Increasing cost effectiveness through a fleet wide condition based maintenance strategy within the Royal Netherlands Navy

Harry LIJZENGA Lieutenant Commander Royal Netherlands Navy

Abstract
Within the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNN) a study is performed for a more cost effective realisation of its operational tasks. By changing from an used based maintenance concept to a more condition based maintenance concept a reduction in operation costs can possible be achieved. A realisation of this concept is by 1) Online monitoring and/or 2) outsourcing of data analysis. Using remote online condition monitoring (ROCM) could be a logical solution. In this paper it will be outlined how the RNN is using online monitoring systems, but also what next step has to be done to achieve the most optimal (cost effective) maintenance interval by combining ROCM with knowledge of failure mechanism. Keywords: cost effective, outsourcing data analysis, condition based maintenance, online monitoring

1. INTRODUCTION
Condition monitoring of maritime objects has entered a new era (1). Developments in technology, in recent years, have created new possibilities for deriving information regarding equipment health affordably. Furthermore, the exploitation of such information is becoming ever easier as communication systems become more distributed and processing power increases. Condition monitoring techniques within the Royal Netherlands Navy have been in existence for many years now. Among the best established in mechanical systems, are oil and vibration analysis. In recent years, the art of condition monitoring has developed to the extent that automated prediction of failure events is becoming possible a concept known as prognostics. The proliferation of (remote) online condition monitoring (ROCM) technologies on commercial maritime assets has prompted the desire, within the Netherlands Ministry of Defence (NL MOD), to exploit this technology on navy ships. The key desired benefits from such a policy are: a. b. c. greater equipment availability whole-life cost savings reduced manning

Essential by introducing a new technology like ROCM is the awareness of the relation

between used condition monitoring technique in relation to the physical failure mechanism. In this paper, it will be demonstrated how technical innovations can lead to a more efficient maintenance process.

2.

MAINTENANCE CONCEPTS

The main goal of performing maintenance is to obtain the optimal availability of a capital asset, which requires balancing the availability of the asset with the costs of maintenance activities. Performing too much maintenance results in high costs and frequent non-productive periods, whereas too limited maintenance leads to unexpected failures and reduced availability. There is a wide variety of maintenance concepts that can be applied to maintain an asset. These concepts can be divided into two basic types: corrective maintenance preventive maintenance

Which maintenance strategy is chosen depends on the criticality of the part and the variability and predictability of the usage. For non-critical parts, corrective maintenance is in many cases the optimal strategy of the usage. For non-critical parts, corrective maintenance is in many cases the optimal strategy, since the full service is utilized and no expensive inspections or monitoring are required. However, for critical parts, failure must be prevented for safety or economical reasons (large plants in process industry). Then the variation in and predictability of the usage determines which preventive maintenance concept is suitable. For machines that operated continuously at constant and well-known power settings, the usage is fully known and replacement intervals can be determined accurately. A calendar time concept is cost-effective strategy, since no monitoring is required. For systems that are operated in a more variable way (e.g. navy gas turbines, thrusters), the usage must be taken into account when the service intervals are determined. Assuming the usage in the design phase is difficult, and often large safety factors must be applied. When, on the other hand the usage or loads are monitored, a much more accurate prediction of the service interval can be made. The only remaining uncertainty is the relation between the usage/ loads and the failure mechanism. Therefore, the optimal amount of maintenance, which provides the best balance between costs and availability, is ideally obtained with a condition based concept, since it enables the execution of maintenance activities exactly on the right moment. However, not every asset is suitable for a condition based maintenance concept. It must be feasible to asses the condition of the asset and to relate the condition to the required maintenance activities. For many assets that is not possible and a usage or load based approach may then be a better option.

3.

USED CONDITION BASED TECHNIQUES ROYAL NETHERLANDS NAVY

Within the Royal Netherlands Navy several CBM techniques have been applied and have proven to be effective. Most of these methods are available as commercial services.

3.1. Vibration monitoring

Vibration monitoring is nowadays a widely accepted CBM method that can be used to detect wear, failures or malfunctioning of rotating or reciprocating machinery. With regard to the general requirements for CBM systems this technique is based on the known relation between measured vibrations and the failure mechanisms that are to be detected. Vibration sensors, that measure displacements, velocities or accelerations, monitor the dynamic behaviour of the system. The resulting spectra can be used to detect, for example, unbalance, misalignment, bearing wear of gear defects. The

possibilities of assessing the condition of the system depend on the complexity of the system, the number of sensors and the availability of information on the machines or system (e.g. stiffness). For rather simple systems like bearings, the method works quite well. For more complex systems analysing trends in vibration characteristics may indicate a degradation of the system, but quantitative predictions of remaining life may be hard to determine.

3.2. Condition monitoring of bearings

Since bearings are rather simple systems and also very widely applied in large numbers, the system knowledge of bearings is well developed. As a consequence the relation between monitored vibrations and bearing wear or failures are known for the majority of the applied bearings. This means that a CM system can be effectively used to optimize the maintenance tasks on bearings and a lot of manufacturers can deliver sensors and analysis software with their products. The software is able to detect the type of degradation and also predict a value for the remaining life.

3.3. Monitoring of hydraulic and lubrications systems

Another well developed condition monitoring technique is the monitoring of hydraulics and lubrication oil. By analysing the oil, both information about the quality of the oil and the condition of the system can be obtained. The quality of the oil is qualified by determination of the viscosity, the total acid / base numbers and the concentration of additives. Further, contaminations are metal particles, originating form wear and corrosion process and water. In most cases, samples must be taken from the oil, which are then analysed in the Ministry of Defence chemical & analytical laboratory in Den Helder. However, recently also oil monitoring sensors have been developed that may be used to measure the water content in oil or the number of particles.

4.

CONDITION BASED MAINTENANCE

The theory of CBM can be explained using the concept of the P-F interval (2). The P-F interval is shown in figure 1. This concept is based on the fact that most failures give some sort of warning or deteration in condition before they occur. The condition should be measurable either directly or indirectly via a related parameter, for example pressure or vibrations. The condition should be directly related to the functional capability of the system of interest. When a component is new or just maintained the functional capability and thus the condition is assumed optimal. As time passes the condition decreases to a point the deviation from the normal condition becomes measurable, this point is P. Point P is the point of potential failure, which means the developing mechanism can be measured, but it has no or no unacceptable effects on the capability yet. As more time passes the condition decreases further until point F, the point of functional failure. At point F the components ceases to function at the required level of capability. The P-F interval is the time between the point where a developing failure becomes measurable and the point of actual failure. This interval depends on the type of failure mechanism and the type of condition monitoring technique (when a technique is more sensitive it can detect point P earlier, increasing the P-F interval). The P-F interval determines the required measuring periodicity to allow detection of potential failure at adequate time before functional failure occurs. As a rule of thumb this measuring frequency is set to half of the P-F interval. In most cases this gives a reasonable amount of time to act on the developing failure, however as with all rules o thumb, there are exceptions.

Figure 1 P(otential) F(ailure) interval Figure 2 gives general representations of the condition of a given system as a function of time. The top left part of figure 2 represents the optimal condition. A refinerement of the P-F interval is the net P-F interval. The net P-F interval is important for logistical reasons and it is determined by the time between P and F minus the inspection interval. This net P-F interval is the worst case scenario in which there is the least time to react on a developing failure. The net P-F interval determines how fast ahead you can plan maintenance actions, thus the longer this interval the less emergency provisioning and repairs in overtime are expected. Up to a certain level the net P-F interval can be shortened by shortening the inspection interval, in other words increasing measuring frequency. In figure 2 the left graph represents a P-F interval of 13 weeks monitored at inspection intervals of 8 weeks. The worst case response time is 5 weeks; this is the net P-F interval. In the right graph of figure 2 the same P-F interval is monitored with an inspection interval of 1 week, resulting in a net P-F interval of 12 weeks. Obviously, this way of shortening the net P-F interval leads to additional maintenance costs, because inspection and analysis must be performed more often. When monitoring online (or in other words continuously) the difference between the P-F interval and the net P-F interval disappears, resulting in the maximal possible planning time for maintenance actions.

Figure 2

Nett P-F interval

4.1.

DEVELOPMENTS OF CBM

Over the last fifteen years condition monitoring techniques have developed rapidly. The ever ongoing development of computers has led to software that can perform routine analysis of condition monitoring measurements at ever decreasing prices. This creates mayor benefits for normal offline condition monitoring measurements, but it also creates the possibility to perform online measurements without gathering unmanageable amounts of data to be analysed. Furthermore the decreasing prices of broadband satellite communication has brought mobile data transmission from anywhere in the world to anywhere else in the world within reach. Several manufactures, enabled by these general technical developments, have created condition monitoring equipment devices enabling remote online condition monitoring (ROCM). An installation enabling ROCM is a device continuously logging condition parameters, which indicates upcoming maintenance tasks based on warning and alarms levels or on trends. A random example of a ROCM capable device is shown in figure 3.

Figure 3 SKF Multilog On-line System IMx-S.

4.2.REMOTE ONLINE CONDITION MONITORING ROYAL NETHERLANDS NAVY

Devices enabling ROCM have become available in the past fifteen years and the general trend in the RNN is to use these devices. Main driver to implement ROCM in the maritime sector is general to decrease exploitation costs, while maintaining or increasing the effectiveness of the asset, in other words increasing cost effectiveness. There are several reasons to assume an increase in cost effectiveness on account of ROCM within the RNN, for example: Because part or all of the condition monitoring tasks normally done by the crew are automated a direct decrease in OLM will occur;

The condition monitoring tasks performed by the condition and performance (C&PM) department of the RNN are automated which will decrease the number of flights from shore specialists to the ship concerned. This results in less expenditure on plane tickets and in a reduction needed man hours from shore specialists. The reduction in needed man hours results directly from the reduced number of flights and indirectly from the reduced number of hours of obligated compensation for travelling outside regular working hours;

also

When performing offline measurements there is always a chance a certain failure mode has a P-F interval shorter than the regular periodicity of measurement. By monitoring continuously, rapidly developing failures will be detected, preventing them to occur including possible accompanying collateral damage;

in

Because ROCM devices perform continuous measurements, such measurements in a certain operational state no longer have to be planned

the programme of the ship (for example propulsion vibration measurements at 120 rpm on both shafts, rudder angle between plus and minus two degrees).

5. BUSINESS CASE ONLINE VIBRATION MONITORING

In the RNN the first ships equipped with online monitoring are two Hydro graphic Survey Vessels, Dutch abbreviation HOVs. The HOVs are two vessels built by Damen shipyards in Rumania and Vlissingen and entered into active service in 2003 and 2004. The ships have diesel-electric propulsion installation powered by three diesel generator capable of delivering 620 kW each. The generators feed the bow thrusters and the main electric motors and through the main gearboxes these drive the propellers. Soon after the HOVs were taken in operations, the bearings of the generators started to cause problems. These problems were seizing bearings causing unplanned standstill and loss of operational capability, since the propulsion of the HOV is diesel electric and all three generators are needed for optimal surveying. The failure mechanism of several of the seized bearings was investigated and the root cause was found to be fretting corrosion resulting in contaminated grease causing bad lubrication. Fretting corrosion was detected between the outer ring and housing and inner ring and shaft. Fretting is mechanisms in which small relative movements of two surfaces result in wear particles between the surfaces. When these particles oxidize, the created metal oxide is harder than the original metals, resulting in fretting corrosion. In the case of the HOVs these hard metal oxides contaminate the lubricating grease. No other explanation for the short average lifetime in the beginning could be found than the bearing failure due to these hard particles. Based on the above findings redesign of the diesel generators was considered, but ultimately not carried out due to the inability to find a proper replacement for the generator in the set time. Therefore, to prevent further collateral damage and to increase reaction time it was decided to install an online condition monitoring installation for the condition parameter vibration. Costs or loss of operational availability were not explicitly taken into account in this decision, mainly due to a lack of time before the installations would re-enter service after revision. The chosen condition monitoring technique, vibration analysis, cannot detect fretting corrosion directly. However, vibration analysis is suitable to detect problems with bearing lubrication resulting from fretting corrosion. Because the bearings sometimes failed only days after an offline vibration measurement that showed no irregularities, meaning the PF interval is short, the case demanded for continuous monitoring. After tendering the IMx monitoring installation (SKF) was chosen. The configuration of the installation consists per diesel generator of four vibration sensors, a tachometer and a load indicator. The

External Load tacho indicator 4- -

Alarm systemAlarms

via

relay

IMx connects with the Platform Management System (PMS) of the HOV to alert crew when an alarm level is exceeded. Given the use profile of the ships, which consists mainly of two weeks sailing and arriving in homeport for crew change of a short period in port remote accessing of data was not deemed necessary. In figure 4 an overview of the online system is shown.

Figure 4 online vibration monitor system HOV

6.

CONCLUSIONS

It is vital that the Royal Netherlands is clear in its aims regarding the use of (remote) online condition monitoring technology. If the exploitation is not approached logically, it has the potential to be a costly white elephant consuming resource whilst delivering little useful information. By combining the information and data from condition monitoring technology, together with knowledge of physical failure mechanisms, it is possible to get the optimal maintenance interval. Although further research has to be done by analysing the data and combining it to an useful and meaningful mathematical tool it is clear that ROCM will be the next step ahead for the RNN. References (2) Jongen, M. 2010 Cost effectiveness of remote online condition monitoring: A study and a business case on the Oceangoing Patrol Vessel, Asset Management Centre, Den Helder

Authors Biography Lieutenant Commander Harry Lijzenga finished his Institute of Technology (Mechanical Engineering) in 1993 and went to the Royal Netherlands Navy in 1995 (in between he finished his military service at the Army as soldier). After graduating at the Naval College in Den Helder in 1997 he went sailing as a lieutenant on the supplyship Hr.Ms. Amsterdam for 1 year (practical year). After this ship he subsequently went to Hr.Ms. Heemskerck (1998) and Hr.Ms. Philips van Almonde as secondary head of the engineering division. Lieutenant Commander Lijzenga went to shore as project officer special projects at the Naval College. Here (1999 2001) he was responsible for making education- and training programs when new technical equipment was implemented on ships. After this he became Head Condition Monitoring at the Material Logistical Department within the Dutch Navy. From 2001 till 2005 he worked on this position. In 2005 he became Head of the Engineering Division on Hr,Ms, Van Speijk (Multipurpose-frigate) until 2008. At the moment Harry is Head Condition- and Performance Department (C&PD) in Den Helder. Responsible for condition monitoring, underwater noise measurements (acoustic & magnetic) and artillery analysing (analysing if guns and fire-control systems of naval ships work properly). Besides head C&PD he gives leadership training (Situational Self leadership and DiSC behaviorstyles) for all rank personnel in the Navy.