BP's Shafts are Oil-Free

Four 185,000 dwt Alaskan-class tankers that will soon be carrying oil along the U.S. West Coast feature the latest innovations in safe-ship design, including Thordon COMPAC waterlubricated propeller shaft bearings.

During the design phase of the vessels — which are being built by NASSCO for the BP Shipping — BP was determined to minimize the risk of oil leakage.

This included building in multiple redundant systems, and eliminating the use of oil wherever possible. "The prop shaft is an area where, traditionally, some lubricating oil can leak into the sea," said Stan Taylor, technical manager for BP. "So we needed to look for alternatives." Traditionally, propeller shaft bearings on commercial tankers are made of white metal lubricated by oil. Although these systems work well, keeping the oil and water separate can be a challenge. If seawater contaminates the bearing area, prop shaft performance can be compromised. If oil escapes into the sea, that's pollution. "Even a small leakage from the prop shaft." says Taylor, "can result in a visible sheen when in port." The Thordon COMPAC propeller shaft bearing systems now being installed on each of the BP vessels feature water lubrication (a renewed innovation pioneered for the 21st century by Thordon), no use of oil (and therefore zero risk of pollution), and an expected minimum 10-year bearing wear life based on systems currently in operation. To ensure a steady supply of abrasive-free seawater to the bearings, Thordon also supplied its integrated Water Quality Package. This maintenance- free system includes pumps, flow alarms and a separator capable of eliminating particles down to 50 microns from the seawater lubricating the bearings.

Circle 88 on Reader Service Card

Maritime Reporter Magazine, page 80, Oct 2003

Read BP's Shafts are Oil-Free in Pdf, Flash or Html5 edition of October 2003 Maritime Reporter

BP's Shafts are Oil-Free

Other stories from October 2003 issue

Content

Maritime Reporter