COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS ANALYSIS OF ENGINE ROOM VENTILATION OF A BULK CARRIER PLYING IN THE INLAND WATERWAYS OF BANGLADESH

Abstract

In this study, the factors contributing to proper engine room ventilation on an inland bulk carrier ship were investigated. High temperatures in the engine room can cause severe damage to the engine, machinery, and electrical equipment. Hence ISO 8861:1998 specifies the requirements for a safe and efficient engine room. The inlet duct diameter and airfow rate (air changes per hour) are the most crucial factors in engine room ventilation. Numerical analysis was carried out using the Star CCM+ Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software. The optimal airfow rate is determined while keeping the inlet velocity low to minimize the airfow machinery's (blowers) excessive noise and power consumption. Local temperature rise, which might occur due to inadequate airfow throughout the engine room, is also observed. The correlations between mean temperature, inlet diameter, and airfow rate were also investigated in this study; while keeping the airfow constant. Increasing the inlet diameter raises the mean temperature inside the engine room while reducing the air velocity, demonstrating that increased airfow improves the cooling of the entire engine room, however, at the expense of higher velocity, more noise, and heavier equipment.

Keywords: Engine room, ventilation, duct, CFD