As regulations change and two-stroke engines evolve to deal with the new normal, onboard monitoring and cylinder inspection is vital for keeping propulsion systems going. If one fails it can be very expensive to repair or replace and a failure mid-voyage would be dire. Shell LubeMonitor is a two-stroke engine cylinder monitoring system and we spoke to Marcus Schaerer, general manager services & technical, about how it works.

“I think we did a bad job if a ship fitted with Shell LubeMonitor had scuffing. I would say something went wrong!” Schaerer enthuses, referring to the phenomenon where stuck piston rings occur after a build-up of deposits which can lead to the dreaded “scuffing”. It occurs when lubricated surfaces experience adhesive wear due to the breakdown or failure of the lubricant film or stuck piston rings which could eventually result in complete engine failure. It’s akin to a terminal diagnosis and the medical analogy seems apt to describe how Shell LubeMonitor works.

“We combine three things. We do the good old oil test, which is the blood test. Then we get on-board measurement, which is like you taking your temperature,” explains Schaerer, who adds the third part of Shell LubeMonitor’s system is vital for avoiding scuffing.