Hydraulics is not only an accurate technology used in several engineering fields – it is one of the most essential and necessary elements of operations in the marine industry.
By generation, control and transmission of power through the use of pressurized oil, vessels are able to operate essential features like control systems, desk machineries and engine room applications.
The hydraulic units of a vessel however need to be monitored, controlled and maintained in order to ensure stable operations.
- “If the anchor fails to be weighed, the ship cannot leave the shore”, Keld Reimer Hansen metaphorically emphasizes and continues:
- “And not only repairing of broken machineries is costly – so are too many days of downtime. Therefore, in order to perform preventive maintenance and avoid downtime, high-quality sensors are an absolute must in marine hydraulic units”.
What is marine hydraulics?
Marine hydraulics is a technology, where pressurized liquids enable movement and operations of central machineries on merchant vessels. Oil is most often the operating media in hydraulics of vessel machineries.
Hydraulic units are placed in several central positions around the vessel, and each unit contains hydraulic pipes, in which pressure is created through specific oil temperatures – making it possible to generate and transmit power to machineries.
Avoid machinery breakdowns with accurate temperature monitoring
If hydraulic units are not monitored thoroughly, predictive maintenance cannot be performed – and then vessel machinery is in larger risk of breaking down.
To avoid downtime, high-quality temperature sensors can be placed in hydraulic units to measure oil temperature ensuring stable oil pressure and efficient operations.
Abnormalities in oil parameters can lead to operations-related problems in the control systems, desk machineries or engine room applications of the vessel. If oil temperatures increase, it will directly reduce the viscosity of the oil - and because this will change the oil pressure, it will then hinder optimal machine operations.
- “The most common cause of increase in oil temperature is low levels of oil in the system. The temperature sensors will react to abnormalities like low oil levels, where replenishment of oil is then possible”, Keld Reimer Hansen explains,
- “In the end, the sensors enable proactive reactions allowing you to prevent potential breakdowns.”
In other words, the hydraulic units’ oil temperature needs to be properly managed to avoid inefficiency and loss of performance. If machineries do break down, costly repairing and servicing may be necessary. And if entire vessels end up in serious breakdowns, it can entail longer periods of downtime leading to significant losses.
The temperature sensors’ role of predicting errors and deviations is thus essential for marine hydraulics and ultimately for successful marine operation.
The importance of marine approved temperature sensors
In the marine industry, components need to meet high requirements for safety and reliability, as approved and certified products, processes and materials are key to operational success.
One way to ensure safety and high quality for sensors of hydraulic units is through PPAP (Production Part Approval Process). PPAP is a valuable tool for establishing confidence in component suppliers and their production, as it defines both the design and process stages of developing components.
- “The methodical approach of PPAP enables product functions to be identified and ranked”, Keld Reimer Hansen explains, and continues:
- “This then enables calculations of risk and prevention of failure for all sensors, including temperature sensors for marine hydraulics.”
Why choose Senmatics high-quality sensors for marine hydraulics?
Danish-produced temperature sensors of high quality are in high demand in the international marine industry.
Senmatic is the leading specialist in temperature sensor solutions for the oil, gas and marine industries, and trough the latest technologies, Senmatic offers efficient and agile development of customized sensor solutions of high Danish quality, certified through both DNV-GL and DNV-GL EU RO MR.
Tested and approved sensors
The temperature sensors are run through several tests to make sure they are able to withstand heavy vibrations from the vessel. The tests and approvals enable the sensors to be placed in hydraulic units at any position on the vessel without breaking down.
Working with Senmatic, you will:
- Be able to choose sensors supplied with a unique calibration certification, ensuring an increase in accuracy of temperature readings by up to ten times compared to standard sensors.
- Have sensors certified to the highest standards, which can be installed directly in hazardous environments – from tropic to polar regions.
- Have the ability to measure oil temperatures from -196 °C to 220 °
Besides temperature sensors, Senmatic produces the steel thermowells that the sensors are integrated in. The thermowells are produced with a thread to attach the thermowell in the oil containers, and they are always burr-free to avoid damaging the hydraulic system.
If you are interested in learning more about our sensor products or insight into the marine industry, do not hesitate to contact us. We are always ready to help you with any question.
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