SERVICE NOTE

MITSUI ENGINEERING & SHIPBUILDING CO., LTD.

DIESEL TECHNICAL INVESTIGATION GROUP.
for MITSUI－MAN B&W engines No. 190

APPROVED N. Osako
Optimization of the Cylinder Oil Feed Rate
CHECKED
based on the Drain Oil Analysis
PREPARED K. Harada

ENGINE TYPE All engine types DATE 2014.3.20

(Rev.1: 2017.12.01)

The licensor, MAN Diesel & Turbo announces that one of the ways to evaluate the cylinder condition
and optimize the feed rate is to do the stress test, a so-called sweep test. We herewith enclose the
procedure of the sweep test.

The sweep test can also be used in the ACC familiarization period to find the suitable feed rate for your
particular engines, operating pattern and lube oil used.

Regarding the guidelines on cylinder lubrication on engines equipped with alpha lubricator, please refer
our Service Note No.189 for mark8 and newer engines and Service Note No.188 for Mark7 and
previous engines.

PRIORITY
AT FIRST WHEN
IMMEDIATELY OPPORTUNITY CONVENIENT OTHERS

Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co. ltd.

Diesel Technical Investigation Group
1-1, Tama 3-chome, Tamano, Okayama 706-8651 Japan
TEL: 0863-23-2534 / FAX: 0863-23-2772
E-mail: demail @mes.co.jp

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 Sweep Test Procedure for MAN B&W Two-Stroke Diesel Engines
Finding the Optimal Cylinder Lube Oil Feed Rate Factor

Continuous monitoring of drain oil samples is a good way to optimise the cylinder oil feed
rate, cylinder oil consumption and to safeguard the engine against excessive wear. The
fastest way to evaluate the corrosive behavior of an engine and optimise the feed rate is to
do a stress test, a so-called sweep test. It can also be used in the ACC familiarization
period to find the suitable Feed Rate Factor (FRF, also called ACC factor) for the particular
engine, operating pattern and cylinder oil used. The Sweep-Test Protocol can be found on
page 7 and 8.

During the sweep test, the vessel should be running on fuel with sulphur content above
2.7%. The sweep test takes 6 days and should be performed during a longer voyage. The
Engine Control System (ECS) load setting should remain constant during the sweep test.
The feed rate of the cylinder oil is set to fixed steps and drain oil samples are taken after
24 hours, before lowering to the next step (figure 1).

Figure 1. Overview of the sweep test procedure

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Samples and analysis methods

Before the test starts, samples of the fuel in use, system oil in use and fresh (unused) cylinder oil
should be taken. When the test has been completed, all samples should be sent ashore to a
certified laboratory. The iron (Fe) content and the BN value should be analyzed. The Fe content
should be analyzed using the ASTM D5185-09 and the BN should be analyzed using the ISO
3771:2011(E) method. The Fe concentration will be the measurement of corrosion and wear. The
BN in the drain oil is an evaluation of the performance of the oil and the need for neutralization in
the engine. When the results are received, the suitable Feed Rate factor can be established for the
particular engine, fuel, and lube oil and operation pattern.

The BN and Fe content of the drain oil can also be measured by various on-board analysis
equipment. When measuring Fe with on-board analysis equipment, it is important to choose an
instrument that measures the total Fe content. On-board equipment gives fast results, however,
we recommend sending the samples to a laboratory in order to secure accurate results.

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Test Procedure

Read all the instructions carefully before starting the Sweep test. The Engine Control
System (ECS) load setting should remain constant. The sweep test should be carried out
above the lubrication breakpoint. In most cases, this breakpoint is at an engine load of
25% (40% MEP load). When the lubricator is below the breakpoint, the cylinder feed rate
for each cylinder changes from a number to “low load” on the MOP-screen. A sweep test
cannot be started when the MOP screen states “low load”. There are different versions of
the MOP-screen and instructions on how to change the Feed Rate Factor (FRF or ACC
factor) and the feed rate can be found in the instruction book.

Before starting the sweep test: Normal running condition

Figure 2 shows a MOP-screen under normal running conditions, after the initial running in
of the engine, i.e. the first 500 hours. The “Running In” mode should be “Off” (0.00) and the
“Feed Rate Adjust Factor” should be “1.00” (= 100%).

In this mode, the fuel oil sulphur content “S%” and the “Feed Rate Factor” gives the “Basic
Feed Rate”, which is also shown for each cylinder as the “Actual Feed Rate”. In this
example, the S% is 3.20 and the “Feed Rate Factor” is 0.40 g/kWhS%, which results in a
“Basic Feed Rate” of 1.28 g/kWh (Figure 2).

Figure 2. MOP-screen showing settings at normal running conditions. Running-in mode is turned OFF

Day 1: Start of sweep test (at least 24 hours after departure)

When starting the sweep test, the easiest way to set the desired cylinder oil feed rate is to
use the “Running In” mode. This mode overrules the normal running mode, as shown in
Figure 2. However, the minimum feed rate will never be lower than the “Min. Feed Rate”
(here 0.60 g/kWh) even if the “Running In” mode is set to a lower value than “Min. Feed
Rate”. For the first 24 hours of the sweep test, the “Running In” setting should be “1.40”
g/kWh, as shown in Figure 3.

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 Note!
On the latest MOP software versions, the highest value of the “Basic Feed Rate” and
“Running In” is in control. In this case, the fuel sulphur should be set to 0.1% and the
“Feed Rate Adjust Factor” should be “1.00” (= 100%) during the sweep test, and set
back to actual value when the sweep test is finished, see Figure 4 & 5.

Figure 3. Day 1 of sweep test. The Running In mode is used and set to 1.4 g/kWh

Be sure that the correct cylinder oil is used, and take reference samples of fresh cylinder
oil and fuel. Adjust the feed rate of the cylinder oil to 1.4 g/kWh as shown in figure 3. Write
down the following information in the sweep test protocol:

a. Name of ship and type of engine

b. Date and time of starting the test.
c. Name and brand of the cylinder oil, BN and SAE viscosity number
d. Engine load

Day 2 Take drain oil samples from all cylinders after running 24 h on a cylinder oil feed rate of 1.4
g/kWh.

Important: Make sure to flush the drain valve into a bucket before taking the sample. Only
use clean bottles, and make sure not to mix drain oil form one unit with another. Mark the
bottles with the following information:

a. Cylinder no.
b. Date
c. The name and BN number of the cylinder oil
d. Feed rate of cylinder oil
e. Engine load
Also, write down the information in the test protocol. After this, the cylinder oil feed rate
should be adjusted to 1.2 g/kWh as shown in Figure 4.
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 Please note:
In the later editions of the
ECS software, the highest
value of the “Basic Feed
Rate” or the “Running In” is
always in control.
To avoid this influencing the
test, the fuel sulphur (S%)
should be set to 0.1 during
the sweep test

Figure 4. Day 2 of sweep test. The Running In mode is used and set to 1.2 g/kWh, and in this case the “Basic Feed Rate”

is higher and over-rules the “Running In”.

Please note:
In the later editions of the
ECS software, the highest
value of the “Basic Feed
Rate” or the “Running In” is
always in control.
To avoid this influencing the
test, the fuel sulphur (S%)
should be set to 0.1 during
the sweep test

Figure 5. Day 2 of sweep test. The Running In mode is used and set to 1.2 g/kWh in this case the “Basic Feed Rate” is

lower and the “Running In” is in control.

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Day 3 Take drain oil samples from all cylinders after running for 24 h on a cylinder oil feed rate of
1.2 g/kWh. Sample-procedure same as Day 2. After this, the cylinder oil feed rate should be
adjusted to 1.0 g/kWh

Day 4 Take drain oil samples from all cylinders after running for 24 h on a cylinder oil feed rate of
1.0 g/kWh. Sample-procedure same as Day 2.
After this, the cylinder oil feed rate should be adjusted to 0.8 g/kWh

Day 5 Take drain oil samples from all cylinders after running for 24 h on a cylinder oil feed rate of
0.8 g/kWh. Sample procedure same as Day 2. After this, the cylinder oil feed rate should be
adjusted to 0.6 g/kWh

Day 6 Take drain oil samples from all cylinders after running for 24 h on a cylinder oil feed rate of
0.6 g/kWh. Sample-procedure same as Day 2.

When the last drain oil samples have been taken, the “Running In” setting is set to “Off”
(0.00) to run in normal cylinder oil feed rate mode as shown in Figure 2. When results have
come back and been analyzed, the suitable Feed Rate Factor can be calculated and used.

Important ! Make sure to set the Sulphur and Feed Rate Adjust Factor to actual
value (set value before sweep test) when the sweep test is finished.

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Sweep Test Protocol

Page 1 of 2

Fill in the required information. Samples should be sent to a certified laboratory for analysis.

Check Action Tick if OK

Sample bottles Use clean bottles and label them

Fuel Take sample or send in results from fuel analysis

Fuel sulphur Should be above 2.7%

System Oil Take a sample

Cylinder oil Take a sample of fresh unused oil

MOP screen Set feed rate of the cylinder oil. Follow fixed steps

Load Engine Control System (ECS) load setting to remain constant

If Part Load Optimized Setting to remain constant during entire test period

Sweep Test Protocol Fill in the form with the required information

Performance sheet Print the most recent updated performance sheet

Drain oil samples Take after 24 h running hours, before lowering feed rate

On-board analysis equipment If available: analyze BN and total iron

Name of Ship:____________________ IMO no:____________________

Engine type:____________________ Total running hours:____________
Load:____________________
Exhaust Gas Bypass (EGB): Open/Closed?____________ (Setting should remain constant during entire
test period)
Turbo Charger (TC) Cut-Out: Yes/No?_________________ (Setting should remain constant during entire
test period)
Name of cylinder oil:____________________
BN:____________________ SAE Viscosity:_______________
Fuel Type:_______________ Sulphur content fuel:______________%
Start date and time:_______________ End date and time:_______________
Please fill in the Running Hours for the following

Cylinder 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Cylinder
liners
Piston
crowns
Piston
rings
Fuel
valves

Page 2 of 2

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Cylinder oil Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6
Feed rate 1.4 1.2 1.0 0.8 0.6 Back to
(g/kWh) normal

Label the bottles with the following information:

1. Cylinder no.
2. Date
3. The name and BN of the cylinder oil
4. Feed rate of cylinder oil
5. Engine load

Please fill in this table when taking the samples

Cylinder 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Day 2 Feed
Date
rate
Engine Deck Temp℃ Humidity％
load
Day 3 Feed
Date
rate
Engine Deck temp℃ Humidity％
load
Day 4 Feed
Date
rate
Engine Deck temp℃ Humidity％
load
Day 5 Feed
Date
rate
Engine Deck temp℃ Humidity％
load
Day 6 Feed
Date
rate
Engine Deck temp℃ Humidity％
load

To Send In Tick if OK

Fuel sample or result from a fuel analysis

System oil sample

Fresh (unused) cylinder oil

Drain oil samples

Sweep Test Protocol filled in with all information

Performance Sheet (the most recently updated)

Evaluation of Sweep Test

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The aim of the test is to show the correlation between the engine’s corrosive behaviour
and the lube oil’s ability to counteract this. When the results from the sweep test are
returned from the laboratory, the data need to be evaluated.

Calculating the actual ACC factor for a sweep test made on a load above the lubricator
part-load breakpoint
During the sweep test, the load should be above the lubricator part-load breakpoint and
the feed rate is set to fixed steps. The Feed Rate Factor (also called ACC factor) for each
step can be calculated by dividing the feed rate step with the sulphur % of the fuel (Eq. 1).
                                                                Feed rate（g/kWh）
Feed Rate Factor Calculated(g/kWh x S%）＝ ――――――――― (Eq.1)
Fuel Sulphur（S%）

Example 1: Sulphur content of the fuel is 2.8％

1.4
―― ＝ 0.50 (g/kWh x S%)
2.8

Feed rate step Fuel Sulphur Feed Rate factor calcu
(g/kWh) （S%） (g/kWh x S%)
1.4 2.8 0.50
1.2 2.8 0.43
1.0 2.8 0.36
0.8 2.8 0.28
0.6 2.8 0.21
END of Example 1

The Feed Rate Factor calc values are used to correlate the Fe and BN values in the
samples. In Tables 1 and 2, you can fill in the Feed Rate Factor calc and the Fe and BN
values. Two graphs can then be made where the Feed Rate Factor calc (FRF calc) is the
horizontal axis (x-axis) and the Fe values are the vertical axis (y-axis) in graph 1 and BN in
graph 2. The Fe and BN can also be plotted in the same graph. Fe should be the left
vertical axis and BN the right (view Figure 6 as an example).

Table 1. Write the Feed Rate Factor calc (FRF calc) in the left column and the corresponding
Fe value for each cylinder. These values are then used to make a graph in Excel.
Cylinder 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
FRF calculated Fe values

Table 2. Write the Feed Rate Factor calc (FRF calc) in the left column and the corresponding
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BN value for each cylinder. These values are then used to make a graph in excel
Cylinder 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
FRF calculated BN values

Figure 6 illustrates how to evaluate a sweep test. In the normal case, the Fe concentration
slowly rises until a point where it will rapidly increase. The acceptable Feed Rate Factor is
found just before the rapid increase in Fe, in other words, before the Fe concentration
reach the red area (Figure 5). A Feed Rate Factor that corresponds to acceptable Fe
levels means that the corrosion is controlled. After the Feed Rate Factor is found, the
corresponding BN value can be found. It indicates the possible level of BN depletion of the
oil, which will not jeopardize the performance of the oil.

Figure 6. The Feed Rate Factor (g/kWhxS%) is shown on the x-axis. The Fe concentration (mg/kg) is depicted with red
lines and the result is read on the left y-axis. The axis is divided into three parts. The green bar shows safe operation

condition, 0-200 Fe (mg/kg). When the Fe concentration exceeds 200 mg/kg (the red bar), the wear or corrosion starts to

increase significantly, and the lube oil feed rate should also be increased.

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The rest BN concentration (mg KOH/g) is depicted with blue lines, and the result is read on
the right y-axis. The axis is divided into two parts. The red bar (0-10 BN) means that the
neutralization ability of lube oil has started to deplete and the risk of corrosion is increased.
The green bar (10-50 BN) shows safe operation.

The thick blue line and the thick red line are the BN and Fe values from a sweep test. In
order to find a suitable Feed Rate Factor, the procedure is as follows:

Follow the thick red line and find the Fe concentration for safe operation. In this example, it
would be 200 because after this the slope of the thick red line increases rapidly. The
corresponding Feed Rate Factor is found on the x-axis and, in this case, it is 0.30
g/(kWhxS%).

The rest-BN value, which corresponds to this safe operation, is found by using the BN
curve (in this graph, the blue thick line) and reading the result of the right x-axis. In this
case, the Feed Rate Factor 0.3 corresponds to 22 BN. The dashed lines are examples of
what other sweep tests with other lube oils may look like.

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