engine room waste management - oily water & separators

ENGINE ROOM WASTEMANAGEMENTOILY WATER AND

SEPARATORS

ENGINE ROOM WASTE MANAGEMENTOILY WATER AND SEPARATORS

A VIDEOTEL PRODUCTION

AUTHORPat Mitchell

84 NEWMAN STREET, LONDON W1T 3EU

TELEPHONE +44(0)20 7299 1800FACSIMILE +44(0)20 7299 1818

[email protected]

ENGINE ROOM WASTE MANAGEMENTOILY WATER AND SEPARATORS

A VIDEOTEL PRODUCTIONin association with

THE STEAMSHIP MUTUAL UNDERWRITING ASSOCIATION (BERMUDA) LTD

The Producers would like to acknowledge the assistance of

THE MASTER, OFFICERS AND CREW OF ARKLOW WINDTHE STAFF OF THE NATIONAL MARITIME COLLEGE OF IRELAND

A&P FalmouthArklow Shipping Ltd

The Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO)BW Shipping Managers

Dobson Fleet Management Dorchester Atlantic Marine Ltd

Essar Shipping LimitedFafalios Ltd

Fairmont Shipping (UK) Ltd Hamworthy plc

Hanseatic Shipping CompanyHong Kong Shipowners Association

International Maritime Organization (IMO)ISM Solutions Inc

The Institute of Marine Engineering (IMarEST)INTERTANKO

The Maersk Company LtdMaritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA)

OCIMFOMI Corporation

Paris MOUShell International Trading & Shipping Co. Ltd

Tanker Pacific Management (Singapore) Pte LtdUnited States Coast Guard (USCG)

Vela International Marine LtdV Ships UK Ltd

Wallem Ship Management

CONSULTANTS: Sir William Codrington, Professor Jon Wonham, Bill Cooper

PRODUCER: Peter Wilde

WRITER: Pat Mitchell

DIRECTOR: Chris Setchell

WARNINGAny unauthorised copying, lending, exhibition, diffusion, sale, public performance or other exploitation of the accompanying video isstrictly prohibited and may result in prosecution. COPYRIGHT Videotel 2007 This video and accompanying workbook training package is intended to reflect the best available techniques and practices at the time ofproduction. It is intended purely as comment. No responsibility is accepted by Videotel, or by any firm, corporation or organisation whoor which has been in any way concerned with the production or authorised translation, supply or sale of this video for accuracy of anyinformation given hereon or for any omission herefrom.

VIDEOTEL PRODUCTIONS

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INTRODUCTION 4

HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAMME PART 1 81 Introduction 8

2 The video 8

3 Points from the video 9

4 Sources leaks etc 9

5 Sources cleaning 10

6 Summary 10

HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAMME PART 2 111 Introduction 11

2 The video 11

3 How the separator and oil content monitor work 12

4 Operation of the separator 15

5 Maintenance 16

6 Security 16

7 The new generation of separators 17

8 Summary 18

HELPFUL QUESTIONS PART 1 AND 2 19

APPENDIX 20

RESOURCES AND FURTHER READING 20

ENGINE ROOM WASTE MANAGEMENT OILY WATER AND SEPARATORS VIDEOTEL PRODUCTIONS

CONTENTS

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THE ENGINE ROOM WASTE MANAGEMENT SERIESThis training programme on Oily Water and Separators is one of a series of four covering differentaspects of engine room waste management. The other three cover, The Oil Record Book, Sewage andWaste Water Treatment, and Sludge and the Incinerator respectively.

Each of the four programmes consists of a video and an accompanying guide.

TARGET AUDIENCE AND FORMATThe programme is designed for all engine room personnel. It is in two parts, each of which is led by asenior engineer officer. Each part begins with a brief introduction. The group then watch a video whichlasts about fifteen minutes. They then discuss the points raised in the video and relate these to theparticular circumstances of their own ship.

VIDEOTEL PRODUCTIONS ENGINE ROOM WASTE MANAGEMENT OILY WATER AND SEPARATORS

INTRODUCTION

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OBJECTIVESThose taking part in the training programme will:

Identify typical sources of oily water

Know how to minimise the amount of oily water reaching the bilges and control its content sothat the oily water separator (OWS) and oil content monitor (OCM) are able to work properly

Understand the working principles of the OWS and the OCM

Understand important features of operating and maintaining the OWS, including some simplesecurity precautions

Learn about the new generation of separators designed to meet the standards specified inMEPC.107(49)

MEPC stands for Marine Environment Protection Committee. This is a committee of the InternationalMaritime Organization the IMO. The numbers simply tell us that this is the Committees 107th resolution,passed at their 49th session. The full title of the resolution is: Revised guidelines and specifications for pollutionprevention equipment for machinery spaces of ships.

In addition to the usual introduction, explanation of the background and definitions, the resolution contains:

Technical specifications

Specifications for type approval testing of pollution prevention equipment

Installation requirements

Relate the issues covered in the programme to their own ship

THE PROGRAMME

PART 1 covers where oily water comes from, how to minimise the quantity reaching thebilges and how to control the content of the water so that the OWS and the OCM are able tofunction correctly

PART 2 covers how the separator and the OCM work, how to operate and maintain them,simple security precautions and an outline of the new generation of separators

Each part of the programme is divided into sections. If you dont have time to run all of either part, youcan run some sections separately. For example, you could discuss operating the separator in one shorttraining session and maintaining it in another. If you do, show the video in the first session and dontleave too much of a gap between sessions.

THE VIDEOThe video shows a conversation between an experienced engineer and a student who is nearing the endof her university degree in mechanical engineering and is considering a career at sea. The experiencedengineer explains and discusses why it is important to handle oily water properly and how that is done.

The video is in two parts, each lasting approximately 15 minutes.


INTRODUCTION

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THE REGULATIONSThe appendix to the guide contains copies of the following regulations from MARPOL, Annex I:

Regulation 4: Exceptions

Regulation 14: Oil filtering equipment

Regulation 15: Control of the discharge of oil

MEPC 54/21, Annex 17


INTRODUCTION

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PREPARATION FOR PART 1If you will be leading the programme:

Watch PART 1 of the video

Read the detailed notes suggesting how to run the programme

Think about how the points raised relate to your ship (for example, procedures for disposingof gas oil used for cleaning)

Read MARPOL, Annex I, Regulations 14 and 15

Identify any specific actions which you would like those taking part to take once theprogramme is over. When you are leading the discussion, try to avoid telling the group whatthese are. Encourage them to come up with ideas. Add anything they have missed once theyhave done so. We have included examples of questions which you may want to use toencourage discussion

PREPARATION FOR PART 2If you will be leading the programme:

Watch PART 2 of the video

Read the detailed notes suggesting how to run the programme

Think about how the points raised relate to your ship (for example, the procedure to befollowed for cleaning the OWS once discharge is completed)

Section 5 of the programme covers the planned maintenance system (PMS) for your shipsseparator. Decide how much detail you want to go into about this

Review the fault list in your separators manual and decide which items are a priority todiscuss with those you will be training

Identify any standing orders for the treatment of oily water which are specific to your ship

If your company is likely to be installing new generation separators in the near future, findout what type these will be so that you are able to discuss them during the programme

Identify any specific actions which you would like those taking part to take once theprogramme is over

As with PART 1, try to make this session a discussion rather than a lecture, using theexamples of questions which we have provided if you think that these are helpful


INTRODUCTION

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1 INTRODUCTIONExplain that:

This short training programme is about oily water

It is in two parts. This part is about where oily water comes from, how to minimise itsquantity and how to control its content so that the separator and oil content monitor are ableto work properly. Part 2 covers how the separator and oil content monitor work, how tooperate and maintain them, simple security precautions and an outline of the new generationof separators

You will show them a video lasting about 15 minutes

You will then lead a discussion about the points raised in the video. The main objective of thisdiscussion is to identify and agree ways of handling oily water better on your ship. Stress thatyou want their ideas and suggestions

Remind the group that the discharge of oily water, whether through the separator or to shore basedfacilities, is strictly controlled by internationally agreed regulations and it is inspected by port stateauthorities. The limit for discharge at sea is 15ppm (parts per million) and the ship must be en routeduring discharge.

Ask them if they know what 15ppm means. It is roughly a coffee cup of oil in 20m3 of water.

2 THE VIDEO

Explain that the video shows a conversation between an engineer officer and a student who isnearing the end of her university degree course in mechanical engineering and is has beenasked by her professor to do a project on real engineering.Show the video.


HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAMMEPART 1

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3 POINTS FROM THE VIDEOAsk the group what they thought were the important points from the video. In summary these are:

There are many sources of oily water such as leaks, spills, overflows and condensation

Good housekeeping can reduce the quantity of oily water coming from many of these sources.A leak that drips every second can put 30 or 40 litres into the bilges in a day

Cleaning is a particular issue

Controlling the content, as well as the quantity, of the oily water that reaches the bilges isimportant. If it contains too much oil the separator may struggle to cope with it. If it containsimpurities such as soot, the OCM may not work properly

4 SOURCES LEAKS ETC

Ask the group for suggestions about how to reduce the amount of oily water from leaks,spills and overflows

Check that they understand and are following the procedures for handling itemscontaminated with oil filters, oily rags and so on. Ask for any ideas about how to do thisbetter

Stress the importance of keeping as much oil as possible out of the bilges by, for example,carefully emptying drip trays

Add any points for improvement which the group have not suggested



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5 SOURCES CLEANINGDiscuss and identify improvements in the procedures for the following cleaning tasks:

Keeping bilges and holding tanks as clean as possible

Preventing emulsifiers getting into the bilge water

Cleaning the air cooler in the charge air receiver

Disposing of gas oil used for cleaning

Handling water contaminated with soot from pressure washingthe waste heat recovery unit in the funnel, while in port

6 SUMMARYSummarise the action points which you have agreed. Agree a timescale for implementation.



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1 INTRODUCTIONExplain that:

PART 2 of this short training programme covers how the separator and OCM work, how tooperate and maintain them, including tackling faults, simple security precautions and anoutline of the new generation of separators

As in PART 1, you will show them a video lasting about 15 minutes, followed by a discussionabout the points raised in the video. The main objective of this discussion is to identify andagree ways of handling oily water better on your ship. Stress that you want their ideas andsuggestions

2 THE VIDEO

Remind the group that the video shows a conversation between an engineer officer and astudent who is nearing the end of her university degree course in mechanical engineering and isconsidering a career at sea. In PART 1 they discussed the sources of oily water. In this part theytalk about how oily water is dealt with.Show the video.



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3 HOW THE SEPARATOR AND OIL CONTENT MONITOR WORKCheck that those taking part understand the principles of how the separator and OCM work. Answer anyquestions they may have. Points to stress are:

Separation starts in the holding tank. Because oil and water have a different specific gravity,the static mixture of the two liquids in the tank will separate, with oil rising to the top, whichfrom there can be drawn off into a waste oil tank. This lowers the concentration of oil in thewater towards the bottom of the tank, making it easier for the separator to deal with

The present generation of separators contain two stages:

Stage 1 is SEPARATION. The equipment is designedto slow the velocity of oily water following its entryinto the separator from the holding tank. Again,because of the differences in specific gravity, a slowmoving mixture of the two liquids enable them toseparate, with the oil rising to the top

Separation is often also encouraged by usingheating coils, both in the holding tank and in theseparator itself. This is particularly important withhigher fractions of oil, since their specific gravitiesare similar to water



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Discharge of oil from the top of the separator andwater from the bottom is controlled by solenoids capacitance probes. The oil is pumped to a waste oiltank, while the water, which still contains more than15 ppm of oil, is drawn into Stage 2...

Stage 2 is a COALESCER. The droplets of oil in thewater are now so small that frictional force on theirsurfaces prevents them from rising. To solve thisproblem the oily water is forced through a filter. Thewater passes easily, but the oil droplets coalesce they stick to the filter and to one another, growinglarger in the process. This enables them to separate



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As in Stage 1, the oil is drawn off at the top of Stage2, and water, which should now contain less than 15ppm, is at the bottom

In the OCM, infrared light is shone through the waterfrom Stage 2 onto a detector. This measures theamount by which the light has been dispersed by theremaining droplets of oil. The monitor has beencalibrated to convert this measurement into parts permillion. Calibration is not done on board. Its a job for the manufacturer

If the monitor detects that the concentration of oil isabove 15 ppm, the overboard discharge outlet on the3-way valve is automatically closed, an alarm soundsand the water is directed back to the holding tank

4 OPERATION OF THE SEPARATORThe details to cover in this section will obviously depend on the make and model of the separator on yourship. Find out whether the group ever experience any problems when running the equipment. Ask for anysuggestions they may have for improvements.

You may wish to stress the following general points which were covered in the video:

It is good practice to put the manufacturers operating instructions in an easily visibleposition near the separator. Encourage those who operate the equipment to check theinstructions, even if they have used it before. Sometimes even experienced operators canoverlook something important

At the end of each cycle whoever is operating the separator should back-flush the equipmentwith clean water. This cleans the filters in Stage 2 and removes any remaining oil from Stage 1. The separator should be left full of clean water so that it is ready for the next time itis used

At the beginning of each separation cycle it is important to zero test the OCM with cleanwater

At the beginning and end of each cycle it is essential to check the ships exact position as thisinformation must be entered in the Oil Record Book

On many ships (yours?) there is a float in the bilge holding tank which will stop the separatorrunning before the concentration of oil in the water becomes too great for it to cope with. Ifthis is not the case on your ship, stress that the operator should estimate the amount ofpumpable water in the system so that it can be shut down before the separator is floodedwith concentrated oil. It is not acceptable practice to run the equipment until the alarmsounds

Explain and discuss any standing orders on your ship which are additional to the procedures called for inthe statutory regulations.



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5 MAINTENANCEDiscuss the PMS for your separator with the group.

Check that they understand the important points which it covers

Find out whether they have any problems maintaining the equipment orideas for improvement

Explain how you verify that maintenance schedules are being followed

Stress the importance of keeping sufficient spares on board

Explain the key points from the fault list for your separator. Stress that when faults occur:

They must stop the separator running as soon as the fault develops, rather than waiting untilthey have identified the problem. There must never be any risk that water with an oil contentabove the 15 ppm limit could be discharged overboard.

They must avoid any temptation to break or bend the rules. If a problem arises which canonly be solved by doing something illegal, that is an issue for the shore office to sort out.

6 SECURITYThe video highlighted the use of:

White boxes. These prevent anyone tampering with the OCM.

Seals on valves and flanges in the engine room. These ensure that no one can interfere withany pipe work containing oil or oily wastes. Some seals are plastic, so that they can beremoved quickly in an emergency. Others are chains secured by padlocks. The numbers ofplastic seals are recorded in the engine room logbooks and the Chief Engineer keeps thekeys to any padlocks

Discuss with the group the steps taken on your ship to protect the security of the equipment for handlingoily water.



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7 THE NEW GENERATION OF SEPARATORSAs the student pointed out to the engineer in the video, the current generation of separators have someimportant disadvantages and limitations. They cope badly with dirt, soot, emulsifiers, and oil at too high aconcentration. Rough sea conditions lower the efficiency of separation. For these reasons, it is oftendifficult for even the most experienced engineers to make them work properly.

That is why the IMO has introduced a revised set of guidelines and specifications for separators. Theseare set out in MEPC.107(49).

MEPC stands for Marine Environment Protection Committee. This is a committee of the InternationalMaritime Organization the IMO. The numbers simply tell us that this is the Committees 107thresolution, passed at their 49th session. The full title of the resolution is:

Revised guidelines and specifications for pollution prevention equipment for machinery spacesof shipsIn addition to the usual introduction, explanation of the background and definitions, the resolutioncontains:

Technical specifications

Specifications for type approval testing of pollution prevention equipment

Installation requirements



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These new requirements apply to:

Installations fitted to ships, the keel of which are laid or which are at a similar stage ofconstruction on or after 1 January 2005; and

To new installations fitted on or after 1 January 2005 to ships, the keel of which were laid orwhich were at a similar stage of construction before 1 January 2005 in as far as is reasonableand practicable

The requirements for design, manufacture, testing, type approval and so on are very detailed, but tell thegroup that the good news for ships engineers is contained in the following single paragraph:

It should be understood that a 15ppm Bilge Separator must be capable of handling any oilymixtures from the machinery space bilges and be expected to be effective over the completerange of oils which might be carried on board ship, and deal with oil of very high relativedensity, or with a mixture presented to it as an emulsion. Cleansing agents, emulsifiers,solvents or surfactants used for cleaning purposes may cause the bilge water to emulsify.Proper measures should be taken to minimise the presence of these substances in the bilgesof a ship. With the possibility of emulsified bilge water always present the 15ppm BilgeSeparator must be capable of separating the oil from the emulsion to produce an effluent withan oil content not exceeding 15ppm

Explain that a number of manufacturers have already risen to this challenge using a variety of technicalapproaches, including centrifuges, sophisticated membranes, biological systems and evaporation. If yourcompany is introducing new generation separators, explain the approach on which they will be based.

8 SUMMARYSummarise the action points which you have agreed. Agree a timescale for implementation.



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PART 1

1 Name three sources of oily water

2 Name three different types of impurities which may prevent the OWS or the OCM fromworking properly

3 Oil and water separate because of differences in what?

4 Why must we avoid using cleaners that contain emulsifiers?

5 Why are heating coils used in the bilge holding tank and the separator?

6 How should gas oil used for cleaning be disposed of?

7 Why do some companies put their OCM in a lockable white box?

8 What should you do if the separator develops a fault while you are operating it?

9 What should you do to the OCM before starting separation?

10 What should you do to the separator once you have completed a cycle of separation?

PART 2

1 What happens in the first separation stage of the separator?

2 What happens in the second coalescing stage of the separator?

3 Why do some companies put their OCM in a lockable white box?

4 Why are heating coils used in the bilge holding tank and the separator?

5 How is the discharge of oil and water controlled in the first stage of the separator?

6 How does the oil content monitor work?

7 What should you do if the separator develops a fault while you are operating it?

8 What should you do to the OCM before starting separation?

9 What should you do to the separator once you have completed a cycle of separation?

10 Name two of the principles on which the design of the new generation of separatorsis based

11 Why is it necessary to check the ships position at the beginning and end of separation?

12 Why is it good practice to lock flanges and valves with plastic seals and padlocks?


QUESTIONS

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MARPOL, ANNEX I CHAPTER 1 GENERAL

Regulation 4: Exceptions

CHAPTER 3 REQUIREMENTS FOR MACHINERY SPACES OF ALL SHIPS

PART B Equipment

Regulation 14: Oil filtering equipment

PART C Control of operational discharge of oil

Regulation 15: Control of the discharge of oil

A: Discharges outside special areas

B: Discharges in special areas

C: Requirements for ships of less than 400 gross tonnagein all areas except the Antarctic area

D: General requirements

RESOURCES AND FURTHER READING

Shipping Industry Guidance on the use of Oily Water SeparatorsPublished by: MARITIME I


APPENDIX / RESOURCES AND FURTHER READING

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84 NEWMAN STREET, LONDON W1T 3EUTELEPHONE +44(0)20 7299 1800FACSIMILE +44(0)20 7299 1818E-MAIL [email protected]

WEB www.videotel.co.uk

p r o d u c t i o n s

engine room waste management - oily water & separators

Documents

accompanying video

engine room personnel

copyright videotel

formatthe programme

brief introduction

accompanying guide

new generation of separators

sources leaks