JP2015525850A - Method and apparatus for collecting oil samples from marine engines - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus for collecting oil from a marine engine comprising a helical collection conduit (12) connected to receive a mixture of oil and scavenging gas (ie, air). Due to the combination of the curvature of the helical conduit and the flow velocity distribution in the tube, oil accumulates on the inner surface of the conduit and is discharged into the collection vessel (30) under gravity.

Description

The present invention relates to an apparatus for collecting oil from marine engines.

It is known to monitor the operational behavior of a two-stroke marine diesel engine by analyzing a sample of cylinder drain oil. The oil content can provide information regarding flammability, lubricity, and wear conditions. For example, wear of engine parts generates microparticles that are collected by drain oil. The detection of these particles provides information about the parts that are worn and the extent of the wear. Monitoring the oil content also provides information about the lubricity applied. Thereby, the oil supply amount of the cylinder into the engine can be adjusted in a safe and cost-effective manner. Excessive lubrication can result in piston deposits that inhibit free movement of the piston ring and cause misalignment that increases engine wear and increases the production of particulates that can cause air pollution.

  In order to analyze the oil, it must be extracted from the exhaust pipe under the piston of the engine. FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing sampling points of conventional cylinder drain oil in a marine engine. The marine engine 50 has a cylinder oil discharge pipe 52 extending from a space under the piston of the engine. A shut-off valve 56 is attached to the discharge pipe 52 to allow the discharge pipe 52 to be closed. A collection line 54 is connected upstream of the shutoff valve 56. The collection line 54 has a collection valve 58 attached to it. Samples are collected by closing shutoff valve 56, opening collection valve 58, and collecting drain oil in a suitable container.

  However, the space under the piston from which used cylinder oil is discharged is pressurized by the intake air. This air, called “scavenging”, flows out with the spent cylinder drain oil and causes a splash when the oil is collected. This splashing can smear around and pose a health hazard, making it difficult to collect samples.

  Conventional recovery techniques also encounter problems in modern engine designs where low cylinder oil feed rates are applied and reduce the amount of cylinder drain oil that flows toward the drain when the shut-off valve is closed. As a result, there is a long waiting time before sufficient cylinder drain oil samples can be taken, and the collected samples may not be representative.

Most generally, the present invention
-Assisting in transporting oil from the drain, allowing scavenging through the discharge line and simultaneous flow of oil out;
-Propose an engine exhaust pipe configuration and collection device that combines oil droplets and spray and separates them from scavenging for collection.

  In accordance with the present invention, an apparatus for collecting oil from a marine engine, the apparatus comprising an attachable collection port for receiving a mixture of oil and scavenging gas (ie, air) from the engine, oil and gas A curved collection conduit configured to output oil collected at the first end of the collection port and output oil collected at the second end, the curved collection conduit being helical, A device can be provided.

The marine engine may be a two-stroke diesel marine engine.
The device may be used to collect oil from the engine output where any oil and air is mixed. For example, the device may be used to collect cylinder drain oil, such as from a space under a piston of a marine diesel engine.

  In use, the device receives a mixture of oil and gas into a helical collection conduit. When the mixture flows from the conduit, the following two phenomena occur:

-The curvature and centrifugal force of the helical conduit impinges the oil on the inner surface of the conduit; and-due to the laminar flow theory in the pipe, the flow rate of the mixture is from the maximum at the center of the conduit towards the inner surface. Decrease. This change in flow rate accumulates impinging oil on the inner surface of the conduit. This theory applies to the present invention because scavenging is exhausted under pressure from within the engine.

  A collection conduit is provided for separating oil from the air. The dimensions of the conduit are selected to ensure that the oil and air are separated approximately as they exit the second end.

  The second end of the collection conduit may be located in a lower chamber configured to allow the separated air to escape freely while capturing the separated oil. The apparatus can comprise a funnel (eg, a conical or tapered channel) for collecting and drawing oil into a suitable container (collection container) at the second end of the conduit. The second end of the conduit may be located at the top of the funnel. The funnel may be in the lower chamber or part thereof. The separated oil may flow through the funnel under gravity. Prior to separation, the oil flow may be facilitated by a scavenging flow.

  The collection port may be attachable to the discharge line from the space under the piston. The device may comprise a collection valve that opens and closes the conduit. The collection valve may be a full flow ball valve that, when open, allows unrestricted flow so that drain oil is pumped into the discharge line by air flow. The collection valve may be at any point in the collection port or in the conduit. Alternatively, the collection valve may be the shutoff valve itself that already exists in the engine exhaust line, i.e. for the engine.

  The device may comprise a support for holding the conduit in place during use, for example a holding frame. The support may be a cylindrical frame that is securely attached to the surface (eg, floor) of the engine room. Since oil and air move through the conduit under pressure, the support holds the conduit to prevent spillage. The support may have a first positioning member, such as an internal ledge, for receiving the base of the helical conduit. The support may have a second positioning member, for example an internal flange, for mounting on the helical conduit. The first and second positioning members may thus form a bracket for holding the conduit. The positioning member may be a shelf-like portion that protrudes inward from the side wall of the cylindrical frame.

  The discharge line may be an existing oil discharge pipe of the engine. Alternatively, an exhaust line may be provided (eg, additional installed) to the engine in preparation for receiving the device. For example, a new exhaust line may be installed on an engine whose existing exhaust pipe has an inappropriate shape or position. The discharge line may be installed by drilling a hole in the discharge pipe and attaching a sampling port to this hole, or may be through an adapter that can be attached to the discharge pipe. For example, the adapter may be a collar that can be attached to a marine engine, and the collar may have an orifice to which a collection port can be attached. The adapter may have a collection valve that controls the acceptance of oil from the drain to the collection port. Both the device and the adapter may have a collection valve to prevent leakage if one fails. The collection port may be attached to a discharge pipe above the discharge pipe shutoff valve. This allows the shutoff valve to be closed and the collection port to bypass all oil from the engine.

  Preferably, the device stands upright with the first end positioned vertically above the second end. Thereby, oil can be poured by gravity.

  The present invention may also be expressed as a marine engine comprising the above-described device and as the use of the above-described device for collecting oil from the marine engine.

  In another aspect, the present invention provides a discharge pipe structure suitable for extraction of cylinder drain oil using the above apparatus. According to this aspect, a discharge pipe for extracting cylinder drain oil from a space under a piston of a marine diesel engine is provided, and the discharge pipe includes an outflow pipe extending in a lateral direction from the space under the piston, The outflow pipe has an outlet for extracting cylinder drain oil, and the outflow pipe has a cross-sectional area large enough to allow a free flow of scavenging from the engine through the outlet. Here, the free flow may mean that the outflow pipe does not interfere with the scavenging flow. For example, the outlet tube may include a smooth (ie, no surface discontinuity) transition to the space under the piston. The bottom surface of the outflow pipe may be the same height as the bottom surface of the space below the piston.

  The discharge pipe may include a valve for opening and closing the outflow pipe. The valve preferably does not limit the cross-sectional area of the outlet tube. For example, the valve may be a full flow ball valve.

  The outlet may be on the side of the outlet tube, for example, the outlet may comprise a collection conduit that runs in an offset direction (eg, orthogonal) from the direction of the outlet tube. The outlet or collection conduit may have a smaller cross-sectional area than the outflow tube. However, to ensure that an accurate sample is obtained, the bottom of the outlet is preferably along the bottom of the outflow tube.

  According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of collecting oil from a marine engine, the method comprising attaching a device having a curved collection conduit to the marine engine to capture the extracted oil sample. Taking an oil sample from the conduit. The apparatus may be according to the first aspect of the invention.

  The method may comprise washing the conduit with compressed air prior to taking the oil sample. In this way, the previous sample can be prevented from contaminating the next sample.

  Preferably, the device is attached to the exhaust pipe of the engine. In that case, the method may comprise closing the shut-off valve of the engine exhaust pipe to direct all oil from the engine to the device.

  The method may also comprise oil analysis according to known techniques. For example, the oil content is inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and physical tests on viscosity, dispersibility, total base number (TBN), water content, soot-like insoluble materials It may be evaluated using any one or more of.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Examples of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a schematic diagram of cylinder drain oil collection points in a marine engine as described above, as is known in the art. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the collection apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the collection apparatus of FIG. 2 attached to the engine for ships. It is a flowchart of the method of collecting oil from the marine engine which concerns on embodiment of this invention. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the collection device of Figure 2 attached to an alternative discharge facility. It is sectional drawing of the discharge pipe of cylinder oil. It is sectional drawing of the discharge pipe of cylinder oil. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the collection apparatus which concerns on another embodiment of this invention.

Detailed Description; Other Options and Choices FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of an apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. A coiled length portion of the pipe (conduit) 12 is supported in the cylindrical housing 14. At the first end 16, the piping is connected to a collection port 15 that can be attached to a marine engine. The second end 18 of the pipe leads into a funnel 20 connected to the housing 14. The pipe 12 is supported in the housing by an upper shelf-like portion 24 and a lower shelf-like portion 22 that bracket the pipe in the housing. The shelves 22, 24 serve to hold the piping within the housing 14 during oil collection. The second end of the pipe 18 is located under the lower shelf 22 that protrudes into the funnel 20. The stand 26 supports the housing and places the funnel outlet above a collection point 28 where a container 30 for collecting oil is located.

  The housing 14 is open at the top, allowing air to escape through the device. The coiled tube is configured such that the first end 16 is higher than the second end 18 so that oil adhering to the inner surface of the tube flows into the funnel 20 under gravity.

  The coiled tube may be a helical conduit having about 10 coils. The number of coils may be selected to balance the effective separation of oil from entrained air and the collection rate. In an embodiment, a 15 millimeter x 22 millimeter hose is used for the coiled tube. This size of piping is practical in terms of flow cross-sectional area and overall device size, but other sizes may be used.

  FIG. 3 shows the attachment of the device of FIG. 2 to the marine engine 40. The cylinder oil discharging configuration in FIG. 3 is the same as that in FIG. The marine engine 40 has a cylinder oil discharge pipe 42 extending from a space below the piston of the engine. A shutoff valve 44 is attached to the exhaust pipe 42 to allow the exhaust pipe to be closed. A collection line 48 is connected upstream of the shutoff valve 44. The collection line 48 has a collection valve 46 attached to it. The device 10 is connected downstream of the collection valve via a suitable conduit 49, which may be part of a soft hose.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a method of recovering oil using the apparatus of FIG. The device 10 is attached to the engine 40 via the sampling line 48 as described above. In the first step 100, the container 30 is placed below the second end of the tube 18. In the second step 102, the shutoff valve 44 is closed and the collection valve 46 in the collection line 48 is opened, so that scavenging in the engine drain pipe 42 can be blown through the pipe 12. This allows dirty oil to be removed from the tube, collected in a container and then discarded.

  In a third step 104, a clean container is then placed under the second end of the tubing 18 and the collection valve 46 is opened again. The shutoff valve 44 of the engine exhaust pipe 42 remains closed, and all oil from the engine is directed through the collection valve 46 into the device.

  In the fourth step 106, after the collection valve is opened, scavenging and oil are further blown out from the second end 18 of the apparatus. Scavenging is directed out of the device through a conduit and exhausted out at the top of the device. For example, as shown here, the device stands upright with the first end 16 positioned vertically above the second end 18 and, following gravity, the accumulated oil is collected in the lower collection container 30. Discharged. The oil is collected in a collection container until a sufficient amount is collected for analysis, for example up to about 100 ml.

  In the fifth step, after sufficient oil has been collected, the shutoff valve 44 is reopened, the collection valve 46 is closed, and the sample is thoroughly mixed and poured into a sample bottle for analysis.

  FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative drain structure that may be suitable for use with the collection device of the present invention. Similar to the configuration in FIG. 3, the marine engine 40 has a cylinder oil discharge pipe 42 extending from a space under the piston of the engine. However, in this case, the shutoff valve 44 is attached to a horizontal portion on the cylinder oil discharge pipe 42 along the space below the piston. The collection line 48 is connected upstream of the shut-off valve 44, which also means that it is arranged along the space under the engine piston. The collection line 48 is inclined away from the cylinder oil drain pipe 42, for example, at 90 °. The inlet to the collection line 48 is smaller than the diameter of the cylinder oil discharge pipe 42 but has a diameter that is suitable to allow free flow of scavenging from the engine through the collection line 48. 45. The collection line 48 has a collection valve 46 mounted thereon. Similar to the configuration shown in FIG. 3, the device 10 is connected downstream of the collection valve via a suitable conduit 49.

  The bottom of the orifice 45 is along the bottom of the cylinder oil discharge pipe 42. As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, this configuration can facilitate the recovery of cylinder drain oil. FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the cylinder oil discharge pipe 42 at the orifice 45 to the collection line 48. The cylinder drain oil level 41 required in the cylinder oil discharge line 42 for flow in the collection line is relatively low. In contrast, FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view of a cylinder oil discharge pipe 42 that is similar except that the collection line 48 is coaxial with the discharge pipe 42 and therefore the orifice 45 is in the middle of the side of the discharge pipe 42. Indicates. In this case, the cylinder drain oil needs to exceed level 43 before the sample can be taken. With efficiency as in modern engines, cylinder drain oil can take a long time to accumulate. Furthermore, in some engines, the updraft in the space under the piston can blow off the accumulated oil. The configuration shown in FIG. 6A is advantageous in reducing the time required to collect a sample.

  FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of an oil recovery apparatus 70 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Similar to the device shown in FIG. 2, the device 70 has a coiled tube (conduit) 72 supported within a cylindrical housing 74. Cylindrical housing 74 is supported within stand 78. The lower end of the housing 74 is opened, and the collected oil can be discharged from the piping toward the funnel 80 attached to the stand 78 and led to the container 82.

  In this embodiment, one end of the pipe 72 is connected to a collection port (not shown) that can be attached to the marine engine. The other end 75 of the pipe ends halfway through the cylindrical housing 74 so that there is a vertical distance between the end 75 and the funnel 80. Having a vertical space helps to prevent oil from splashing.

  The cylindrical housing 74 has an inner pipe 76 that defines an annular space including the pipe 72 together with the outer wall of the housing. The inner tube may have a diameter of about 10 centimeters (4 inches). This diameter sets the curvature of the piping and can reduce scattering. Inner tube 76 also functions to cover the coiled tube in order to protect it from oil splashing with the air exhausted from the engine. The inner pipe is easier to clean the undulating inner surface of the coil of the pipe.

  When oil is collected, particularly when the engine is active, it may crawl out of the container 82 into the cylindrical housing 74. In order to prevent the oil from being overfilled into the device, the inner tube 76 consists of two parts with an annular ring region in the middle. The discharge line 84 is disposed in a ring-shaped space. The discharge line 84 has a plurality of discharge ports through which oil passes through the inner pipe 76 and is taken out through the discharge pipe 88.

Claims (16)

  An apparatus for collecting oil from a marine engine, said apparatus being attachable to receive a mixture of oil and scavenging gas from said engine, and a first end of said collection port for oil and gas A curved collection conduit configured to receive the oil collected at the second end and output the collected oil at the second end, wherein the curved collection conduit is helical.   The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a support for the helical conduit.   3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising a funnel at the second end of the conduit for directing collected oil to the container.   The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a discharge pipe adapter at the first end, the discharge pipe adapter being attachable to an oil discharge pipe of the engine.   The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the drain tube adapter comprises a detachable connector.   The marine engine provided with the apparatus of any one of Claims 1-5.   Use of an apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 for collecting oil from a marine engine.   A discharge pipe for extracting cylinder drain oil from a space under a piston of a marine diesel engine, wherein the discharge pipe includes an outflow pipe extending in a lateral direction from the space under the piston, and the outflow pipe is A discharge pipe having an outlet for extracting cylinder drain oil, the outlet pipe having a cross-sectional area sized to allow free flow of scavenging from the engine through the outlet.   The discharge pipe according to claim 8, wherein the outflow pipe includes a smooth transition to a space under the piston.   The discharge pipe according to claim 8 or 9, wherein a bottom surface of the outflow pipe is flush with a bottom surface of a space under the piston.   The discharge pipe according to any one of claims 8 to 10, comprising a valve for opening and closing the outflow pipe.   12. A discharge tube according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the outlet comprises a collection conduit extending from a side surface of the outflow tube in a direction offset from the direction of the outflow tube.   The discharge pipe according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein a bottom portion of the outlet extends along a bottom portion of the outflow pipe. A method for collecting oil from a marine engine comprising:
Attaching the device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 to an engine;
Collecting an oil sample from a second end of the apparatus.   The method of claim 14, further comprising cleaning the device by flowing a scavenging air through the device after the device is installed and before collecting an oil sample. 16. The method of claim 14 or claim 15, further comprising closing a shutoff valve of the engine exhaust pipe to direct all oil from the exhaust pipe to the device.

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