McKeil Marine Thordonizes self-discharging bulker
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Burlington, Ontario-based McKeil Marine has replaced oil- and grease- lubricated bearings onboard its bulk carrier Northern Venture <\/em>with Thordon Bearings <\/a>COMPAC water-lubricated propeller shaft and SXL rudder bearings.<\/p>\n Established in 1956, McKeil Marine provides marine transportation along the St. Lawrence Seaway, the East Coast, and Canadian Arctic with a diversified fleet of tugs, barges, workboats and vessels, including bulkers, cement carriers, and tankers.<\/p>\n The shipowner acquired the 155 meter (508.5 foot), 19,651 dwt, 1998-built Northern Venture<\/em> <\/a>in 2022. The self-discharging River Class vessel has a forward mounted discharge boom and a single point loading system which allows all four holds to be loaded via shuttle conveyors from a single deck-mounted hopper.<\/p>\n Part of a major refurbishment project, the conversion to water-lubricated propeller shaft and grease-free rudder bearings was made to ensure the vessel does not discharge oil or grease into the Great Lakes.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s part of our continuous commitment to our people, our customers and the communities in which we operate,\u201d said Andy Vary, director of technical operations at McKeil Marine.<\/p>\n The retrofit included COMPAC bearings for the vessel\u2019s 409 mm (16.1in) diameter propeller shaft along with Thordon\u2019s Water Quality Package to ensure a clean water supply to the bearings. Thordon grease-free SXL rudder bearings were also supplied for the bulker.<\/p>\n The installation was undertaken in summer 2023 at COSCO\u2019s Nantong Shipyard in China, with the vessel becoming operational on the Great Lakes in December 2023.<\/p>\n McKeil Marine is a returning customer for Thordon Bearings. The world\u2019s first Thordon water-lubricated propeller shaft bearing was installed on a Great Lakes tug owned by McKeil Marine in the late 1970s.<\/p>\n Following this conversion, many other Great Lakes operating vessels converted to Thordon, helping to raise the profile of the Burlington, Ontario-headquartered company across the global shipping industry.<\/p>\n Thordon\u2019s COMPAC propeller shaft bearing is constructed from a cross-linked polymer alloy that offers a low breakaway friction resulting in quiet and smooth operation. The material\u2019s abrasive resistance is much greater than traditional laminated materials. The visco-elastic nature of the material also improves the hydrodynamic performance of the bearing leading to longer wear life, and as the material is homogenous, it provides consistent low wear and friction properties.<\/p>\n To promote early formation of a hydrodynamic film between the propeller shaft and bearing, the lower (loaded) portion of the bearing is smooth, while the upper half of the bearing incorporates grooves to allow water lubricant\/coolant to flow. A key benefit of the water-lubricated propeller shaft system is that it negates the need for a damage-prone aft seal.<\/p>\n Jos\u00e9 Duarte,\u00a0marine business development manager \u2013 North America, Thordon Bearings, said: \u201cAs an added environmental benefit, Thordon\u2019s COMPAC system has been shown to lead to fuel savings and reduced emissions. Compared to oil-lubricated bearings, at rated shaft speeds viscous friction is lower with water.\u201d<\/p>\n The Thordon Water Quality Package is designed to supply sea or lake water to the propeller shaft bearings for lubrication and cooling and to condition the water by removing suspended solids.<\/p>\n Thordon\u2019s SXL rudder bearings operate without grease above and below the waterline, offer high abrasion resistance and can also withstand high shock loads, improving the wear life of the bearing.<\/p>\n The post McKeil Marine Thordonizes self-discharging bulker<\/a> appeared first on Marine Log<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n