Alpha Lubricator System

during a cycle with lube oil injection as

well as during a cycle without lube oil
injection. The passage of the four piston rings is clearly seen in the pressure
signal for the cycle without lube oil injection, and the precision of the new lubricator is obvious.

[Bar]
20

15

The lubricator itself, Fig. 3, has a small

piston for each lubricator quill in the
cylinder liner, and the power for injecting
the oil comes from the system pressure,
supplied by a pump station. A common
rail system is used on the driving side,
but the injection side has a high-pressure
positive displacement system, thus giving
equal amounts to each quill and providing the best possible safety margin
against clogging of single lubricator quills.

Lube oil
injection pressure
10

Oil quill pressure

0
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100 [ms]

Fig. 2: Injection pattern for Alpha Lubricator System

Signal for lubrication

from control unit
Capacitive feedback
sensor for control of
piston movement

Outlets
for cylinder liner
lube oil points

Injection plungers

Solenoid
valve
P
A
T

Cylinder lube
oil outlet
Spacer
for basic setting of
pump stroke

Fig. 3: Alpha Lubricator

Adjusting screw

Actuator piston

45 bar cylinder
lube oil inlet

P
T

Fig. 4: 12K98MC-C with Alpha Lubricator

For the large bore engines, Fig. 4, each

cylinder has two lubricators (each serving five lube oil quills), while the small
bore engines, Fig. 5, (with fewer lube
oil quills per cylinder) are served by one
lubricator per cylinder. The pump station
includes two pumps (one operating,
the other on stand-by with automatic
start up).
The computer unit comprises a main
computer, controlling the normal operation, a switch-over unit and a (simple)
back-up unit. The injection function is
controlled by the computer sending
an on/off signal to a solenoid valve. A

shaft encoder (which can be shared

with the PMI system, or timing system
on the Intelligent Engine) supplies the
necessary timing signal.
The amount of oil injected can be adjusted automatically or manually as
required, e.g. at load changes, start/stop,
at reduced engine load (different modes
are available), sulphur % in the fuel,
temperature level on liner surface, variation in cylinder oil BN, etc. Pre-lubrication
before start can be made manually or be
a sequence in the bridge manoeuvring
system.

Both for marine engines and for engines

for power generation purposes, very
low feed rates have been demonstrated,
with oil consumption down to 0.5 g/bhph.
Further reductions in wear rates as well
as in feed rates can be obtained by utilising fuel-oil-sulphur-dependent lubrication, a principle for which MAN B&W
has applied for a patent.

Fig. 5: 7S50MC-C with Alpha Lubricator

MAN B&W Diesel A/S

Teglholmsgade 41

Copyright
MAN B&W Diesel A/S

DK-2450 Copenhagen SV
Telephone: +45 33 85 11 00
Telex:
16592 manbw dk
Telefax:
+45 33 85 10 30
manbw@manbw.dk
www.manbw.dk

Reproduction permitted
provided source is given.
MAN B&W Diesel A/S
Reg. No: 39 66 13 14
August 2001
P.384-01.08