IAMI Auxiliary EK Questions

Faculty of Nautical & STEM

© 2022 City of Glasgow College Charity Number: SCO 36198

 IAMI Auxiliary EK Questions

EOOW Responsibility 3

Heat Exchanger/ FWG/STP 4

Steering Gear 4

Centrifugal Separator 5

Refrigeration 6

Pumps 6

Control System 7

Thrust Block 7

OWS 8

Machinery Space Safety 9

IMO & Regulations 12

Description

This document contains a selection of questions taken from several years of past
papers. These questions tend to repeat themselves over different exam diets.

The student should apply themselves to practice answering these questions in a clear,
concise fashion, allowing ten minutes per question to write down the full answer.

There are a total of 76 questions in this collection with some duplicates.

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 IAMI Auxiliary EK Questions

EOOW Responsibility

1. Describe the procedures to be observed when taking over the responsibility for
the engine room on a ship that is operating under UMS conditions.

2. State, with reasons, eight areas or items that should be checked by the duty
engineer before taking over the watch.

3. Outline a safe procedure for final daily watch-keeping checks of an engine room
which is designated UMS.

4. Describe the procedure for taking over an engine room watch.

5. As EOOW, explain how to safely carry out the complete bunkering operation of a
ship.

6. List eight actions to be taken by the EOOW to ensure the safe passage of the
vessel through an area of heavy weather.

7. As the EOOW list eight reasons for calling the Chief Engineer Officer.

8. Explain the actions that the EOOW should take on discovering the lagging on the
main engine exhaust, within the funnel spaces, was on fire.

9. In the event of discovering a fire in the machinery space, list the actions to be
taken after each of the following situations:

a) Initially finding the fire; (6)

b) Deciding that the fire has become too fierce to fight and the fixed CO2
installation is to be used. (10)

10. a) State four actions the EOOW would take on discovering a small fire in the
engine room bilge. (8)

b) State four good watch-keeping practices that can help prevent such fires
mentioned in Q a) from occurring. (8)

11. The water level in the engine room is rising faster than can be contained by the
bilge pump.

a) Describe the immediate action that the EOOW should take. (10)

b) What features are provided in the engine room pumping systems to deal with
the situation outlined in Q a). (6)

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12. State EIGHT actions the Engineer officer of the Watch would take on
acknowledging unexpected high level engine room bilge alarms, in both port and
starboard bilge wells?

13. a) State FOUR legal documents which are found in the engine room. (8)

b) State the procedure to be carried out if you found no one in the engine room
when taking over a watch (8)

Heat Exchanger/ FWG/STP

1. Sketch a cross-section of a horizontally mounted two-pass, tubular heat

exchanger suitable for lubricating oil cooling, showing the flow path of the
fluids.

2. Describe, with the aid of sketches, a plate type heat exchanger.

3. With reference to a low-pressure fresh water evaporator:

a) Explain why the water at the evaporator outlet is unsuitable for drinking; (8)

b) State the treatment that may be used to make the water potable. (8)

4. Sketch an Aerobic Sewage Treatment Plant.

5. State FOUR advantages and FOUR disadvantages of plate type heat exchangers.

6. With reference to an aerobic sewage plant:

a) Explain the need for continuous aeration. (6)

b) Describe the hazards that may be present when the plant requires internal
maintenance or inspection (10)

Steering Gear

1. Describe the procedure for testing the ship’s steering gear and associated
equipment prior to departure from port.

2. With reference to the testing of a ship’s steering gear prior to departure, list
eight items of machinery or control systems whose operation must be tested.

3. Describe the routine watch-keeping duties carried out in the steering flat.

4. Describe the procedure for testing a steering gear within 12 hours of sailing.

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Centrifugal Separator

1. With reference to centrifugal purifiers:

a) State the function of the gravity disc; (4)

b) Explain the consequences of fitting the following:

(i) Too large a gravity disc; (6)

ii) Too small a gravity disc. (6)

2. a) State two factors that have an influence on the separating process. (8)

b) Give two reasons for a purifier not attaining full running speed. (8)

3. With reference to the treatment of lubricating or fuel oil:

a) State function of a purifier, (4)

b) State function of a clarifier, (4)

c) State TWO constructional differences found in the bowls of purifiers and

clarifiers. (8)

4. a) Outline the separation process that occurs within centrifugal oil purifiers (12)

b) Describe the change required to the purifier if it is to be used for an oil of

lower density (4)

5. With reference to a centrifugal fuel oil separator:

a) Explain the importance of using the correct size of "Gravity Disc". (12)

b) State the TWO factors that determine the size of "Gravity Disc" to be used. (4)

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Refrigeration

1. With reference to a refrigeration system

a) Describe how air is removed from a system (8)

b) Describe how and where refrigerant gas is added to a system (8)
2. With reference to a refrigeration system, state the indications of EACH of the
following faults:
a) air in the system; (8)
b) undercharge of refrigerant gas. (8)

3. (a) Sketch a simple refrigeration system showing the FOUR major components.(8)

(b) State the condition of the refrigerant between EACH component in the sketch
of Q2(a). (8)

4. (a) Describe the operation of a domestic refrigeration plant, referencing the

refrigerant condition at the main components. (12)

(b) State how liquid is prevented from returning to the compressor. (4)

Pumps

1. List eight reasons why a bilge pump may not be able to remove water from an
engine room bilge.

2. With reference to of a gear pump suitable for use with fuel or lubricating oil:

a) Sketch a cross-section indicating flow of fluid (8)

b) Explain the operating principle. (8)

3. With reference to centrifugal pumps:

a) State why the pump can be started with the discharge valve closed; (8)

b) State four possible reasons for the pump failing to achieve suction from a
double bottom tank. (8)

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 IAMI Auxiliary EK Questions

Control System

1. Describe, with the aid of a sketch, a typical single element temperature control
for a large lubricating oil system.

2. Sketch and describe a method of remotely monitoring the contents of a fuel oil
tank.

3.

a) With reference to a control system, list four examples of a measured variable (4)
b) Explain the meaning of the term “two-step control” giving one example of its
use. (6)
c) Explain the meaning of the term “proportional control” giving one example of its
use. (6)

4. With reference to a control system,

a) List four examples of a measured variable. (8)

b) State the meaning of “two-step controller” and outline its basic action. (4)
c) State the meaning of “proportional controller” and outline its basic actions. (4)

Thrust Block

1. a) Describe the actions that the EOOW should take on finding that the
temperature of the thrust block is rising above normal acceptable range. (6)

b) Explain why the thrust block temperature is critical. (10)

2. a) Describe how the thrust of the propeller is transmitted to the hull of the
ship.(6)
b) Show with the aid of a sketch the principle of operation of a Michell thrust
block. (10)
3. a) Describe how the thrust of the propeller is transmitted to the hull of the
ship.(4)

b) Describe, with the aid of a sketch, how the surfaces, within the thrust block,
transmitting the thrust are separated by the lubricating oil. (8)

c) Explain the importance of the oil temperatures within the thrust block. (4)

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OWS

1. Draw a cross-sectional diagram of an oily-water separator system suitable for oil

discharges of less than 15ppm. Indicate on the diagram the flow of fluid through
the separator and label all major component parts.

/Or,

Sketch an Oily-water separator system that complies with present legislation.

2. With reference to the disposal of bilge water from the machinery spaces:

a) Explain when it is not permissible to discharge the bilge water overboard,

even via an oily water separator; (8)

b) State the maximum permissible oil content of the overboard discharge. (2)

c) Identify the documentation to be completed and state by whom, following

such an operation. (6)

3. a) Describe the procedure for operating the oily water separator (12)

b) State TWO ways that the separator could be made to operate more
efficiently. (4)

4. a) Describe the operating procedure for using a static oily water separator to
discharge bilge water overboard. (8)

b) State the effect that EACH of the following would have on the efficiency of
the separator:

i) The addition of heat to the separator (4)

ii) Agitating the bilge water before it is pumped. (4)

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 IAMI Auxiliary EK Questions

Machinery Space Safety

1. a) Define the term “enclosed space”; (2)

b) State three areas on board a ship that would be designated as an enclosed

space; (6)

c) Describe the procedure for the entry into an enclosed space. (8)

2. a) State the meaning of the term enclosed space. (4)

b) Explain the procedure for preparation for entry into a cofferdam prior to an
inspection. (12)

3. State the safety checks needed before using EACH of the following lifting gear:

a) Wire strops, b) chain blocks, c) eye bolts, d) shackles. (4 each)

4. With reference to a steam heating coil in a fuel storage tank developing a leak:

a) State how the leak would be detected; (4)

b) State the immediate action to be taken when the leak is detected; (4)

c) Explain how the leak may be traced; (8)

5. The steam heating coil in a heavy fuel oil service tank has a suspected leak.

a) Explain how the fault may be detected. (8)

b) Outline a safe tank preparation and entry procedure to make a repair. (8)

6. Describe the routine checking of a compressed air breathing apparatus (CABA)

set.

7. a) State four features which assist in the starting of lifeboat engines in cold
climate conditions
b) Briefly describe TWO devices that control the rate of fall of a lifeboat when
launched from standard davits.
8. In order of preference, identify two types of portable fire extinguishers that may
be used to fight a fire in the following shipboard cases:

a) The galley;

b) An accommodation space;

c) The machinery space control room;

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 IAMI Auxiliary EK Questions

d) The main electrical switchboard.

9. a) With reference to contents and use, describe how a portable fire extinguisher
is identified. (4)

b) State, with reason, the type of fire extinguisher normally found in the engine
control room. (4)

c) List the actions to be taken prior to the operation of a bottled CO2 fire
fighting system. (8)

10. a) Name four types of portable fire extinguishers that may be found in the
machinery space on board ships. (8)

b) State the Fire Classifications, including the type of material involved with
EACH (8)

11. a) Describe the maintenance required by each of the following fire extinguishers:

i) CO2: (6)

ii) Dry powder. (6)

b) Describe the routine inspections of the portable fire extinguishers found in the
machinery spaces (4)

12. a) Describe the immediate action that should be taken in the event of
discovering a fire in the accommodation spaces, whilst as sea. (8)

b) Briefly describe the organisation of the two emergency parties on board a

ship. For each party define who is in charge, the responsibility of each party and
how the efforts of each party are co-ordinated. (8)

13. a) List four different types of fire detector heads that may be fitted to the fire
detection system. (4)

b) Briefly describe the operation of three of the fire detector heads listed in part
a). (12)

14. a) Describe four classes of fire indicating which fire fighting media should be
used to extinguish each. (8)

b) State the document that indicates the location of the fire extinguishers on
board a vessel. (2)

c) State three places where the document stated in Q d) would be found. (6)

15. Describe the procedure and the frequency of the maintenance for the fire
detection system.

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16. In the event of having to flood the machinery spaces with Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
because of a serious fire, list the actions to be taken prior to the release of the
gas.

17. a) Explain the importance of regular fire drills; (8)

b) Describe how a drill relating to a fire in a purifier room may be organised. (8)

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IMO & Regulations

1. What are the appropriate regulations and/or safety practices relating to the
following? (4 marks each)

a) Grinding wheels;

b) Rotating machinery;

c) Safety Clothing and Footwear;

d) Prevention of skin reactions

2. State the Marpol regulations for pumping engine room bilges in special areas.

3. a) State the regulations that make each ship responsible for the prevention of
pollution at sea and in port.

b) Name the equipment that must be used in machinery spaces to comply with
Annex 1 of the regulations stated in Q a)

c) Describe the principle of operation of the equipment named in Q b)

4. With reference to the prevention of pollution at sea regulation, explain each of

the following:

a) Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan (SOPEP); (8)

b) Oil Record Book. (8)

5. With reference to the regulations relating to the pollution of the seas with oil,
explain EACH of the following:

(i) The purpose of the oil record book; (6)

(ii) The action to be taken in the event of an oil spillage; (6)
(iii) How the bilge water overboard discharge is monitored. (4)

6. a) Name the International Convention that regulates the prevention of oil

pollution at sea. (4)

b) Describe how oily water from machinery space bilges is treated to ensure that
the discharge complies with the convention mentioned in Q a). (10)

c) State the legal document that is required to comply with the convention
mentioned in Q c). (2)

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 IAMI Auxiliary EK Questions

7. a) State the operations which should be entered in the Oil Record Book of ALL
ships. (12)

b) State the conditions which must be complied with for the discharge of oily
water from machinery spaces. (4)

8. a) State the entries necessary in the Oil Record Book when discharging bilge
water at sea.

b) State FOUR precautions taken prior to taking bunkers.

9. State, with reasons, four principle requirements for maintaining records on

board ships.

10. Outline the function of each of the following:

a) International Maritime Organisation (IMO);(4)

b) International Safety Management Code (ISM); (6)

c) Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). (6)

11. a) List the three types of “notice” issued by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency
(MCA) to disseminate information to ship owners and seafarers and define the
importance and relevance of each one.

b) Describe the function of the Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Healthy &
Safety at Work) Regulations.

12. a) Describe the purpose of each of the following publications issued by the
Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA):

(i) Merchant Shipping Notices (MSNs) (4)

(ii) Marine Guidance Notes (MGNs) (4)

(iii) Marine Information Notes (MINs) (4)

b) State how it can be determined that such MCA publications have been
superseded or cancelled. (4)

13. a) State four engine room records that are kept. (4)

b) State why the records stated in Q a) are important. (8)

c) State the frequency of updating the records stated in Q a). (4)

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