Chapter 4 - Risk assessment of starting air system of marine diesel engine using fuzzy failure mode and effects analysis

Abstract

The operation and transportation of ships require the highest level of safety. The main engine (diesel engine) of the ship is described widely as the heart of the ship. This description itself underscores the criticality and significance of the main engine and its associated systems. The starting air system is one of the critical systems onboard a ship and demands a proper maintenance strategy to increase the reliability and lower the chances of explosion. Explosions are mainly because of carbon deposits from burning fuel, leaky fuel injectors, and traces of oil from air compressors. Even though the monitoring and maintenance of the starting air system are done strictly as per laid down procedures, the potential risk of the starting air explosion remains leading to an uncontrollable fire. Therefore, to prevent the potential explosion and reduce the costs incurred due to these risks, it is imperative to identify and analyze the failure modes and eliminate them. In this chapter, the risk assessment of the starting air system of a marine diesel engine using a fuzzy failure mode and effects analysis is carried out. The main focus is to identify the critical failure modes that need immediate attention.