HITACHI MAN-B&W No.

：HZSD-B0602
DIESEL ENGINE SERVICE DATA DATE ：24-8-2006

Cylinder Lubrication Guidelines for Engines with Mechanical Lubricator

ENGINE TYPE: L/K-MC/MCC, S-MC/MCC

1. Purpose of cylinder lubrication

Cylinder lubrication has following purposes and each of them
necessarily does not require the same feed rate.

1) To create a hydrodynamic oil film separating piston rings from

the liner
The oil amount needed to create an oil film is more or less
independent of the fuel oil being used. Measurements of the
oil film have also revealed that when the feed rate for
optimum oil film is reached, no further increase of the oil
film is obtained from an increase of the feed rate.

2) To clean the piston rings, ring lands and grooves

Cleaning of piston rings, ring lands and grooves is
essential, and relies on the detergency properties of the
cylinder oil.

3) To control corrosion, i.e. control the neutralization of

sulphuric acid
The combustion process creates highly corrosive sulphuric
acids depending on the sulphur in the fuel. It has therefore
been of paramount importance to design the combustion
chamber and the cylinder lube oil so as to create the
optimum balance of corrosion.

2. Cylinder lubrication Guidelines

In 1994, 10 years after the introduction of the MC engine, we
adjusted the cylinder lubrication guidelines, as service
experience, especially from the superlong stroke “S” engines,
had shown benefits of increased oil dosages. The results was
differentiated and had been introduced in the M/E instruction
book (PLATE 70710); recommending a basic feed rate of 1.0 g/bhph
for “L” and “K” engines, and 1.2 g/bhph for the “S” engines.

REMARKS：
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Now, development and experiences after issuing this

recommendation together with today’s worldwide lack of lube
oil supply and shipowner’s request has brought us in a
position where we can correct the guidelines so as to bring
even more benefit to the owners.

Cylinder lubrication has a direct influence on the operational

costs of engines. The cost of the cylinder lube oil itself is
one of the biggest contributions to the total operating costs
(next to the fuel cost), while the lubrication rate has a major
influence on the cylinder condition, i.e. condition of piston,
piston ring and cylinder liner and thus, to a certain extent,
on the overhauling schedules and overhauling costs.

Therefore, feed rate and overhaul predictability and cost are

interrelated factors that need to be kept in balance.

Recently we have seen, that excessive lubrication may lead to

deposit build-up on the pistons, which may disturb the cylinder
condition. Therefore, excessive cylinder lubrication should
be limited to situations such as the very first breaking-in,
where the oil is used to flush away the wear particles formed.
Otherwise, increased lubrication should only take place in
cases of a very poor cylinder condition, where heavy blow-by
or scuffing takes place and constantly destroys the oil film
on the liner.

Judging from the above background and MAN B&W information, we

consider reduction is possible up to approx. 0.9 g/bhph for
“L” and “K” engines and 1.1 g/bhph for “S” engines is as shown
in the table 1.

In any case, reducing the feed rate should always be adjusted

so as to keep normal cylinder condition based on careful
evaluation of the wear measurement results at piston overhaul
and actual cylinder condition with regular scavenge port
inspections.

The cylinder oil feed rate shown in table 1 is guideline value

and converted value to MCR for engines equipped with
mechanical cylinder lubricator.

This is prescribed by the feed rate at MCR, where feed rate

becomes minimum, because feed rate is proportional to M/E rpm,
and M/E output is proportional to cubed M/E rpm for fixed pitch
propeller.
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In view of the above, cylinder oil feed rate at part load is

bigger than the value based on MCR conversion.

If main engine load does not exceed CSR or cylinder oil feed
rate is checked at every load change, it is no problem to apply
the guideline value shown in table 1 to actual main engine
output.

In this way, this procedure can be one of effective measures

against rising cost of cylinder oil.

3. Cylinder lubrication dosages at use of low sulphur fuels

1) Sulphur is one of the chemical components with such large
variations, from below 1%, typically in fuels originating
from South America and China and up to 4% in fuels
originating from the Middle East and Asia.

Sulphur contents higher than 4% are very rare, in fact

about 3% of all bunkers show sulphur content above 4%.

In addition to the geographical variations to the sulphur

content in fuels, comes the environmentally based
selection, i.e. the special demands for low sulphur fuel
operation in restricted areas, (SECA: Regulated not
exceeding 1.5% sulphur content) in order to reduce SOx
emission.

2) Although fuel sulphur levels above 4% are rather rare,

running on high sulphur fuels counted for a major part of
cylinder wear in the past. Therefore, countermeasures in
way of increasing the cylinder oil dosages are necessary
and highly economical attractive, to prevent excessive
wear associated with such fuels.

However, on sulphur fuels below 1.5% sulphur with use of

high BN cylinder oil (of BN 70), the engine will be
overdosed with base additives according to the above
countermeasure. This may lead to cylinder condition
problems and scuffing is caused at worst case.

Such overdosing of alkali additives should be limited,

preferably to 1-2 week, and preferably limited to
temporarily running on low sulphur fuels in restricted
areas.
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3) In order to avoid excessive accumulation of Ca content due

to alkali additives, it is possible to change to use lower
BN cylinder oil such as 40BN or 50BN oil. However, please
pay attention to the following in this case:

(1) It can be difficult to take necessary action depending

on bunker location in case sulphur amount is changed.
(2) Cylinder oil tank has to be double tank system.
(3) Low BN oil could be lack of detergency
(4) It is necessary to increase cylinder oil feed rate in
comparison with BN 70 oil.

4) Judging from the above at use of low sulphur fuels with

less than 1.5% for a long period, we recommend to reduce
cylinder oil feed rate with use of the presently used BN
70 cylinder oil by paying attention to cylinder condition
by stepwise reducing (Reduction/time should be less than
0.05 g/bhph).

It varies based on cylinder condition, but we consider

reduction is possible up to approx. 0.7-0.6 g/bhph in actual
(MCR conversion).
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Table 1 Guiding Cylinder Oil Feed Rates

Basic setting L/K-MC/MC-C : 0.9 g/bhph

(ref. To MCR load) : S-MC/MC-C : 1.1 g/bhph
Minimum feed rate L/K-MC/MC-C : 0.6 g/bhph
(ref. To MCR load) : S-MC/MC-C : 0.7 g/bhph
Maximum recommendable feed
L/K-MC/MC-C : 1.35 g/bhph
rate during normal operation
S-MC/MC-C : 1.65 g/bhph
(ref. To MCR load) :

Feed rate : Basic feed rate +100%

Breaking-in new
or reconditioned
Duration : +100% for 15 hours (Fig. 1)
liners and rings
(Initial running-in)
Stepwise increase to max. load over 15 hours
Load :
(Fig. 2)

Basic setting +50%, to be reduced in two step of

Running-in feed rate,
25% each after an interval of 250 hours.
new liners and rings:
(Fig. 1)

Stepwise load increase to max. load over 5

Breaking-in new rings in already
hours.
run-in liners:
Lube oil service feed rate +50% for 24 hrs.

The “Service feed rate”, i.e. the feed rate

between the “Basic setting” and the “Minimum
feed rate”, is to be based on observations of the
Service feed rate: actual condition (scavenge port inspections and
overhauling reports).
Lowering the feed rate may be done in steps of
maximum 0.05 g/bhph. (Fig. 1)
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図１ なじみ運転時のシリンダ注油率
Fig. 1 Cylinder oil feed rate during running-in

g/bhph ランニングイン時の注油率
(L/K-MC/MC-C／S-MC/MC-C)
基準値
一般的な注油率
(1.8 / 2.2) g/bhph 推奨最大注油率
最小注油率
ブレーキングイン時（15 時間）の注油率：新品または整備ライナ，新品リング
Breaking-in (15 hours) : New or reconditioned liners and new piston rings
シリンダ注油量（基準値比率）

(1.35 / 1.65)

基準値
Basic setting
(0.9 / 1.1)

(0.6 / 0.7)

運転時間

図２ ブレーキングイン時の負荷上昇（新品ライナまたは整備ライナ及び新品リングの初期なじみ運転）
Fig. 2 Breaking-in load programme new or reconditioned liners and new piston rings
回転数（船速）

時 間