Scavenge fires.
 

My experience of Scavenge fires was limited to watching while the lifeboat covers were burnt away and the whole place looked like fire-work night, but what was it like in the engine room? Am I right in thinking that Blue Funnel were good at this?

I'd say "interesting" would be appropriate. Kept one amused for hours :shock:

Spent nearly 40 years working with diesel engines and the only scavenge fires I encountered were in Reeds and C C Pounder. Am I unusual?

I remember we came out of the canal into the Red Sea, we did put NUC up as everything seemed a bit burny, but what was going on down below? I don't imagine buckets of water would do the job, but what was the job?

Certainly ES. But what has that to do with the topic?

I remember, when I sailed in the Rhexenor 1954/6, scavenger fires seemed to be almost routine for a while, it must have been very worrying for the engine room staff, probably frightening??. We, the deck dept. became used to the fire alarm sounding in the middle of some sultry night in the Red Sea or Indian Ocean, the engines stopped, the ships whistle signalling the location of the fire, (I am not sure what the signal for the engine room was), jumping out of our bunks and joining the fire party. I know that I was in the smoke helmet party for a while, often having to wear the helmet. It looked spectacular especially at night, great flames leaping out of the funnel, lighting the night sky. I don't know what the passengers felt, were they worried? or did it add to the adventure of voyaging on a cargo liner? Bruce

The topic ??? The topic ??? I didn't get where I am today by sticking to the topic. Sticking to the topic is for the little people, not for a swashbuckler from the bottom plates.

Quite right too. The hazelnuts get stuck between my teeth these days. Much prefer CDM

What's got a handful of hazelnuts in every bite?

If I remember correctly in our AMEC course was that the BoT solution was to reduce to dead slow and increase the cylinder lubrication. It was also taught that this was guaranteed to make the problem worse as the luboil feeds the fire. Never saw one in life but then only sailed proper on three motor ships.

a chocolate covered Squirrel...... AND I cleaned up that answer from the original :big_tongue:

The sole of discretion and good taste, but I would expect nothing else.

Regular inspections of the scavenge manifold and if any sign of increased oil/sludge/carbon then send for the Engine Serang and his merry men. Bit of overtime and bobs your uncle.

My last ship had two 20K HP B&W diesels. Never had a scavenge fire but it fell to me to periodically check the bank of CO2 cylinders there to smother the fire if it ever happened.
Why?
Well we had a device using a radio-active isotope and geiger-counter which fitted around a cylinder and by sliding the probe up and down one could locate the level of liquid CO2. Everyone else on board was terrified of it in case they became sterilized or developed radiation sickness!

As expected from yourself the above is the correct answer, "Cleanliness is next to Godliness" when it relates to the Engineroom and the equipment.
A bit of O/T keeps the spirits up no matter how dirty the job.

I always said, "Cleanliness is next to Godliness", but not on my ship.

What a ball-ache that device was - I found (and got Lloyds to approve the use of) that the hand held IR thermometer could reliably detect the liquid gas interface by the change in temperature due to the differing SHC of CO2 gas and liquid - still use it on camping gas cylinders!! (Lidl have the guns in occasionally for about £18)

I was the Jun. Enginer on the 8/12 on the M.V. "Wanstead" (Doxford engine). I was looking at the engine water temps when a spark hit me on the arm, stung a bit. I told the 4th but he didn't belive me but I insisted. He told the 2nd and I got the 3rd degree from him again The bridge rang, it was the 3rd mate asking what we were doing as there was clouds of smoke coming out of the funnel. It was a fire in the generator exhaust. I also had a small burn on my arm. The 2nd said just let it burn out

I should have added that the spark came out of the engine room vent.

The Shell tanker SS Hemitochus had a good one in 77 after she left the Black Sea. Over 100 tubes burnt out which were repaired at sea. She lumped back on auxillary boiler. It was 12 noon as she passed GiB and blew the tubes and just about blacked outside the Gib Strait I've read since that same ship had a very similar fire alongside Singapore a few years previous. A few months later the good old rust bucket 'Trochus' as she was affectionately called crossed the bar in Kaochiung Taiwan after a Far East Hongkong, Bangkok, Singapore luboil run. RIP 'Trochus'

That sounds more like an hydrogen fire, Lucy K. Much rarer but usually much more damaging. Stonehaven had one (not my turn aboard. Early 70s). Next voyage (my turn) Nicoverken troop from Finland retubing main boiler while continued to trade on the auxiliary. Nice chap Fred Turnock C/E carried the can - the source of my "Punshment ship, Chief? Punishment ship! What the f.... do you think you're on now?"

That now jars. I think it ws the baby boiler. The problem that got Fred the can was because it was used normally as a steam-steam generator and it's absence from service caused a long delay in them getting the plant back on from the main boiler without it.

I am surprise no one else from her saw that and put me right.

My first trip to sea - Junior Engineer on the Australia Star [1] July 1955.


One Sunday afternoon, two days out from Aden where we had refuelled, we were chatting in my cabin when the hooter sounded. At first we took no notice because it wasn't Friday [boat drill day]. When we realised it was for real we hared off to the engine room to find the whole of the front side of the port engine ablaze, burning residual fuel oil that had ignited from an overheated scavenge trunking. It took nearly four hours to put the fire out and get things back to normal.

I spent the best part of those four hours in the corner of the engine room, recharging fire extinguishers.

Varley's reply was the standard practice: Engine revs to Dead Slow, increase the lubrication of affected cylinder to prevent seizure of the now overheated unit. When the fire has subsided (and patience must be exercised here, it could take a while) the engine can be stopped and the turning gear used right away to keep it turning (don't do that part in heavy or following seas). Open the affected scavenge space and remove any smoldering gunk, use a water spray to cool it but DO NOT use CO2 as it will crack the liner!

In my experience with Doxfords scavenge fires were initiated by the crud in the scavenge space drying out(insufficient cylinder oil) and excessive piston blow-past. 5+mm liner wear on the 750 bore engines and things could get exciting so it was definitely time to up the lubricators before the entablature paint started to change colour!

Like Engine Serang, I never experienced a scavenge, or any other fire, in my 22 years at sea. So, ES, you're not as odd as some people might think!