Keeping it cool

Norwegian specialist Kongsberg has introduced a new bearing temperature monitoring system for two-stroke engines. The development of BearingMaster follows the April 2004 launch of GB-100 Sentry, a new wireless monitoring system for rotary machinery applications.

BearingMaster is based on the company?s DataChief and AutoChief automation systems, and is said to be the most reliable bearing temperature monitoring system on the market today.

The Midi Operator Station 33 (MOS 33) can be used for local display of temperatures while the GB-100 Sentry system can also be integrated to offer real-time monitoring of crosshead and crank pin bearing temperatures.

Main bearing temperatures are measured by using custom designed PT100 sensors as part of the core BearingMaster system.

It is designed for use on all types of Wärtsilä Sulzer RTA/RTF and MAN B&W MC-C/ME-C engines and can be retrofitted to existing engines as well as new units. To further ease retrofitting, Kongsberg has formed a co-operative alliance with Goltens, who will assist

in retrofit installations.

Now Wärtsilä has chosen the Kongsberg temperature monitoring system as the standard fit for temperature monitoring in the big end bearings of its new four-stroke 46F engine (see page 9 of Machinery Matters).

This is the first engine of its kind to use continuous temperature monitoring of the big end bearings to provide accurate, reliable data to prevent engine damage through overheating.

The Sentry Wireless Temperature Monitoring System is easily linked

to Wärtsilä?s Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) system, which

has been designed to provide

extended monitoring and maintenance

capabilities. n