A New Generation of Marine Cylinder Oils for Super-Long Stroke (SLS) Engines

The introduction of marine super-long stroke (SLS) crosshead engines to provide lower operating and maintenance costs has placed a greater stress on the performance requirements of cylinder oils. Key performance parameters affected include: corrosive, adhesive, and abrasive wear and piston deposits.

This paper presents the results of laboratory engine tests from cylinder oil formulations containing balanced additive chemistry blended to optimize viscosity using various base stocks and highlights the contributions of the individual additive properties, viscometrics, and combinations to maximize performance. Observations from interim ship-service trials are also included.

Conclusions resulting from this program include: (1) modern engine designs place greater stress on cylinder oil performance, (2) cylinder oil additive chemistry, alkalinity (TBN), and viscosity are key formulation factors in optimizing SLS engine performance, and (3) cylinder oil additive packages are available to meet the demands of SLS engines.