Shell upgrades cylinder monitoring service

Shell LubeMonitor offers easy to read reports, a complete engine overview and historical data from onboard and from the lab, as well as comments from Shell experts highlighting areas for concern or possible optimisation opportunities.

The system runs in tandem with the Shell Rapid Lubricants Analysis (RLA) cylinder check. It allows customers to evaluate Shell RLA data – as well as data generated from Shell’s Onboard Alert magnetic iron analyser and Onboard Plus BN test kit – to balance cylinder oil cost and engine reliability by optimising feed rates.

Major engine designers now recommend cylinder drain oil analysis to ship owners to take account of changes in the demands being placed on marine engines, Shell noted. The company expects to analyse round 18,000 cylinder drain oil samples in 2016 alone.

Hamburg-based shipowner Oskar Wehr was an early adopter of Shell LubeMonitor and has reported reducing oil feed rates by 0.2g/kWh on 25 vessels while remaining in compliance with OEM feed rate recommendations. As a result, it expects to save up to US$20,000 a vessel annually.

The renewed LubeMonitor service will be presented at SMM Hamburg, 6-9 September (A4.201).