Machinery

When machinery is installed on a ship expecting to operate in polar regions, it must be able to operate in the following environmental conditions:

• Ice accretion
• Snow accumulation
• Ice ingestion from seawater
• Freezing and increased thickening, or viscosity, of liquids
• Seawater intake temperature
• Snow ingestion

After factoring in these environmental conditions, consider the cold and dense inlet air and potential loss of battery, or other stored energy, performance. Machinery installed must be protected against the effects of any of the environmental conditions listed above. Consideration must also be made for maintaining the proper viscosity of working liquids. Also, any machinery system that requires a supply of seawater must be protected from ice ingestion.

Ships intended to operate in low air temperatures

For ships intended to operate in low air temperatures, there are a few additional requirements pertaining to machinery:

• Design any exposed machinery or electrical installations or appliances to operate at the PST.
• For the operation of any internal combustible engine, manufacturers criteria regarding a proper temperature must be met and maintained.
• Materials of exposed machinery must meet the standards set for the PST in which operation is expected.

Ships that have been ice strengthened

In Category A and Category B ships, scantlings of propeller blades, propulsion line, steering equipment, and other appendages must be approved. In the case of a Category C vessel, the scantlings must be approved taking into consideration the area of operation and the hazards present.

To learn more about Polar Code visit our Polar Code Online Training web page.