At Turbo3 we are specialists in repairing marine turbos and new turbos for all types of marine vessels, we can diagnose and repair your turbo problems in your fleet. Turbo3’s highly experienced team can recondition a wide range of marine turbos, including privately owned vintage-style turbos, commercial vessels, yachts and motorboats. Turbocharger repair and machining is done in-house by a team of qualified technicians. As well as a wide range of new Turbos, consult our search engine.
At Turbo3 we are specialists in turbos for boat engines, we repair and sell top quality turbos, we are official distributors of Garrett Turbos, Holset Turbos, Schiwtzer Turbos, Continental Turbos, Borgwarner Turbos, and Borgwarner cooling systems, Mitsubishi Turbos, PBS Turbo, Kendrion Turbos, turbotechnics and Turbolader, in addition to supplying Komatsu Turbos and Toyota Turbos.
The process is simple, customers can either courier or take the faulty turbocharger to the Turbo3 workshop, our expert technicians will repair or recondition the marine turbocharger to improve its performance. Marine turbochargers are prone to corrosion as all components are particularly vulnerable to marine elements and their elements. Marine turbochargers are expensive to replace, so consider testing, repairing, or reconditioning your marine turbo to extend its life, reduce downtime, and help avoid the expense of a full turbo replacement.
Our experience in supplying Turbos for boats also includes the main operators of boats and fleets, cruises, naval clients, coastal platforms, power generation plants and locomotives.
10 key points to keep in mind to keep the turbocharger on boats
1. Intake filters
Marine turbochargers come with mesh filters to prevent particles, wet oily air mixture, etc. enter and dirty / damage the compressor turbine. It is recommended that an additional felt filter be placed over the turbocharger compressor to absorb the oily air mixture, as these filters can be changed frequently. The installed mesh filter should be cleaned chemically every two months or according to the operating hours described in the manual.
2. Stay on top of all turbocharger parameters
This is obvious, but surveillance officers often forget to check important parameters when taking rounds or skipping them in a hurry. While monitoring the turbocharger, the following points should be verified:
- Turbocharger speed
- Exhaust gas inlet and outlet temperature
- Cooling water inlet and outlet temperatures.
- Turbocharger lubricating oil pressure and temperature
- Differential air pressure on the pressure gauge on the compressor side
3. Check the vibration
Boat turbochargers are high-speed rotary machines. In fact, some of them reach a higher speed than any other machinery on board the ship. Therefore, they have a natural vibration frequency.
Engine boost is performed near the turbocharger to transfer such vibrations to the ship’s structure. If the vibration increases abnormally, stop the motor, as it may be due to worn bearings, an abnormal “K” value, or loose foundation bolts.
4. Keep track of the sound of the turbocharger
Sound is one of the best ways to identify any problems with the ship’s machinery. Any type of abnormal scratching sound indicates a problem with the rotating parts of the turbocharger. Also, the sound of a howl indicates obstructed entry or passage of air, leading to turbocharger overvoltage.
5. Check for exhaust leaks
Turbocharger handles gases at extremely high temperatures. The inlet is from the engine and the outlet connects the exhaust pipes to the funnel. These two points are connected by flanges with an intermediate distance piece. It is important to ensure that there are no exhaust leaks from these seals, as this can cause a fire or smoke atmosphere inside the engine room.
6. Check oil drain from sump
For turbochargers with separate oil sumps, keep constant checks on oil level and temperature. On some ships it has been reported that, due to leaks in the turbine side housing, the oil comes into contact with hot spots in the engine body and with the exhaust gases. Such incidents have caused fires in the engine room.
7. Flushing the turbocharger
A ship’s turbocharger turbine and compressor sides should be cleaned regularly according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Cleaning the sides of the turbine and bloweris done to remove carbon, soot and other exhaust deposits.
8. Soot blowing
The performance of the turbocharger on boats will be affected if the exhaust passage after the turbocharger is in poor condition (exhaust trunk and economizer). It can cause an increase or even breakage of the turbine blades. Therefore, it is recommended to blow soot from the exhaust gas boiler tubes daily.
9. Power distribution
The turbocharger is powered by the exhaust gases produced by the combustion process within the cylinders of the ship’s engine. Since the engine is made up of multiple cylinders, it is important that there is a balance of power between all the cylinders. If a cylinder is producing more power due to fuel valve malfunction, it will cause the turbocharger turbine side to increase. Proper care must be taken to ensure an even distribution of power across the ship’s engine.
10. Check the free spaces
When the turbocharger is opened for overhaul, all the important gaps such as the housing and blade tip gaps, the “K” value of the shaft, which determine correct shaft alignment, and correct operation of the labyrinth seal which is should be placed between the impeller and the exhaust protector.
The above mentioned are some of the important points to keep in mind when handling turbochargers in the ship’s engine room.
If you have questions or need help to repair or want to replace your turbo with a new one, do not hesitate to contact our Turbo3 technical team, we will be delighted to help you.
