Introduction

The fuel oil service system is designed to deliver fuel oil to the boilers at temperatures and
pressures suitable for satisfactory combustion. The system basically consists of settling tanks,
suction and discharge strainers, pumps, heating coils, seven valves to properly meter fuel and
other assorted hardware.

The four settling tanks are located in the after portion of the engine room. These tanks are
filled and replenished via the fuel filling and transfer system. Each tank is provided with low and
high suction valves, the latter of which can be pneumatically controlled from the bridge deck if
necessary. Also, sounding tubes on each tank and remote level indicators are provided for oil
level detection within each tank. Heating coils are located in each tank to heat the fuel oil to
110° F.

The two fuel oil service pumps are arranged to take suction from the low and high suction
valves as well as an emergency suction from the transfer system which permits the pumps to
take suction on any storage tank if necessary. Suction strainers between the tank and the
pumps serve to strain foreign particles, which if allowed to pass, could clog the pumps or the
burner nozzles. The accepted practice on this ship is to use the high suction on the settlers.

After passing through the pumps, the oil passes through any one or more of four fuel oil
heaters each of which is capable of heating 4250 lbs/hr. of Bunker "C" oil from 100° F. to 230° F.
when supplied with steam at 50 psig. Steam to the heaters is supplied from the 65 psig system.
The heaters are fitted with thermostatically operated steam supply valves which receive an
impulse from the fuel oil heater outlet thermostatic element in order to maintain a constant
temperature at the burners. Relief valves are provided on each shell which are set at 375 psig
to relieve fuel oil back to the settlers.

Fine mesh discharge strainers are located after the heaters in front of the starboard boiler to
strain particles which might clog the burner tips. A fuel meter at the discharge side of the
strainers measures the flow of oil to the burners. This meter may be isolated by means of a
valved by-pass and gate valves on each side of the meter. This is normally used when
recirculating the oil on start up.

Since it is not possible to control the capacity of the fuel oil service pumps, except by means of
two speed motor drive, an automatic by-pass relief valve is provided to permit the unloading of
excess oil at varying boiler loads and thus maintain a constant pressure in the line to the oil
control valve. An actuating line for this regulator senses the pressure just prior to the
combustion control valves. This valve is installed at the discharge of the fuel oil pumps, and
automatically recirculates excess oil back to the suction of the pump.

Two fuel oil control valves are operated through impulses from the combustion control system
and regulate the header oil pressure in relation to boiler load. Manual by-pass valves are
provided in case the automatic valve malfunctions, and an equalizing line is provided to
equalize the header pressure between the two boilers if the two valves happen to have
different settings which otherwise might cause unequal steaming rates.

Solenoid trip valves, in the line between each fuel oil control valve and its burner header, are
latched open manually and will automatically shut when:

the associated forced draft blower fails.

low-low water is detected in the associated boiler.
carbon dioxide is released by the C02 system
the valve is manually tripped.
In order to latch open the valve, the solenoid must first be energized. The solenoid con only be
energized when its associated forced draft blower is in operation.

At the fuel oil header, oil is piped to individual burners. Piping is provided at the fuel oil header
to recirculate oil to the suction side of the service pumps to allow heating fuel oil during start
ups. Also, a diesel hose connection from the diesel tank can be piped through the fuel oil
service system to one burner for cold-plant start ups since diesel fuel need not be preheated.
Further, a piping arrangement is provided to send fuel oil back to the transfer system. Lastly,
pressure within each fuel oil branch acts as the activator of the steam atomizing regulating
valves to ensure proper atomizing steam pressure at each burner.