Troubleshooter
Hydraulic maintenance plan when vessel are reactivated from lay up condition.
Is it necessary to flush hydraulic system of hydraulic equipment when vessel is reactivated after lay-up condition?
According to Class Registry, there are 2 types of lay-up: hot lay-up and cold lay-up. In general, ,’Hot’ lay-up is considering a short term period – less than 12 month with reduced crew and some machinery in working conditions. ’Cold’ lay-up is a long period – more than 12 months with one or more watchmen and machinery shut down, only emergency generator.
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For hydraulic equipment such as: hydraulic winches,electro hydraulic ship cranes and, as my Hydraulic Troubleshooter point of view, I would say that is necessary to flush hydraulic system at reactivation. The flushing of hydraulic oil can be done during operation by crew or by third partly when window available. Plan maintenance period (PMP) can be an option.
Without any doubt, you never know what could happen before and after the lay-up. Whether conditions when vessel was in operations and lay-up, or whether condition could spoil the hydraulic oil.
maintenance routine of hydraulic equipment is oil analysis
An important maintenance routine of hydraulic equipment is oil analysis. A 6 month analysis of hydraulic oil by crew of the vessel is best way. On board Offshore vessel it can be found LO Test kit to determine the oil viscosity, PH and water content.
Another method which I was using during hydraulic equipment service was: use a small quantity of oil at operating temperature onto a piece of blotting or filter paper. The oil will spread out, and if it is clean, the resulting patch will be a light color. If a dark area is left in the center of the patch, the oil has aged and is dirty. The darker the patch, the greater the degree of oil contamination.
Usually the Manufacturer specified from where to take sample of oil and the best way to do it.