Steering Flashcards
How would you check your steering before departure? (1hr Before)
- Visual inspection around vessel. Looking for people, vessels or anything that may be an issue.
- Inspect hydraulic oil levels and look for any leaks
- Check the system over, no lose fittings, obstructions or closed valves.
- Communicate with bridge to start a steering pump.
- Carryout steering checks, ensuring that the indicator on the bridge and the indicator locally match.
- Test all alarms are operational and working.
- Check emergency back up power is available
- Repeat the test for steering gear pump 2.
How would you check your steering before departure? (12hr Before)
- Test of steering gear
- Test of auxiliary steering gear
- Test remote steering gear control system and stations
- Test steering systems in the Bridge
- Test emergency power supply
- Test rudder angle indicators
- Test remote steering gear power failure alarms
- Test steering gear power failure alarms
- Test automatic isolating arrangements for emergency steering.
Draw a diagram, showing main components, valves and pipework layout?
See onenote
How would you isolate leaking pipework?
All steering gears are made with 100% redundancy so I would simply switch over to the auxiliary steering gear system while repairs are being made to the leak
What are the different types of steering gearing onboard ships?
- Hydraulic 2 or 4 ram
- Rotary vane
- Voith schneider
- Azimuth thruster
Explain what happens when the signal is given from the bridge?
A signal is sent from the bridge to the steering gear control system. The signal is then sent to electro-hydraulic valves and actuators to allow hydraulic fluid to flow and move the mechanical rams which give rudder movement. A feedback signal is sent back to the steering gear control system which then relays then information to the bridge for the watchkeeper.
What type of pump is used?
Variable displacement piston pump
What maintenance would you check on steering gear?
- Oil levels
- Solenoid free to move
- Seals are good
- Grease is good
- Pitting on the rams
- Emergency steering operational
- Leaks
- Cabling connections
- Alarm systems
- Oil samples
- Oil filters
What sensors would you check on a steering gear?
- Low oil level
- Rudder angle
- Position sensor
- Pressure sensor
-Temperature sensor
You have had a catastrophic steering gear failure, what would you do?
Steering gear has 100% redundancy so I would reduce speed or stop while we investigate and make sure the same doesn’t happen to the other system.
I would inform our DPA who can then inform Classification, Flag state and start finding a contractor to assist when we arrive at our nearest port.
I would get an oil sample to send off, flush the system throughly and if possible use our class spares to fix the issue.
Hopefully by now the DPA has organised the parts and for a surveyor to present for arrival to inspect and to return on completion to sign off as repaired and safe to sail.
What is hunting and how to we reduce it?
Hunting is when the rudder is constantly trying to stay on its course but with changing sea state, vessel speed and weather it is constantly correcting and increasing wear as well as reducing movability.
Installed are hydraulic dampening to absorb any impact on the rudder.
Feedback control to inform the control system where the rudder is at and how quickly it is moving.
When testing steering gear you find air in the system, what would you do?
Go into emergency control and open a bleed screw, slowly turn the rudder over until oil is seen. Shut the bleed valve and monitor for where it has come from
What alarms do you have on steering gear?
- AC Phase Fail
- Control Fail
- Service Filter
- Power Fail
- Motor Overload
- HPU Low oil
- Auxiliary Power Failure
