With Varying sulphur content and grade of fuel oil, 2 stroke engine needs right BN cylinder oil. Lubricant suppliers are finding it practically difficult to supply required different BN oil, and vessel too cannot set up numerous cylinder oil storage tanks for different grades. As a solution to this, there are few variable Base number cylinder oil lubrication system in the industry, 2 major manufacturer are;
- BOB – Blending On Board by Wartsila
- iCOlube – by Luk oil
The principle of operation of both systems is slightly different however results are comparable. BOB is using chemical to maintain the base number, whereas iCOlube is using 100cst lub oil into fresh or used system oil.
In December 2014 Maersk line announced that they have ordered 56 numbers of SEA-Mate® Blending-on-Board for Maersk Line vessels. SEA-Mate® Blending-on-Board systems are now being installed on a total of 181 vessels. SEA-Mate® Blending-on-Board have also been tested with good results in an engine operating on distillate fuel and we therefore believe that SEA-Mate® Blending-on-Board will be able to handle the 2015 ECA lubrication challenge, for a wide range of engine types.
Lukoil Marine Lubricants, the Hamburg-based subsidiary of the Russian oil major, has developed and introduced (in 2012) an intelligent cylinder oil lubrication system designed to match engine requirements and fuel quality. Officially launched at this year’s SMM exhibition in September, the iCOlube unit optimises the company’s Navigo 100 MCL cylinder oil by blending either fresh or used engine oil, such as Navigo 6 SO. “The iCOlube unit is designed to tailor a cylinder oil perfectly to the prevailing
It matches the required and correct cylinder lubricant to a given LSFO or HFO sulphur content. The engine’s operating profile is important to minimise carbon deposits within the engine and prevent cold corrosion. Value proposition for vessel owners arise from fuel saving, lube oil saving and operational & maintenance optimization.
http://assets.iirme.com/Sites/iirme.com/Conferences/IN/shiptech/Resources/LukOil.pdf
Benefit of both the systems are more or less same.
- Flexibility to use any kind of LSFO or HFO by controlling TBN of Cylinder feed oil.
- Multiple cylinder oil tank of different (BN) on board will not be necessary.
- Fuel saving coming from SEA-Mate® Blending on Board due to renewal of system oil. The actual test was performed by an independent company, Burmeister Wain Scandinavian Contractor, who provided corroborated evidence of fuel savings of 0.5% at 90% M.C.R and up to 1.5% at slow steaming conditions.Reduces costs of lube oil.
- Dramatically improves engine conditions.
- Reduces overall operating costs.
- Introduces a waste oil recycling program.
- Improved impact on the environment.
A retrofit unit of iCOlub, small footprint and easy to retrofit.
Marine Vault 
This precaution is very important and should always be adhered.
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Few Service Exp to share reg lending on Board
A) The Storage tank for the blended oil should be fitted with circulating pump to achieve an even mixture at the engine inlet.
B) On the main control panel the BN of additive and base need to entered manually. So the base oil and additive BN to be checked frequently for entering the correct value else the engine shall have long term issues because of hypo or hyper BN feeding.
C) BN has been addressed but least effective reg its Dispersant and Detergent property.
D) At Higher engine loads and engines with high MIP(more than 15) , Need to be care full while loading up .
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