Essential (steering gear, lubrication…)

Essential services consist steering gear, navigational equipment and lights, emergency fire pump, alarm systems, other safety systems both 440/220 V supplied directly from main switchboard or via section boards or distribution boards.

As example show the steering gear equipment. Main steering gear powered from main switchboard and auxiliary steering gear from emergency switchboard. Both steering gears must be capable for normal and emergency operation.

Figure 55. Steering gear operation panel

 

SOLAS (regulations 29 and 30) requirement to steering gear:

- Capable of putting the rudder over from 35 degree on one side to 35 degrees on the other side with the ship at its deepest seagoing draught and running ahead at maximum ahead service speed and, under the same conditions, from 35 degree on either side to 30 degrees on the other side in not more than 28 s;

- arranged to restart automatically when power is restored after a power failure; and

- capable of being brought into operation from a position on the navigation bridge. ln the event of a power failure to any one of the steering gear power units, an audible and visual alarm shall be given on the navigation bridge;

- Each electric or electrohydraulic steering gear comprising one or more power units shall be served by at least two exclusive circuits fed directly from the main switchboard; however, one of the circuits may be supplied through the emergency switchboard;

- Short circuit protection and an overload alarm shall be provided for such circuits and motors.

Figure 56. Remote Steering system block diagram

Operation procedures of steering gear.

Hand Steering:

1. Confirm that the pointer of rudder order indicator at the steering stand is at the center.

2. Turn the steering gear selector switch (Mode Selection Unit) to the HAND position.

3. Turn the steering wheel to the desired angle for getting the desired rudder angle.

Auto Steering (Automatic Steering):

1. Confirm the position of the auto adjustment knobs on the AUTO position.

2. Turn the steering mode selector switch (Mode Selection Unit) to the AUTO position. The auto steering starts and the ship goes straight on the actual course.

3. Push in and rotate the course setting knob to change the setting course displayed on the setting course indicator. The ship change the course automatically to the setting course when releasing the knob.

NFU Steering (Non-follow up control):

1. Turn the steering mode selector switch (Mode Selection Unit) to the NFU position.

2. Turn the NFU selector switch (NFU STEERING) to the P/W or STAND or S/W position.

3. The rudder moves while the lever is turned to P (port) or S (stbd). When the lever is realized to the center, the rudder remains at that position.

Change over for remote steering control system:

1. Confirm that the steering gear is in operating condition.

2. Turn the system selector switch (System Selection Unit) from No.1 position to No.2 position or vice versa. With only above procedure. The selected system goes into operation AUTO, HAND and NFU steering are available in above both positions.

Figure 57. Steering gear in the steering gear room

 

Emergency steering (In steering gear room):

In the 1SG CNT (No.1 steering gear is abnormal) or 2SG CNT (No.2 steering gear is abnormal) lights stop the gear of the abnormal system and continue steering with the other system.

Emergency operation of steering gear:

1. check communication between steering gear local operation stand and bridge.

2. Check gyro repeaters on the bridge and steering gear local operation stand are equal. If it necessary to adjust the gyro repeater at local stand.

3. Request the bridge to switch off steering gear follow up system.

4. On the control box in steering gear room start the steering gear pump you want to use. (In case of total blackout; when emergency diesel generator is running the steering gear pump No.2 can be used only on low speed).

5. Operate the steering gear manually as per bridge request by pushing/pulling small red lever at appropriate pump unit.

Figure 58. Local Panel of steering gear