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Seawater Lubricated

Propeller Shaft Bearings


Eliminating a source of oil pollution
on ships operating in polar waters
DE 56
February 13,
13 2012
Craig Carter, MBA
Director of Marketing & Customer Service

Overview
Global merchant fleet uses oil lubricated shaft lines
Oil pollution discharges below the waterline Is it a
problem?

Can oil pollution discharges be eliminated?


Seawater Lubricated Propeller Shaft Bearing Systems

Operational discharges
Accidental discharges

Historyy
Current Technology
Users
Pros and Cons

Conclusion

Oil Lubricated Propeller


Shaft Bearing System
The Suezmax tanker Vladimir Tikhonov, owned by SCF Group
(Sovcomflot), passed Cape Dezhnev thereby completing her transit
along the Northern Sea Route (NSR).
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Seawater Lubricated Propeller


Shaft Bearing System
The Vladimir Tikhonov tanker was escorted by the worlds two most
powerful nuclear icebreakers 50 let Pobedy and Yamal following a
new deep-water route to the north of the New Siberian Islands
archipelago.
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Global Usage
Global Commercial Fleet1
45,662 ships (vessels =>1000 GT)
1.378 billion DWT

Approx. 98% of ships use oil lubricated


metal propeller shaft bearings2

1 Review of Marine Transport, Report by the UNCTAD secretariat , 2011, United Nations, New York and
Geneva, pp 44
2 Data related to Propulsion systems, IHS Fairplay database

Propeller Shafts
Lubricated With Oil
Typical stern tube system has 1500 to 3000
litres of mineral oil
OIL

Oil Lubricated
Aft Stern Tube Seal

Stern Tube Lubricating Oil


Oil systems have been used since 1950s
it replaced seawater lubricated wooden or phenolic

bearings where shafts were required to be withdrawn


($$$) every 2.5 to 4 years for inspection (safety)

Advantage for oil system


bearing environment controlled (sealed system)
allow condition monitoring
oil sampling
temperature monitoring

Oil system allows for the shaft to remain in place


without being withdrawn for inspection for 10 to
15 years (provided certain criteria are met!)
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Is there a risk using


oil lubricated
propeller shaft bearings ?
1) Operational oil discharges (normal

operating consumption)
2) Accidental oil discharges

Operational Oil Leakage


Environmental Research Consulting study
Total
Total annual inputs of lubricating oil worldwide from stern tube
leakage and other operational discharges into port waters is
estimated to be between 37 million to nearly 61 million litres. If the
same rates of discharge occur at sea as they do in port, the
estimated worldwide annual inputs of lubricants to marine waters
both in ports and harbours and at sea might be estimated to be
about four times the port estimate. This assumes that each vessel
spends, on average, three days at sea for every day in port.
Total worldwide use of lubricants from operational leaks and
discharges would then be about 130 million to 244 million litres
annually.
Etkin, Dagmar Schmidt. Environmental Research Consulting Worldwide Analysis of In-Port

Vessel Operational Lubricant , Arctic and Marine Oilspill Program Technical Seminar
of Environment Canada, 8 June 2010, Halifax, Canada

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Operational Oil Leakage


Kobelco Eagle Marine Engineering, a
g seal manufacturer states
leading
In stern tube bearings, the radial movement of the shaft is
considerably larger than that of bearings for general industrial
application. In addition, external disturbances such as
rough seas and vibration are considerable. It is
impractically impossible to seal the stern tube oil
perfectly. Therefore, one of the serious environmental
issues in medium and large commercial vessels is stern
tube oil leakage.
Sada, Hiroyuki, Seiji Yamajo, David W. Hawkins and Tsuyoshi Kawazoe. Kobelco Eagle Marine
Engineering Co. Ltd., Japan, An Environmentally Compatible Lubricant for Stern Tube Shafting and
Bearing Systems, presented at the 11th Shafting Symposium of the Society of Naval Architects and
Marine Engineers, Sept. 12-12 2006, Williamsburg, VA, U.S.A., pp 1.
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DNV Report -Potential for High Oil


Leakage Rates in Ice Operation
Prepared for Norwegian Maritime Directorate

p
of a Mandatory
y
for consideration of Development
Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters
Discharges from shipping during regular
operation in polar areas
Presented at IMO DE 54 (Aug. 2010)

As a potentially relative large source of operational oil discharge,


however still not effectivelyy regulated
g
and of unknown exact
magnitude, stern tube leakage should be addressed as a
particular environmental aspect in the polar environment as
well as in other areas. Of particular importance under ice
operation is the potential for especially high leakage rates, and
the proximity to ice with regards to deposition of oil.
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Increased Oil Discharges


in Polar Waters
Substantially more radial shaft movement
caused
db
by propeller
ll shaft
h ft milling
illi iin sea iice
Vibration, worn seals
Oil-tank

Inboard of vessel

Oillost

Sealing lips

Bearings

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Accidental Oil Leakage

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Accidental Oil Leakage


Lloyds Register reports
D f t statistics
Defect
t ti ti over th
the llastt 20 years iindicate
di t that
th t the
th
aft stern bush represents 10% of shaft line failures, with
the forward stern bush representing 4% of total failures.
Interestingly, the aft stern gland (seal) and forward
stern gland (seal) represent 43% and 24% of failures
respectively.

Smith, Andrew, Lloyds Register Global Technology Leader-Engineering


Systems ., Shaft Alignment Problems Analyzed, Marine Engineers
Review April 2009, pp. 16
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Accidental Oil Leakage


Seals repaired due to oil discharges (as reported in the press since 2008)

Types of Vessels
Tanker
Bulker
Container
Passenger/Other
No info avail.

4
5
11
6
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Accidental Oil Leakage


Typical causes of increased oil leakage
f
from
stern
t
tube
t b seall damage:
d
Fishing nets or rope caught in the propeller
Propeller shaft misalignment or bent shafts
Aged or worn lip seals
Propeller contact

with ice or ocean floor

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Oil Slick Detections


via Satellite: 2008

European Maritime Safety Agency Bulletin 2009 CleanSeaNet: Satellite-based monitoring

service for marine oil spill detection and surveillance in European waters, pp 48-51

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Can oil pollution discharges


below the waterline be
prevented?
. YES!
There is a
proven
alternative
to avoid this.
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History
Seawater as a lubricant dates back to
earliest
li t days
d
off shaft
h ft d
driven
i
propellers
ll

lignum vitae seawater lubricated bearings


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Still in Use!
Coast Guards and Navies still use seawater
propeller
p
shaft bearings
g
lubricated p
WHY?
If shaft seals are damaged (oil leaks out or

seawater leaks in), the ship is stranded!!!


Seawater offers non-catastrophic safety mode
Zero pollution risk in sensitive
environments

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Coast Guards Know the Risks


U.S. Coast Guard

Canadian Coast Guard

It has been Coast Guard policy to use waterlubricated propeller shaft bearings for all
conventional propulsion shafts because we are
able to get sufficiently reliable service from
water-lubricated bearings and we avoid the
leakage problems that inevitably occur with oil
lubricated systems particularly when there is no
drainable void separating the two sealed fluids.
All seals leak eventually and their life can
be very short when exposed to abrasives.
A ti waters
Arctic
t
can be
b fairly
f i l abrasive,
b
i
so,
there is greater risk of seal failure. For
icebreaking service there are likely vibration
benefits from use of elastomeric bearing
materials as well.

We use seawater lubricated bearings because of


its non-catastrophic failure mode. If we had
oil lubricated bearings and the propeller
severely impacted ice, the oil seals may be
damaged allowing oil leakage and
subsequent damage to the sensitive Arctic
ecosystem. Damage to the oil tight
integrity could cause the bearings to seize on
the prop shaft, leaving the ship on reduced
power, or even being stranded. With using
t this
thi iis nott an iissue. Th
The bearings
b i
are
seawater,
forgiving in the harshest of ice conditions.
Worthy of note that when in drydock, the effort
of inspection and maintenance of these bearings
are minimal.

Kevin Danahy, Propulsion Engineer


U.S. Coast Guard Surface Forces Logistics Center
ESD/NAME/Propulsion Systems

William G. Conway, Superintendent Vessel Support


Canadian Coast Guard- Newfoundland Region

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New Materials & Technologies

Video

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Are Biodegradable
Lubricants an Option?
Knowledge of the effects of biodegradable oils-in-ice on

the Arctic ecosystem is extremely limited


There is some evidence that biodegradation may shut
down at temperatures below freezing, but the reasons are
not understood3
Once bird feathers become matted in oil, weather proofing
and insulating properties are lost, leading to either rapid
chilling or overheating4
Leaves a sheen, and in Canada and USA is considered a
pollutant and must be reported
3 Pegau, W. Scott. Biological Effects of Oil-in-ice in the Arctic, Oil Spill Recovery Institute
4 Berg, Catherine. Best Practices for Migratory Bird Care During Oil Spill Response, U.S. FISH AND
WILDLIFE SERVICE, April 2002.

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Are There Commercial


Ships Using Seawater
Lubricated Propeller
Shaft Bearings?

Carnival Corp., USA: 15 cruise


ships + 3 on order

BP/Alaska
BP/Al k Tankers,
T k
U.S.A.:4
USA 4
tankers

Carisbrooke Shipping, U.K.: 4


dry cargo ships on order

Flinter Group, Netherlands: 24


dry cargo ships
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Tidewater Corp., USA: 5 AHTS


ships

New
N
Y
York
k Ci
City S
Staten IIsland
l d
Ferries, U.S.A.: 3 ferries

BC Ferries, Canada:
10 fferries
i

COSCO, China: 12 bulk carriers


and 3 car carriers
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Great Lakes (USA/Canada)


Bulk Carrier Fleet
Maritime pollution laws similar to ships
operating
ti ocean-going
i vessels
l
Higher risk of oil leakage detection
Industry leaders building new ships all
with seawater lubricated propeller shaft
bearings
Canada Steamship Lines: 5 on order
Algoma Central Corp.: 6 on order
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Seawater Lubricated Propeller


Shaft Bearing System
Pros

Cons

Proven in operation for

Mild steel propeller shaft and

commercial ships
Life cycle costs much lower with
no aft seal and no oil
consumption
Experienced in polar waters used by US and Canadian Coast
Guard
Non-catastrophic failure mode
Acoustically quieter
Zero pollution risk to a
sensitive environment

inside of stern tube requires


corrosion protection
May be higher upfront cost
(bronze liners)

Conclusion
New materials and designs create
q
technical equivalence
Viable alternative to oil lubricated white metal

propeller shaft bearings

Proven operation in polar waters


Sustainable solution available now
Eliminates oil pollution risk to the
polar environments

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Questions?

Thank you!

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