Assessment of Lube Oil Management and Self-Cleaning Oil Filter Feasibility in WSF (WA State Ferries) Vessels
PI: Liv Haselbach (WSU), haselbach@wsu.edu
Dates: 07/01/2013 – 7/31/2015
Final Project Report: PacTrans-44-WSU-Haselbach
Lube oil management aboard vessels is a critical component of maintaining the life of a vessel engine. Lube oil and the associated filters are expensive as is the maintenance and associated downtime. Disposal of filters as a hazardous waste and handling of lube oil presents an environmental risk and additional costs. Preventive and predictive management of lube oil can reduce lube oil maintenance costs and environmental risk, making the operation of Washington State Ferries (WSF) vessels more sustainable and cost effective. To gain these benefits WSF needs to consider both the economic and the environmental impacts of the self-cleaning oil filters alternative. This research proposal is part of a larger, stepwise effort which asks the following questions: (1) Can self-cleaning oil filters be retrofitted on WSF vessels providing the same level or better of contaminant removal as paper filters? (2) Is the use of self-cleaning oil filters a cost effective solution that reduces environmental risks? (3) Will self-cleaning filters save money by extending maintenance change out lube oil periods and reducing environmental disposal costs and risks? (4) Can improved monitoring and analysis of lube oil lengthen the time period between lube oil changes while maintaining the life of the engine?
