By Craig Kamine
BSME
Owner, Marine Hydraulics
With pumps turning and oil flowing through endless vessels and arteries of hose and tubing, perplex arrangements of valving distribute and control the actuation of vital vessel functions. While most motor yachts receive periodic servicing to their hydraulic systems, it is generally limited to filter changes and topping off the reservoir. However, that is just the tip of the iceberg. When it comes to servicing and maintaining your hydraulic systems, I have some suggestions for my clients.
Don’t wait for an oil leak or component failure to fix the cause. Inspect and replace any checked, cracked or corroded hoses, fittings or lines.
If they look bad on the outside, chances are very good that heat, fiction and time have taken their toll on the inner walls as well. The result is debris being forced under high pressure into sensitive valves and seals. This will undoubtedly lead to component or even total system failure.
Pumps, valves, motors and cylinders need to be rebuilt as a matter of preventive maintenance vs. component failure at the worst time. Even when in most cases a motor yacht will have two or more hydraulic pumps they generally share the fluid supply and plumbing so failure of either may contaminate and affect the entire system. Depending on the fluid condition, age and operating conditions of your vessel a qualified fluid power professional can recommend what components are most at risk and how to best service them.
Case in point, I received a call from a client . “We engaged the port side hydraulic pump to raise anchor when smoke alarms sounded, the engineer responded to the engine room and reported to the bridge that smoke was billowing from the hydraulic pump. I quickly shut down the pump. Once the smoke was cleared we engaged the starboard pump and attempted to raise anchor again. This time we got no response from the anchor winch but the bow thruster was stuck full on to port. We were now dragging anchor sidewise in a congested shipping lane after what seemed like an eternity the thruster responded to control and we were able to winch up the anchor”. The vessel managed to limp into a local marina where I met them, it was clear the highly experienced and professional crew had a time whey would not soon forget. The vessel is equipped with a state of the art hydraulic system consisting of three pumps, one driven off the starboard generator set, one on the port generator set and the third for steering driven by electric motor. All supplied by the same fluid reservoir, catastrophic failure of the port side pump sent a deluge of metal and seal material into the system overwhelming the capacity of the filters and destroying five valves in the process. With the vessel scheduled for charter in less then a week the pumps and valves were rebuilt, the system flushed, fluid and filters changed and the vessel was back in service in time to make it's charter. I love it when a story has a happy ending.
Change the fluid and monitor its condition. In most cases, the hydraulic reservoir should be drained, cleaned and refilled with the appropriate fluid annually. Filters should be changed every fifty hours of operation. Temperature and level sensing devices should be cleaned, inspected and resealed or replaced if needed.
Have your hydraulic fluid tested for contaminate levels, your fluid power professional can recommend a testing program best suited for your vessel.
Keep an eye on fluid levels, temperature and pressure gauges. Any deviation from the norms is not to be overlooked.
BSME
Owner, Marine Hydraulics
With pumps turning and oil flowing through endless vessels and arteries of hose and tubing, perplex arrangements of valving distribute and control the actuation of vital vessel functions. While most motor yachts receive periodic servicing to their hydraulic systems, it is generally limited to filter changes and topping off the reservoir. However, that is just the tip of the iceberg. When it comes to servicing and maintaining your hydraulic systems, I have some suggestions for my clients.
Don’t wait for an oil leak or component failure to fix the cause. Inspect and replace any checked, cracked or corroded hoses, fittings or lines.
If they look bad on the outside, chances are very good that heat, fiction and time have taken their toll on the inner walls as well. The result is debris being forced under high pressure into sensitive valves and seals. This will undoubtedly lead to component or even total system failure.
Pumps, valves, motors and cylinders need to be rebuilt as a matter of preventive maintenance vs. component failure at the worst time. Even when in most cases a motor yacht will have two or more hydraulic pumps they generally share the fluid supply and plumbing so failure of either may contaminate and affect the entire system. Depending on the fluid condition, age and operating conditions of your vessel a qualified fluid power professional can recommend what components are most at risk and how to best service them.
Case in point, I received a call from a client . “We engaged the port side hydraulic pump to raise anchor when smoke alarms sounded, the engineer responded to the engine room and reported to the bridge that smoke was billowing from the hydraulic pump. I quickly shut down the pump. Once the smoke was cleared we engaged the starboard pump and attempted to raise anchor again. This time we got no response from the anchor winch but the bow thruster was stuck full on to port. We were now dragging anchor sidewise in a congested shipping lane after what seemed like an eternity the thruster responded to control and we were able to winch up the anchor”. The vessel managed to limp into a local marina where I met them, it was clear the highly experienced and professional crew had a time whey would not soon forget. The vessel is equipped with a state of the art hydraulic system consisting of three pumps, one driven off the starboard generator set, one on the port generator set and the third for steering driven by electric motor. All supplied by the same fluid reservoir, catastrophic failure of the port side pump sent a deluge of metal and seal material into the system overwhelming the capacity of the filters and destroying five valves in the process. With the vessel scheduled for charter in less then a week the pumps and valves were rebuilt, the system flushed, fluid and filters changed and the vessel was back in service in time to make it's charter. I love it when a story has a happy ending.
Change the fluid and monitor its condition. In most cases, the hydraulic reservoir should be drained, cleaned and refilled with the appropriate fluid annually. Filters should be changed every fifty hours of operation. Temperature and level sensing devices should be cleaned, inspected and resealed or replaced if needed.
Have your hydraulic fluid tested for contaminate levels, your fluid power professional can recommend a testing program best suited for your vessel.
Keep an eye on fluid levels, temperature and pressure gauges. Any deviation from the norms is not to be overlooked.