How do we carry out turbocharger washing in blower side and turbine side?
Blower side water washing
- It can be done when M/E is on full load.
- Fill up the warm freshwater to the hopper and closed the cover.
- Open the valve and water will flow into the blower casing and mechanically attack the blower blades and clean the deposit.
- Close the valve, open the cover and check the cleaning water must be empty.
Turbine side water washing procedure
- Turbine side water washing can be made with hot freshwater.
- Inform to the bridge
- Reduce the M/E rpm to recommended speed and hence turbocharger rpm.
- Check the water washing injection nozzle if fitted. (directly aim to the exhaust grips before entering the turbocharger)
- Open turbocharger drain valve.
- Open the water supply about 1 bar to turbine side.
- Water washing must be made until the clean water comes out.
- Close the water supply and remove the nozzle.
- The exhaust side drain can be closed after all water is drained out and dried.
- Inform the bridge and increase the M/E rpm gradually to sea speed.
- The turbine side water washing is usually at departure after maneuvering time.
- For usual practice cleaning is done every 500 hr, running hours depending on the cleanliness of the turbocharger.
Grit Washing or Dry Cleaning of Turbocharger
- Turbine side cleaning is superseded by walnut shell, with the grain size of 12 to 34 mesh
- No speed reduction is required and cleaning can be done at full speed, once every day
- Compressed air of (3 -5 bar) is used to help the grains strike the deposited Turbine Blades and Nozzles, giving effective cleaning of hard particles
- Air supply pipe is fitted to a solid grain container, and grains are injected into the exhaust system by air pressure, at the same point (as in water washing ) just after exhaust grids
- Turbine casing drain kept open during cleaning time (about 2 minutes only)