Warning system monitors lube oil on ships

Many ships’ engine rooms have become automated, with sensor systems being put in place to monitor temperature, pressure, fluid level and flow monitoring. Lube oil, however, has remained a void in the engine-management system.

The university’s Institute for Automotive and Manufacturing Advanced Practice (AMAP) team has now developed a software programme for a sensor-based processing unit − the Posseidon system − that can continuously monitor the ship’s lubricated system, allowing crews on board to predict any deterioration or contamination in the oil and anticipate problems, allowing them to take action before damage and failure occurs.

The unit takes the form of a ‘black box’ attached to the ship’s main engine and the software that monitors the oil warns crews if there’s a potential problem and even provides solutions on how best to tackle it.

The unit will reportedly extend the engine’s life, avoid loss of performance and could prevent worst-case catastrophic failures such as a ship floundering through loss of propulsion or a power blackout.