Common problem of Marine Incinerator

Marine Incinerator is an important machinery on board which reduces the cost of waste disposal for ships. It is used to burn solid and liquid wastes produced on ships during normal operations and is also important for reducing overall waste from ships.

As an important MARPOL equipment, incinerator needs proper knowledge and guidelines for maintenance and operations.

Common problems that occur in marine incinerator and how to deal with them.

①　Flame Failure Alarm

One of the first things that needs to be done when receiving flame failure alarm is to check the flame sensor. More than often flame sensors get dirty resulting in flame failure alarm. In such cases take out and clean the sensor before fitting it back. That would solve the problem (If the sensor is defective, put a new one).

Some other reasons for flame failure alarm are:

Dirty Burner

Ignition failure

Blocked diesel oil nozzle

Defective flame sensor

Defective solenoid valve

Incorrect opening of air damper

Clogged fuel line filter

  In case of dirty burner, engineers will have to clean the burner’s flame scrod and blast tube. If that doesn’t solve the issue, check the spark electrodes, which can be the reason for ignition failure. Problem of ignition failure related to spark electrode can be solved by cleaning and adjusting them.

  In case of blocked diesel oil nozzles, replace them with clean ones. A defective solenoid valve can also lead to flame failure alarm. If the same is found, replace the solenoid valve/coil.

  Lastly, incorrect opening of air damper might be preventing the right amount of air from reaching the combustion chamber, resulting in ignition failure. Check the opening and closing of air damper to solve the issue.

②　 High Flue Gas Temperature Alarm

There can be several reasons for high flue gas temperature alarms and the most common one is faulty or defective temperature sensor.

Faulty inverter and transmitter circuit and input should always be checked and inputs adjusted as required. Pressure control and solenoid valves should be checked

③　High Combustion Chamber Temperature Alarm

Main reasons for high combustion chamber temperature alarm are:

Faulty alarm sensor

Solid waste inside the incinerator is more in quantity

Poor refractory condition

④　Sludge Oil Leaking

Sludge oil leaking mainly takes place from the base plate corners of the combustion chamber.

Make sure the atomizing slot is open 3/4th to 1 full turn and the valves in the PLC are set as per those mentioned in the manual. Check the under-pressure control function incase the under pressure is too low.

If the air damper is not working properly, check it’s opening and closing functions. Also make sure to open and clean the sludge nozzle atomizing slot if it's blocked.

⑤　Cracks in Refractory of Combustion Chamber

The main reason for cracks in combustion chamber refractory is rapid change in temperature caused by filling of water in the sludge tank during sludge operation at high temperature. It should always be noted not to fill the sludge tank when the sludge is burning.