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ME479
Breakage of Fuel Oil Purifier Vertical Shaft
Technical committee

Ship type Car carrier

Date of build February 25, 1986
Navigation route Tramper (Japan ~ North America)
Trouble machinery
Category Auxiliary machinery in engine room
Name Fuel oil purifier
Type SJ-6000
Maker Mitsubishi Kakoki Kaisha, Ltd.
Date of trouble August 16, 2003

1. Outline of breakdown

During patrol of the engine room, vibration of the No.1 FO purifier was detected. When the equipment
was immediately stopped and an attempt to detach the rotary unit was carried out, breakage of the ver-
tical shaft was found.
As for location of breakage, please refer to the vertical shaft drawing.

2. Cause of breakdown

Concerning breakage of the vertical shaft, the maker's observation on the possible causes of breakdown
is as follows:
1) If abnormal vibration had been imposed to the purifier over a long period of time:
(1) Application of repeated stress due to unbalance in the rotary unit.
(2) Stress concentration caused by a decrease in contact area between vertical shaft and rotary
unit due to expansion of tapered part of the vertical shaft
2) If vibration did not exist:
Rust and pitting occurred and stress concentrated on those parts.
3) Defective shaft:
Breakage of the vertical shaft is very rare, whose reported number of occurrence is very small. As
far as the cases of the past are concerned, the cross sections of the broken shafts exhibited shell
marks by which application of repeated stress was indicated.
Concerning the case of this time, rough surface caused by corrosion of the surface of the tapered part
was observed. But, at the same time, vibration over a long period of time existed and the broken surface
exhibited shell marks. Therefore, from the above, corrosion fatigue is presumed as the cause.

3. Repair

After the broken vertical shaft was pulled out and each part was inspected, it was confirmed that damage
existed only on the vertical shaft. Further, from inspection of the rotary unit after it was overhauled, no
abnormality that could cause vibration such as segregation of sludge, etc. was found.
From the above, the rotary unit was restored and the purifier resumed service by using a spare vertical
shaft equipped on board.

1
Further, as the preventive measures, it was decided to provide the tapered parts with PT treatment at the
time of periodic cleaning of the rotary unit and to practice checking for rough surfaces (by corrosion) as
standard maintenance work.