HJ mechanical lubricators are Hans Jensen Lubricators' conventional lubricators, which can be combined with both non-return valves and SIP valves. The mechanical lubricators are characterised by being sturdy and reliable, and are therefore the obvious choice for shipowners who are pro-mechanics.
The basic purpose of the HJ Mechanical Cylinder Lubricators is to supply cylinder lube oil to the cylinders in order to reduce wear and corrosion of the pistons and cylinders. Without cylinder lubrication, the cylinder liners and piston rings will wear out quickly and the operation conditions of the engine will therefore deteriorate rapidly.
The original design concept of the HJ Mechanical Cylinder Lubricators has proved to be stable and reliable and therefore the principle still applies today. The design, however, has been continuously improved to meet the customers’ increasing demands. The design concept is based on a pump principle where a cam shaft activates a number of piston pumps synchronously with the engine revolutions. Each piston pump thereby supplies fresh cylinder lube oil to each valve at each engine revolution.
The HJ Mechanical Cylinder Lubricator can be delivered with both joint and individual adjustment of the cylinder lube oil quantity to the cylinder lube valves. In addition a series of optional features such as safety valve, joint quantity adjustment, surveillance alarm etc. are available.
You are welcome to contact us for further information on HJ Mechanical Cylinder Lubricators.
The basic purpose of the HJ Mechanical Cylinder Lubricator is to pump cylinder lube oil through the pressure tubes and into the cylinder lubrication valves lubricating the cylinder liner. The cylinder lubrication reduces the friction between the pistons and the cylinders, whereby the wear is reduced. At the same time, the cylinder lube oil neutralises the formation of acid during combustion, which is the direct cause of corrosion. Characteristic for HJ Mechanical Cylinder Lubricators is that the lubricator operates synchronously with the engine and thereby supplies fresh cylinder lube oil at each piston stroke.
The HJ Mechanical Cylinder Lubricator is installed in an appropriate place on the engine and connected to the vessel’s oil supply tank from which the cylinder lube oil is supplied. The supply of cylinder lube oil takes place either through pressure or by means of a float valve in the cylinder lubricator. The cylinder lubricator has a separate outlet for each valve and is connected to these with pressure tubes. The quantity of cylinder lube oil is adjusted on the cylinder lubricator, individually for each valve, or jointly for the entire lubricator. Leak oil from the valves is led back to the supply tank.
The cam operates synchronously with the engine’s rpm and activates the piston pump. Thereby the cylinder lube oil quantity is proportional to the engine’s rpm, i.e. one piston stroke per revolution. When the cam leaves the piston, cylinder lube oil is sucked from the container through the suction valve to the space in front of the piston. When the cam subsequently activates the piston, the cylinder lube oil is pressed through the pressure valve and up through the ball control glass. When the cylinder lube oil passes the glass, the ball is lifted concurrently with the cylinder lube oil flow, whereby the flow can be checked from the outside. The cylinder lube oil leaves the cylinder lubricator through the non-return valves at the top where the pressure tubes are connected to the cylinder lubrication valves.
We have many years of experience in delivering customer specific solutions. The HJ Mechanical Cylinder Lubricator can be configured in many ways in order to comply with the customers’ individual requirements best possible. We have therefore good experience in giving advice regarding the configuration of the individual cylinder lubricator in case the customer has any doubts in this connection. Following features are specified by the customer:
The total number of piston pumps must be in accordance with the number of cylinder lube points on the engine. This is determined by the size of the engine: the larger the cylinder diameter, the more cylinder lubrication valves are necessary per cylinder. The HJ Mechanical Cylinder Lubricator can be delivered with up to 24 pistons per unit.
The piston diameter specifies the size of the pistons on the HJ Mechanical Cylinder Lubricator and thereby affects the quantity of cylinder lube oil pumped out at each piston stroke.
We recommend the application of heating in order to remove the content of air in the cylinder lube oil. In case of cold cylinder lube oil, e.g. during start and operation in cold regions, the heating elements will furthermore ensure that the cylinder lube oil reaches a temperature level, where it has a sufficiently low viscosity. Furthermore, a thermostat can be applied.
In a non pressure-tight cylinder lubricator, the cylinder lube oil is filled into the cylinder lubricator by a float valve admitting cylinder lube oil at a determined level. Pressure-tight cylinder lubricators on the other hand are filled by the inlet pressure of the cylinder lube oil coming from an oil supply tank under pressure. For systems based on the application of HJ SIP, pressure-tight cylinder lubricators are required.
Each piston stroke on the HJ Mechanical Cylinder Lubricator is checked by viewing the ball control glasses on the front of the cylinder lubricator. The ball in the glass follows the cylinder lube oil flow supplied. The cylinder lubricator can also be equipped with an electronic alarm device which is called Lubritron. A signal is given in case of blocked or low level of cylinder lube oil. We can accommodate most individual requirements and demands.
The lubricator drive is often specified by the engine designer. We can make solutions based on a mechanical rotary drive, mechanical oscillating drive, electronic drive or hydraulic drive.
It is possible to build in safety valves in each outlet on the HJ Mechanical Cylinder Lubricator. The purpose is to protect the system against damages if the outlet pressure exceeds a preset limit, indicating that the lubricator outlet is blocked.
The HJ Mechanical Cylinder Lubricator is equipped with adjusting bolts for the individual setting of the basic stroke for each of the individual piston pumps in the unit. Furthermore, a joint quantity adjustment can be applied, which permits the stroke length on all pumps to be increased simultaneously in case such an increase is required. This is adjusted on a handle whose position determines how much extra lubrication is supplied.
Alternatively, automatic joint quantity adjustment can be applied, which supplies extra cylinder lube oil in case of load changes.
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Furthermore, MEP or BHP regulation can be specified, with the purpose of reducing the cylinder lube oil consumption in the part load areas, where the need for cylinder lubrication is normally smaller.
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You are welcome to contact us for further information on HJ Mechanical Cylinder Lubricators.
The HJ Mechanical Cylinder Lubricator and other equipment are delivered with rust protection. The rust protection can be removed with e.g. kerosene or turpentine. Make sure to make a new rust protection, if the rust protection is removed. In connection with cleaning of the survey block/ball control glass after use of rust protection, please note the list at the bottom of this page. The list describes which chemicals may damage the survey block/ball control glass.
Make sure that the gaskets for survey blocks/ball control glasses, tubes and connections between the cylinder lubricator and the cylinder lubrication valves are tight. Always keep the gaskets in the cylinder lubricator tight, too.
Retighten the screws on the HJ Mechanical Cylinder Lubricator within the first three months or after 2000 operation hours. Replace or clean strainers after a suitable interval. Disassemble the cylinder lubricator at least every second year or at suitable intervals in order to remove dirt from the box, clean the survey blocks/ball control glasses and the cylinder lubrication valves by blowing the tubes with air. During the subsequent assembly of the cylinder lubricators, mount new gaskets and seals. Mount the survey blocks/ball control glasses with the largest inner diameter turned upwards. Fill the cylinder lubricator with fresh cylinder lube oil and bleed the lubricator as described in section 3.1 in the manual for the HJ Mechanical Cylinder Lubricator.
Click here to download a list of various chemicals’ influence on the survey block/ball control glass. The list is in English and in PDF format.
You are welcome to contact us for further information on the maintenance of the HJ Mechanical Cylinder Lubricator.
On this page you can find replies to a series of questions, which we are frequently asked regarding HJ Mechanical Cylinder Lubricators. If you find the replies incomplete, you are welcome to contact us with a description of your question or problem. We shall then try to help you best possible.
Most likely the problems are due to dirt entering the float valve with the oil. Please check if the strainer in front of the lubricator is clean, and that new dirt cannot enter the float valve this way.
Use the manual drawing for understanding the construction and mounting – dismount the float valve for cleaning. The best liquid to use is kerosene.
If during the cleaning you notice scratches on the slide or in the slide bore of the housing, these have to be removed before proper function can be attained. For this purpose use a fine liquid polishing agent. E.g. “Brasso”. If the scratches are too deep to be removed this way, you may risk a leaking float valve, and the best solution would then be to install a new one instead.
If the stroke setting has been done correctly and evenly, the flow from each pump should be the same, and the balls will therefore under normal conditions be standing at the same height in the flow bores. Uneven ball heights are most likely due to air in some of the pumps.
There is always dissolved air in oil, and it has a tendency to collect in the pumps if it is not released before the oil enters the pumps. Applying heating in the lubricators may provide the solution. In this connection, please also confirm that there is no fresh air intakes blowing directly at the lubricator, or that it is otherwise “artificially” cooled down.
Normal heating is designed to increase the cylinder oil temperature to approx. 20 degrees above the temperature of the surroundings.
If the engine has had a longer stand still without the heating connected, or the lubricator is installed rather recently, it can be that air is collecting several times and the lubricator has to be bled by loosening the bleed screws. Follow the instruction of the manual.
No, that is not the case. The oil viscosity is highly depending on the temperature, and ball heights are decided by viscosity and flow through the ball control bore.
You can use the ball heights to determine if all the pumps are actually pumping the same quantity. The only exception from this conclusion is if the balls are standing at the top of the glass all the time. Then the position is not a safe indication of even quantity.
This is difficult to reply to. It very much depends on your expectations and request to optimise the application, so that a minimum of cylinder oil is consumed.
We recommend that the HJ Mechanical Lubricator is cleaned and packings and seals exchanged at least every second year. This also gives a good occasion to check the timing (for timed cylinder lubrication) and the pump stroke setting.
If you want us to help you in this connection, this can be done e.g. at a harbour of your choice, in connection with a docking or by overhauling at our works.
We recommend heating in the HJ Mechanical Lubricator for the reason listed below.
There is always dissolved air in oil, and it has a tendency to collect in the pumps if it is not released before the oil enters the pumps. Applying heating in the lubricators may provide the solution. In this connection, please also confirm that there is no fresh air intakes blowing directly at the lubricator, or that it is otherwise “artificially” cooled down.
Normal heating is designed to increase the cylinder oil temperature to approx. 20 degrees above the temperature of the surroundings. If the temperature conditions are lower than usual for an engine room (18-20 degrees C), if the cylinder lubricator is supplied with very cold cylinder lube oil or there is unusually much air in the cylinder lube oil, it may be relevant to apply thermostat and heating element with a higher output.
You have better operational conditions if heating is applied and it is switched on at all times, also at engine stand still.
The classification society requirement is normally one spare lubricator per engine. If the engine applies timed lubrication and several non-identical lubricators, this can be argued not to be the optimal situation.
There are two possibilities for getting around this problem. Either a spare lubricator for each of the different units on the engine is applied, or one lubricator together with additional cam shafts, so that the engine staff can modify the spare lubricator on board for any of the positions where exchange can become necessary.
Pressure tight lubricators distinguish themselves from the mostly applied execution with float valves by having the full inlet pressure directly into the lubricator and therefore always a tank under pressure of the oil.
Making the units pressure tight, means that opening the lubricators become more difficult, as the tightness sets added requirements to the packing and sealing of the assembled parts. The pressure also has to be removed before disassembly begins.
One may feel tempted to choose this version to get around problems with dirt in the float valves. This, however, is not necessarily a good idea. When dirt gets stuck in the float valve the problem of dirt is detected before it may lead to functional problems. If dirt assembles in the bottom of the lubricator container, it will eventually get to the level of the pumps, and when it enters the pumps, serious functional problems can be foreseen. Unless regular and conscientious cleaning of the lubricator oil tank takes place, it may give a false sense of security.
Different customers have different views to the choice of type of lubricators; therefore we produce and deliver both, depending on customer specification.
We cannot recommend on type over the other. Please refer to your lubricator manual, if you what to check which type of lubricator you have.
Fixed zero-stroke setting is a way of having a fixed point of starting, when setting the stroke of the lubricator.
All lubricators look the same, and to check if you have zero-stroke setting or not, please refer to the lubricator manual.
On lubricators with fixed-zero stroke setting, the adjusting bolts are executed so that when the bolt head is screwed in to touch the surface of the flange on the lubricator casing, then the stroke is exactly zero.
Unscrewing the bolt from this point lets you make an easy stroke setting. Standard adjusting bolts today have a thread pitch of 0.5mm, meaning that two turns of the adjusting bolt outwards means a pump stroke of 1 mm. Using the key ways in the bolts for fixing it, the adjustment possibilities are in steps of 0.125 mm.
Fixed zero stroke setting is a big advantage in operation, when stroke has to be adjusted, but when disassembled or spare parts have to be applied, installation is not easy and require careful and accurate work. Please be aware that without this care and accuracy, it may be giving a false sense of safety, and a risk of wrong stroke setting.
As MAN B&W is introducing the ME engine series, it is of course interesting if the HJ Mechanical Hans Jensen Lubricator can be applied in this connection. The answer is yes.
Applying HJ Mechanical Lubricators will build on experience and pave the way for application of HJ SIP lubrication.
Although there is no chain drive for the traditional mechanical drive for the cylinder lubricators as on the MC engines, it is - based on experience from other engine designs - possible to apply electronically timed HJ Mechanical Lubricators, or an erected mechanical drive.
As the past has brought some confusion in this connection we hereby take the liberty of clarifying the following:
Approved for use on MAN B&W engines are:
Hans Jensen Cylinder Lubricators
and
Alpha Lubrication (available from Hans Jensen)
No other MAN B&W approvals exist. Lists of Difference indicating alternative standards from before August 2001 have been recalled by MAN B&W.
The lubricators for HJ SIP Lubrication are, however, approved by MAN B&W like our other lubricators. This means, that later installation can be prepared by specifying HJ SIP Lubricators from the outset. Until HJ SIP Lubrication is activated, these lubricators will operate according to conventional lubrication principles.
Our new designed HJ SIP Lubrication system is applied on a "no objection" basis, but does not yet have a formal MAN B&W approval. However, data for new applications are provided by the engine designer, and we keep MAN B&W informed about applications, performance and results with the intention of providing the SIP system with a formal approval.
Our HJ Mechanical Cylinder Lubricators and lubricator arrangements are approved for application on Sulzer diesel engines.
Thus, based on approvals we can deliver cylinder lubricators, lubricator arrangements and distributors to the entire range of 2-stroke Sulzer engines. We look forward to expanding our activities in this connection.
We can inform that we have a close formal cooperation with MHI regarding HJ SIP Lubrication.
As for conventional lubrication on UE engines, we have no formal approval, but we have supplied our cylinder lubricators to MHI Kobe and MHI Yokohama, as well as their licensee Akasaka Diesels, for application on UE engines.
Based on this, we take the liberty of assuming that application of HJ Mechanical Lubricators is possible, if so desired.
At delivery, MAN B&W DEs with timed HJ Mechanical Cylinder lubricators are equipped with a timing gauge allowing for easy confirmation that the timing of cylinder oil injection is according to the engine designer specifications.
The gauge (or template) is fitted over the cam shaft of the lubricator and fixed with the pins to the lubricator casing, allowing a good reading.
The basis for checking the timing for all cylinders using the gauge is turning the engine so the piston of cylinder one is in TDC (Top Dead Center) position.
The marking on the gauge for the relevant cylinder shall then correspond to the marking on the lubricator setting scale when mounted on the relevant lubricator. I.e. if having placed cylinder one in TDC and mounting the gauge on the cylinder lubricator for cylinder 5, then the mark on the lubricator scale shall be off the mark for cylinder 5 on the gauge.
Is the timing found to be incorrectly set according to the gauge, the easiest adjustment is done by starting with the lubricator(s) at the engine gear drive, and working outwards from there. Make sure that couplings are tightened with the specified torque.
Furthermore, we refer to the engine maker manual as well as the lubricator manual for more detailed information.
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