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ME418
Fracture and Drop Off of the Main Engine Exhaust Valve Rod
Valve Fillet
Technical committee
Ship type
Date of build
Navigation route Liner
Trouble machinery
Category Main engine
Name Exhaust valve
Type Sulzer 10RTA 84C
Maker
Date of build October 1999 during S/B operation

1. Outline of breakdown
During voyage to the pilot station, a high exhaust temperature alarm of the No. 5 cylinder (402C)
occurred. As the ship decelerated for S/B, abnormal sounds occurred in the part of the concerned cylinder.
Although the cylinder fuel was cut and voyage was continued at dead slow engine speed, an explosive
sound was heard in the part of the concerned cylinder. It was determined that further operation of the
main engine was impossible. The ship was moved to a safe anchorage location and the main engine was
inspected.
Inspection revealed fracture and drop off of a section of the valve fillet (material: Nimonic) of the main
engine exhaust valve rod, as well as a crack in the cylinder liner and damage to the turbocharger.

2. Damage conditions
a) No. 5 cylinder
Exhaust valve: fracture and drop off of over approximately circumference of the valve rod
valve fillet
Cylinder liner: bisected into two halves top and bottom halves in the scavenging port. The
bottom half fell off into the scavenging chamber.
Piston crown: Multiple indentations in the heat-contact surface and major damage from broken
fragments biting into the edges of the outer periphery. Damage to entire piston ring.
Cylinder cover: Multiple indentations on the heat-contact surface.
b) No. 3 turbocharger
Fracture and burring of the turbine blade tip.

3. Causes
Judging from the configuration of surface damage to the damaged area, the cause of fracture and drop off
of the exhaust valve rod valve fillet is surmised to be fatigue breakdown originating from the valve fillet
seat surface. Reworking repairs had been carried out on the exhaust valve in the past due to a 10mm
thickness reduction of the fire side surface.
At this time, bottom grinding up to 22mm as preparation for buildup welding had been carried out which
far exceeded buildup welding repair limitation guidelines of 11mm stipulated by the maker. In addition,
stress relief heat treatment was accomplished at very low temperatures even though it involved heat
treatment of heat resisting steel.

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The Marine Engineer Feb.2001
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It is surmised that the fatigue strength of the exhaust valve rod after reworking repairs had decreased due
to residual stress resulting from these inappropriate reworking repairs.
This chain of damages resulted from the fracture and drop off of the exhaust valve rod valve fillet.

4. Repair
The damaged area were replaced, the shafting was inspected and confirmed for the absence of defects. As
prevention measures:
1) To have an understanding of the history of the exhaust valve rod, including decreases in thickness,
number of times reworking repairs were carried out, and the names of repair companies.
(Notes)
Repair by the same company is desirable.
As a principle, the number of buildup welding repairs to the exhaust valve rod valve fillet should
be limited to two times.
2) Selection of a repair company and appropriate instructions to the repair company
(Notes)
A high technical level is required for selection of welding materials, residual stress inspections,
degree of deposition inspections.
Respect the makers stipulated restrictions on number of reworking repairs.
As the material is heat resistant steel, stress relief heat treatment (stress removal annealing) should
be accomplished at sufficiently high temperatures.
Applying buildup welding of the heat-contact surface may cause deformation of the sheet
surface.

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The Marine Engineer Feb.2001
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Damage to the No. 5 cylinder exhaust valve spindle valve fillet

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The Marine Engineer Feb.2001