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ENGINE ROOM WASTE MANAGEMENT

OILY WATER AND SEPARATORS

ENGINE ROOM WASTE MANAGEMENT


OILY WATER AND SEPARATORS A VIDEOTEL PRODUCTION

AUTHOR

Pat Mitchell

84 NEWMAN STREET, LONDON W1T 3EU TELEPHONE +44(0)20 FACSIMILE +44(0)20

7299 1800 7299 1818 mail@videotelmail.com www.videotel.co.uk

ENGINE ROOM WASTE MANAGEMENT


OILY WATER AND SEPARATORS A VIDEOTEL PRODUCTION
in 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 WIND THE STAFF OF THE NATIONAL MARITIME COLLEGE OF IRELAND A&P Falmouth Arklow Shipping Ltd The Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) BW Shipping Managers Dobson Fleet Management Dorchester Atlantic Marine Ltd Essar Shipping Limited Fafalios Ltd Fairmont Shipping (UK) Ltd Hamworthy plc Hanseatic Shipping Company Hong Kong Shipowners Association International Maritime Organization (IMO) ISM Solutions Inc The Institute of Marine Engineering (IMarEST) INTERTANKO The Maersk Company Ltd Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) OCIMF OMI Corporation Paris MOU Shell International Trading & Shipping Co. Ltd Tanker Pacific Management (Singapore) Pte Ltd United States Coast Guard (USCG) Vela International Marine Ltd V Ships UK Ltd Wallem Ship Management CONSULTANTS: Sir William Codrington, Professor Jon Wonham, Bill Cooper PRODUCER: Peter Wilde WRITER: Pat Mitchell DIRECTOR: Chris Setchell

WARNING Any unauthorised copying, lending, exhibition, diffusion, sale, public performance or other exploitation of the accompanying video is strictly 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 of production. It is intended purely as comment. No responsibility is accepted by Videotel, or by any firm, corporation or organisation who or which has been in any way concerned with the production or authorised translation, supply or sale of this video for accuracy of any information given hereon or for any omission herefrom.

ENGINE ROOM WASTE MANAGEMENT OILY WATER AND SEPARATORS

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CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAMME PART 1
1 Introduction 2 The video 3 Points from the video 4 Sources leaks etc 5 Sources cleaning 6 Summary

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8 8 9 9 10 10

HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAMME PART 2


1 Introduction 2 The video 3 How the separator and oil content monitor work 4 Operation of the separator 5 Maintenance 6 Security 7 The new generation of separators 8 Summary

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11 11 12 15 16 16 17 18

HELPFUL QUESTIONS PART 1 AND 2 APPENDIX RESOURCES AND FURTHER READING

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ENGINE ROOM WASTE MANAGEMENT OILY WATER AND SEPARATORS

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INTRODUCTION
THE ENGINE ROOM WASTE MANAGEMENT SERIES
This training programme on Oily Water and Separators is one of a series of four covering different aspects of engine room waste management. The other three cover, The Oil Record Book, Sewage and Waste Water Treatment, and Sludge and the Incinerator respectively. Each of the four programmes consists of a video and an accompanying guide.

TARGET AUDIENCE AND FORMAT


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

ENGINE ROOM WASTE MANAGEMENT OILY WATER AND SEPARATORS

VIDEOTEL PRODUCTIONS

INTRODUCTION
OBJECTIVES
Those 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 so that 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 simple security precautions Learn about the new generation of separators designed to meet the standards specified in MEPC.107(49)
MEPC stands for Marine Environment Protection Committee. This is a committee of the International Maritime 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 pollution prevention 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 the bilges and how to control the content of the water so that the OWS and the OCM are able to function 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, you can run some sections separately. For example, you could discuss operating the separator in one short training session and maintaining it in another. If you do, show the video in the first session and dont leave too much of a gap between sessions.

THE VIDEO
The video shows a conversation between an experienced engineer and a student who is nearing the end of her university degree in mechanical engineering and is considering a career at sea. The experienced engineer 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.

ENGINE ROOM WASTE MANAGEMENT OILY WATER AND SEPARATORS

VIDEOTEL PRODUCTIONS

INTRODUCTION

THE REGULATIONS
The 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

ENGINE ROOM WASTE MANAGEMENT OILY WATER AND SEPARATORS

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INTRODUCTION
PREPARATION FOR PART 1
If 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 disposing of 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 the programme is over. When you are leading the discussion, try to avoid telling the group what these are. Encourage them to come up with ideas. Add anything they have missed once they have done so. We have included examples of questions which you may want to use to encourage discussion

PREPARATION FOR PART 2


If 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 be followed for cleaning the OWS once discharge is completed) Section 5 of the programme covers the planned maintenance system (PMS) for your ships separator. 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 to discuss 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, find out 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 the programme is over As with PART 1, try to make this session a discussion rather than a lecture, using the examples of questions which we have provided if you think that these are helpful

ENGINE ROOM WASTE MANAGEMENT OILY WATER AND SEPARATORS

VIDEOTEL PRODUCTIONS

HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAMME PART 1


1 INTRODUCTION
Explain 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 its quantity and how to control its content so that the separator and oil content monitor are able to work properly. Part 2 covers how the separator and oil content monitor work, how to operate and maintain them, simple security precautions and an outline of the new generation of 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 this discussion is to identify and agree ways of handling oily water better on your ship. Stress that you want their ideas and suggestions
Remind the group that the discharge of oily water, whether through the separator or to shore based facilities, is strictly controlled by internationally agreed regulations and it is inspected by port state authorities. The limit for discharge at sea is 15ppm (parts per million) and the ship must be en route during 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 is nearing the end of her university degree course in mechanical engineering and is has been asked by her professor to do a project on real engineering.
Show the video.

ENGINE ROOM WASTE MANAGEMENT OILY WATER AND SEPARATORS

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HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAMME PART 1


3 POINTS FROM THE VIDEO
Ask 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 is important. If it contains too much oil the separator may struggle to cope with it. If it contains impurities 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 items contaminated with oil filters, oily rags and so on. Ask for any ideas about how to do this better 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

ENGINE ROOM WASTE MANAGEMENT OILY WATER AND SEPARATORS

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HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAMME PART 1


5 SOURCES CLEANING
Discuss 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 washing the waste heat recovery unit in the funnel, while in port

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

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ENGINE ROOM WASTE MANAGEMENT OILY WATER AND SEPARATORS

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HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAMME PART 2


1 INTRODUCTION
Explain that:

PART 2 of this short training programme covers how the separator and OCM work, how to operate and maintain them, including tackling faults, simple security precautions and an outline of the new generation of separators As in PART 1, you will show them a video lasting about 15 minutes, followed by a discussion about the points raised in the video. The main objective of this discussion is to identify and agree ways of handling oily water better on your ship. Stress that you want their ideas and suggestions

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

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ENGINE ROOM WASTE MANAGEMENT OILY WATER AND SEPARATORS

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HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAMME PART 2


3 HOW THE SEPARATOR AND OIL CONTENT MONITOR WORK
Check that those taking part understand the principles of how the separator and OCM work. Answer any questions 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, which from there can be drawn off into a waste oil tank. This lowers the concentration of oil in the water 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 designed to slow the velocity of oily water following its entry into the separator from the holding tank. Again, because of the differences in specific gravity, a slow moving mixture of the two liquids enable them to separate, with the oil rising to the top

Separation is often also encouraged by using heating coils, both in the holding tank and in the separator itself. This is particularly important with higher fractions of oil, since their specific gravities are similar to water

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ENGINE ROOM WASTE MANAGEMENT OILY WATER AND SEPARATORS

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HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAMME PART 2


Discharge of oil from the top of the separator and water from the bottom is controlled by solenoids capacitance probes. The oil is pumped to a waste oil tank, while the water, which still contains more than 15 ppm of oil, is drawn into Stage 2...

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

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ENGINE ROOM WASTE MANAGEMENT OILY WATER AND SEPARATORS

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HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAMME PART 2


As in Stage 1, the oil is drawn off at the top of Stage 2, and water, which should now contain less than 15 ppm, is at the bottom In the OCM, infrared light is shone through the water from Stage 2 onto a detector. This measures the amount by which the light has been dispersed by the remaining droplets of oil. The monitor has been calibrated to convert this measurement into parts per million. Calibration is not done on board. Its a job for the manufacturer If the monitor detects that the concentration of oil is above 15 ppm, the overboard discharge outlet on the 3-way valve is automatically closed, an alarm sounds and the water is directed back to the holding tank

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HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAMME PART 2


4 OPERATION OF THE SEPARATOR
The details to cover in this section will obviously depend on the make and model of the separator on your ship. Find out whether the group ever experience any problems when running the equipment. Ask for any suggestions 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 visible position near the separator. Encourage those who operate the equipment to check the instructions, even if they have used it before. Sometimes even experienced operators can overlook something important At the end of each cycle whoever is operating the separator should back-flush the equipment with 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 it is used At the beginning of each separation cycle it is important to zero test the OCM with clean water At the beginning and end of each cycle it is essential to check the ships exact position as this information 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 separator running before the concentration of oil in the water becomes too great for it to cope with. If this is not the case on your ship, stress that the operator should estimate the amount of pumpable water in the system so that it can be shut down before the separator is flooded with concentrated oil. It is not acceptable practice to run the equipment until the alarm sounds
Explain and discuss any standing orders on your ship which are additional to the procedures called for in the statutory regulations.

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HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAMME PART 2


5 MAINTENANCE
Discuss 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 or ideas 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 until they have identified the problem. There must never be any risk that water with an oil content above the 15 ppm limit could be discharged overboard. They must avoid any temptation to break or bend the rules. If a problem arises which can only be solved by doing something illegal, that is an issue for the shore office to sort out.

6 SECURITY
The 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 with any pipe work containing oil or oily wastes. Some seals are plastic, so that they can be removed quickly in an emergency. Others are chains secured by padlocks. The numbers of plastic seals are recorded in the engine room logbooks and the Chief Engineer keeps the keys to any padlocks
Discuss with the group the steps taken on your ship to protect the security of the equipment for handling oily water.

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HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAMME PART 2


7 THE NEW GENERATION OF SEPARATORS
As the student pointed out to the engineer in the video, the current generation of separators have some important disadvantages and limitations. They cope badly with dirt, soot, emulsifiers, and oil at too high a concentration. Rough sea conditions lower the efficiency of separation. For these reasons, it is often difficult 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. These are set out in MEPC.107(49). MEPC stands for Marine Environment Protection Committee. This is a committee of the International Maritime 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 pollution prevention 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

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ENGINE ROOM WASTE MANAGEMENT OILY WATER AND SEPARATORS

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HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAMME PART 2


These new requirements apply to:

Installations fitted to ships, the keel of which are laid or which are at a similar stage of construction 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 or which were at a similar stage of construction before 1 January 2005 in as far as is reasonable and practicable
The requirements for design, manufacture, testing, type approval and so on are very detailed, but tell the group 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 oily mixtures from the machinery space bilges and be expected to be effective over the complete range of oils which might be carried on board ship, and deal with oil of very high relative density, 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 bilges of a ship. With the possibility of emulsified bilge water always present the 15ppm Bilge Separator must be capable of separating the oil from the emulsion to produce an effluent with an oil content not exceeding 15ppm
Explain that a number of manufacturers have already risen to this challenge using a variety of technical approaches, including centrifuges, sophisticated membranes, biological systems and evaporation. If your company is introducing new generation separators, explain the approach on which they will be based.

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

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QUESTIONS
PART 1
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Name three sources of oily water Name three different types of impurities which may prevent the OWS or the OCM from working properly Oil and water separate because of differences in what? Why must we avoid using cleaners that contain emulsifiers? Why are heating coils used in the bilge holding tank and the separator? How should gas oil used for cleaning be disposed of? Why do some companies put their OCM in a lockable white box? What should you do if the separator develops a fault while you are operating it? 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 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 What happens in the first separation stage of the separator? What happens in the second coalescing stage of the separator? Why do some companies put their OCM in a lockable white box? Why are heating coils used in the bilge holding tank and the separator? How is the discharge of oil and water controlled in the first stage of the separator? How does the oil content monitor work? What should you do if the separator develops a fault while you are operating it? What should you do to the OCM before starting separation? 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 separators is 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?

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APPENDIX / RESOURCES AND FURTHER READING


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 tonnage in all areas except the Antarctic area D: General requirements

RESOURCES AND FURTHER READING


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

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p r o d u c t i o n s
84 NEWMAN STREET, LONDON W1T 3EU TELEPHONE +44(0)20 7299 1800 FACSIMILE +44(0)20 7299 1818 E-MAIL mail@videotelmail.com WEB www.videotel.co.uk

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