Functions And Properties of Ship Engine Oil
Whether
it is a ship or an automobile, engine oil has these five functions:
- While the
engine is the heart of a ship or a vehicle, it is the parts within the
engine that have the biggest role to play in the smooth running of the
ship. These parts, however, rub against each other, and the oil helps
reduce the resultant fiction that arises when the engine works.
- The oil is
filled with properties that help dissipate the heat that is generated when
the engine works.
- The oil also
has properties that help the parts from corrosion and wear and tear. It
also prevents rusting of different parts of the engine.
- The oil also
helps reduce noise and helps fill or seal gaps.
Properties
of engine oil
- The
viscosity of the oil is an important parameter. It is the ability of the
oil to flow. With a rise in temperature, the viscosity reduces. For
crankcase, the lube oil should be between 130 – 240 Cst, and for the
cylinder, it should be 12.5 – 22 Cst.
- The
viscosity index should be high. The index is a measure of the change in
viscosity with rising and fall in temperature. When the oil viscosity
index is high, there is minimal change in the viscosity with changing temperature.
- The pour
point should be low. Pour point, as the name suggests, is the ability of
the oil to flow, but since all oils have a certain temperature beyond
which they will stop flowing, the pour point is a measure of this
temperature. Lower the pour point, and better will be the flow of the oil
at most temperatures.
- Should be
stable in the aspect of oxidative nature.
- Should be
leaving minimal or less carbon residue. For this, the oil consists of
detergents that reduce the chances of carbon deposition.
- The Total
Acid Number (TAN) and the Total Base Number (TBN) should be appropriate so
that the oil can neutralize the effect of alkaline and acidic by-products.
- The
Flashpoint is another important parameter for ship engine
oil.
It should be typically high so that the chances of it getting inflamed
when stored is reduced.
Comments
Post a Comment