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An oil content meter (OCM) is an integral part of all oily water separator (OWS) systems. Oil content meters are also sometimes referred to as oil content monitors,
If the OCM determines that there is far too much of a type of oil, the OCM may be fouled and needs to be flushed out. Running clean water through the OCM sensor cell is one way it can be cleaned. Also scrubbing the sensor area with a bottle brush is another effective method. The new MEPC 107(49) regulations have set out stringent actions that require the OCM to be tamper proof and also the OCM needs to have an alarm that sounds whenever the OCM is being cleaned. When the alarm goes off, the OCM functionality will be checked by crew members.
An OCM is a small part of what is called the oil discharge monitoring and control system. The first part is the oil content meter. The second is a flow meter which measures the flow rate of the water at the discharge pipe. Third, is a computing unit which calculates how much oil has actually been discharged along with the day and time of the discharge. And lastly is the overboard valve control system which is essentially just a
bilge
The bilge of a ship or boat is the part of the hull that would rest on the ground if the vessel were unsupported by water. The "turn of the bilge" is the transition from the bottom of a hull to the sides of a hull.
Internally, the bilges (us ...
alarms, or bilge monitors.
OCM technology
The OCM continuously monitors how much oil is in the water that is pumped out the discharge line of the OWS system. The OCM will not allow the oil concentration of the exiting water to be above theMarpol
The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 as modified by the Protocol of 1978, or "MARPOL 73/78" is one of the most important international marine environmental conventions. MARPOL 73/78, MARPOL is an amalg ...
standard of 15 ppm. This standard was first adopted in 1977 with Resolution A.393(X) which was published by IMO. These standards were updated various but the most current resolution is MEPC 108(49). The oil content meter will sound an alarm
An alarm device is a mechanism that gives an audible, visual or other kind of alarm signal to alert someone to a problem or condition that requires urgent attention.
Alphabetical musical instruments
Etymology
The word ''alarm'' comes from th ...
if the liquid leaving the system has an unsatisfactory amount of oil in the mixture. If it is still above that standard, then the bilge water will be reentered into the system until it meets the required criteria. The OCM uses light beams to determine how oily the water in the system is. The system will then gauge the oil concentration based on a light intensity meter. Modern oil content meters also have a data logging system that can store oil concentration measurements for more than 18 months.
If the OCM determines that there is far too much of a type of oil, the OCM may be fouled and needs to be flushed out. Running clean water through the OCM sensor cell is one way it can be cleaned. Also scrubbing the sensor area with a bottle brush is another effective method. The new MEPC 107(49) regulations have set out stringent actions that require the OCM to be tamper proof and also the OCM needs to have an alarm that sounds whenever the OCM is being cleaned. When the alarm goes off, the OCM functionality will be checked by crew members.
An OCM is a small part of what is called the oil discharge monitoring and control system. The first part is the oil content meter. The second is a flow meter which measures the flow rate of the water at the discharge pipe. Third, is a computing unit which calculates how much oil has actually been discharged along with the day and time of the discharge. And lastly is the overboard valve control system which is essentially just a valve
A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fittings ...
that can stop the discharge from flowing out at the appropriate time.
Oil content meters measure how effective the oily water separators on a ship are functioning. If the OCM computes that the oily discharge is above the 15 ppm standard, the oily water separator needs to be checked by the crew.
There are three types of oil that the oil content meter needs to check for and they are fuel oil
Fuel oil is any of various fractions obtained from the distillation of petroleum (crude oil). Such oils include distillates (the lighter fractions) and residues (the heavier fractions). Fuel oils include heavy fuel oil, marine fuel oil (MFO), bun ...
, diesel
Diesel may refer to:
* Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression
* Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines
* Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engin ...
, and emulsions
An emulsion is a mixture of two or more liquids that are normally immiscible (unmixable or unblendable) owing to liquid-liquid phase separation. Emulsions are part of a more general class of two-phase systems of matter called colloids. Althoug ...
.
See also
*Marpol Annex I Marpol Annex I is the first implementation made by Marpol 73/78, one of the most important international marine environmental conventions. The convention was designed to minimize pollution of the seas from ships. The objective of the convention is ...
* Magic pipe
A magic pipe is a surreptitious change to a ship's oily water separator (OWS), or other waste-handing equipment, which allows waste liquids to be discharged in contravention of maritime pollution regulations. Such equipment alterations may allo ...
* Port reception facilities
Port reception facilities are a place that international shipping ports must provide to collect residues, oily mixtures, and garbage generated from an ocean-going vessel. contaminants generated by ships cannot be discharged directly to the ocean. A ...
* MARPOL 73/78
The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 as modified by the Protocol of 1978, or "MARPOL 73/78" is one of the most important international marine environmental conventions. MARPOL 73/78, MARPOL is an amalg ...
* International Maritime Organization
The International Maritime Organization (IMO, French: ''Organisation maritime internationale'') is a specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating shipping. The IMO was established following agreement at a UN conference ...
References