Mimic saves over $3,000,000

A major cruise line operator had a population of around 150 large turbochargers. Of these, just under 100 were of a particular make and design and due to reasons unknown, an average of four of these failed catastrophically each year.
The financial cost to the company was approximately $1,000,000 per year but this did not take into account the hidden costs of dissatisfied passengers, or the very real risk of injury to crew and/or an increased fire risk that could endanger the whole vessel.

Solution

After conducting a failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) James Fisher Mimic (JFM) designed and created a turbocharger monitoring unit (TCM).

Data collection involved vibration signatures, gas inlet and outlet temperatures, scavenge air pressure and rotor speed.

The units were made with the following capabilities:

Automated, self-contained and remotely accessible (both on-board and off the ship).
Able to identify rotor deterioration and to indicate this immediately to the vessel’s control room watchkeepers.
Indicate to nominated personnel ashore whenever a turbocharger alert was initiated.
Self-monitoring, such that any failed sensor, inaccurate speed signal, or loss of hard drive had to be flagged to both on-board and shore side users.

Results

JFM successfully designed, developed and commissioned the TCM units.
The units correctly identified the early onset of failure on six occasions within the first 12 months of operation. In following years, a further eight failures were prevented.
No failures, other than two due to foreign object damage went unreported and the success of the system resulted in an estimated savings in excess of $3,000,000.
The 22 units installed across the 100 turbochargers continue to operate and provide early warning, avoiding catastrophic failures.