General description and application

The UNITEST MS Engine Room Simulator has been based on typical solutions, being presently used in medium-sized engine rooms (two four-stroke type main engines with reduction gear and CPP – controllable pitch propeller).

This simulator is designated for training students of maritime academies as well as for different types of marine vocational training centres. The simulator has universal features and may be used both for training merchant and navy fleet crew.

The main purpose of the simulator is the practical preparation of the trainee for engine room operation, and more particularly:

• familiarization with the basic engine room installation (compressed air system, fresh and sea water cooling system, lubricating and fuel oil system, gear and CPP hydraulic system);
• acknowledgment with main engines and auxiliary equipment starting procedure;
• propulsion system manoeuvring (main engines – reduction gear – CPP).

The simulator has been equipped with a desktop type realistic console that enables main engines, gear and CPP operation and control. A general view of the console has been presented.

Two versions of engine room simulator with medium-speed main engines are available:

• full version (console and software),
• software version (without console).

The software allows for the simulation of opening/closing of basic valves and auxiliary equipment operation in engine room installations. The software also generates the main engine room’s sound.

• system set-up (liquid levels in the tanks and pressure setting),
• freeze simulator,
• manoeuvring command.

Instructor station is connected by phone with the trainee station.
Software of instructor’s station (in multi-station version only) enables also the observation of the following trainee’s station indications:

• systems alarm,
• shaft revolution,
• alarm log.

Simulation model

The simulator is based on an engine room composed of two medium-speed diesel ME and three diesel engine generators.
The propulsion system includes two ME, driving through reduction gear the controllable pitch propeller (CPP). Propeller’s revolutions and pitch are controlled simultaneously.

The simulator is divided into the following modules:

Check List

The main purpose of this option is to :

• standardise operation procedures and training,
• ensure that faults due to improper operation procedures are avoided.

The check list can be especially used for teaching proper engine room operation in stand-alone mode without instructor.
The check list is based on the concept consisting in a division of the whole engine room operation into various smaller, typical tasks. A specific checklist covers all these tasks.

Each checklist is based on the following principles:

• each checklist begins with a certain engine room setup, typical for that checklist,
• a checklist properly completed should lead to another specific engine room setup, which is the target of this particular procedure,
• clear instruction what to do and how to do it, is provided for every single checklist step,
• the checklists are linked in such a way that the target setup of one checklist is an entry setup for the next checklist in almost every case. This means that the completion of all checklists procedures results in the knowledge of the whole engine room operation at basic level.