Scavenge Fire

INTRODUCTION


For a scavenge fire to begin there must be
present a combustible material, oxygen or air
to support combustion, and a source of heat at
a temperature high enough to start
combustion. In the case of scavenge fires the
combustible material is oil. The oil can be
cylinder oil which has drained down from the
cylinder spaces, or crankcase oil carried
upwards on the piston rod because of a faulty
stuffing box. In some cases the cylinder oil
residues may also contain fuel oil. The fuel
may come from defective injectors, injectors
with incorrect pressure setting, fuel particles
striking the cylinders and other similar causes.
The oxygen necessary for combustion comes
from the scavenge air which is in plentiful
supply for the operation of the engines. The
source of heat for ignition comes from piston
blowby, slow ignition and afterburning, or
excessive exhaust back pressure, which causes
a blowback through the scavenge ports.
INDICATIONS
Indications of a scavenge fire are loss in power and irregular running of the engine, high
exhaust temperatures of corresponding units, high local temperature in scavenge trunk,
surging of turbocharger, and sparks and smoke emitted from scavenge drains. External
indications will be given by a smoky exhaust and the discharge of sooty smuts or carbon
particles. If the scavenge trunk is oily the fire may spread back-from the space around or
adjacent to the cylinders where the fire started and will show itself as very hot spots or
areas of the scavenge trunk surfaces. In ships where the engine room is designed as UMS,
temperature sensors are fitted at critical points within the scavenge spaces. activation
would cause automatic slow down of the engine.
ACTION
If a scavenge fire starts two immediate objectives arise- they are to contain the fire within
the scavenge space of the engine and to prevent or minimize damage to the engine. The
engine must be put to dead slow ahead and the fuel must be taken off the cylinders affected
by the fire. The lubrication to these cylinders must be increased to prevent seizure and all
scavenge drains must be shut to prevent the discharge of sparks and burning oil from the
drains into the engine room. A minor fire may shortly burn out without damage, and
conditions will gradually return to normal. The affected units should be run on reduced
power until inspection of the scavenge trunking and overhaul of the cylinder and piston can
be carried out at the earliest safe opportunity. Once navigational circumstances allow it, the
engine should be stopped and the whole of the scavenge trunk examined and any oil
residues found round other cylinders removed. The actual cause of the initiation of the fire
should be investigated

CO
2
Scavenge Fire Extinguishing
Installation
If the scavenge fire is of a more major
nature, if there is a risk of the fire
extending or if the scavenge trunk is
adjacent to the crankcase with risk of
a hot spot developing it sometimes
becomes necessary to stop the engine.
Normal cooling is maintained, and the
turning gear engaged and operated.
Fire extinguishing medium should be
applied through fittings in the
scavenge trunk: these may inject
carbon dioxide, dry powder or
smothering steam. The fire is then
extinguished before it can spread to
surfaces of the scavenge trunk where
it may cause the paint to start burning
if special non inflammable paint has
not been used. Boundary cooling of
the scavenge trunk may be necessary.
Keep clear of scavenge relief valves,
and do not open up for inspection
until the engine has cooled down.

After extinguishing the fire and cooling down, the scavenge trunking and scavenge ports
should be cleaned and the trunking together with cylinder liner and water seals, piston,
piston rings, piston skirt, piston rod and gland must be inspected. Heat causes distortion
and therefore checks for binding of piston rod in stuffing box and piston in liner must be
carried out. Tightness of tie bolts should be checked before restarting the engine. Inspect
reed valves if fitted, and scavenge relief valve springs. Fire extinguishers should be
recharged at the first opportunity and faults diagnosed as having caused the fire must be
rectified.
PREVENTION
To prevent scavenge fires good maintenance and correct adjustment must be carried out.
Scavenge trunking must be periodically inspected and cleaned and any buildup of
contamination noted and remedied. The drain pockets should also be cleaned regularly to
remove the thicker carbonized oil sludges which do not drain down so easily and which are
a common cause of choked drain pipes. Scavenge drains should be blown regularly and
any passage of oil from them noted. The piston rings must be properly maintained and
lubricated adequately so that ring blow-by is prevented. At the same time one must guard
against excess cylinder oil usage. With timed cylinder oil injection the timing should be
periodically checked. Scavenge ports must be kept cleared
The piston-rod packing rings and scraper rings should also be regularly adjusted so that oil
is prevented from entering the scavenge space because of butted ring segments. This may
and does occur irrespective of the positive pressure difference between the scavenge trunk
and the crankcase space.
Fuel injection equipment must be kept in good condition, timed correctly, and the mean
indicated pressure in each cylinder must also be carefully balanced so that individual
cylinders are not overloaded.
If cylinder liner wear is up to maximum limits the possibility of scavenge fires will not be
materially reduced until the liners are renewed.