Simulation and Performance Analysis of a Faulty Marine Diesel Engine Running in Realistic Operating Conditions.

Abstract: Turbocharged diesel engines are the most used prime mover in the ship propulsion plants, because of their superior power density and efficiency as compared to other thermal engines. So perfect efficiency and reliability of these engines is very important for ship safety and economy of navigation. For this reason, many papers are presented in technical literature for the diesel engines faults prediction and analysis. In this paper, a detailed and reliable thermodynamic diesel engine simulation model, including the engine-propulsion system governor, is used for the detailed study of several faults of a four stroke marine turbocharged diesel engine. The presented simulation results describe the behaviour variation of different engine components (cylinders, inlet and outlet manifolds, intercooler, turbocharger, etc.), as a consequence of the considered engine faults, and allow a prediction of the overall engine performance variation. The operating conditions selected for the engine faults simulations are those typical of the ship navigation. In the authors’ opinion the developed model may represent a useful tool to be used for diagnosis and fault prevention purposes and also for engine maintenance staff training.