Answer MEP Question 4

Q. Briefly describe your action plan on the following exigencies:

A. Leaky economizer tube, while at sea;

B. Leaky intercooler of main air compressor, while manoeuvring.

Inform wheelhouse, take control of the engine to ECR.

Reduce engine speed, bypass exhaust gas from economizer if provided.

Stop the main engine as early as possible when the bridge feels it is safe to do so.

Do not stop the circulating pump, if the hot-well level is low, keep topping up.

Open the T/C drain to check the engine is free of water, let the drain opened.

After around 30-45 minutes stop circulating the pump, if the leak is not too bad it even advisable to stop the pump after 60 minutes.

-Now leaky tube to be identified.

- Open up side doors of the EGB header & start the recirculating pump.

- Identify the leaky tube & mark it for blanking.

-Stop circulating pump and shut pump valves, shut header valves if provided.

- On headers, there are small doors, open them up so that the tube mouth is visible.

- Take steel plug supplied by the manufacturer; plug the tube at both ends using an offset plug-in position.

- Plug will be held in position due to steam pressure acting upon them from 0utside.

- In case the tube is badly corroded then the plug need to be welded.

- After rectifying the leak, close the header doors.

A. Filling up procedure  for economizer:

- Close the drain valve of the economizer headers.

- Open the vent valve.

- Open header valves full, open pump suction valve in full, slowly open discharge valve which will start filling up the economizer.

-When the stacks are full, a continuous flow of water will come out of the vent, close the vent full, and open the discharge valve of the circulating pump full.

- Check for leakages on the tubes plugged.

- if there is no leak, start the main engine and slowly increase the speed.

B. Action to be taken in case of a leaky intercooler

- Inform the wheelhouse about the issue so as to keep the movements to a minimum if possible.

- Reduce the air consumption to a minimum by shutting down the non-essential services.

- If another MAC is available, isolate the affected compressor and start the fixing procedure.

- If standby MAC is not available, then

- Under no circumstances water should be allowed to enter the airside.

- Put the compressor in manual.

- When isolating time compressor shut the water valves first then stop the compressor delayed by half a minute.

- Keep water valves closed.

- When starting the compressor, start the compressor first, when it is loaded close the drain valve and open the water valves.

- At the first opportunity, open up and fix the leak.