How To Draw and Read Line Diagrams Onboard Ships?: Share

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How to Draw and Read Line Diagrams

Onboard Ships?
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Understanding the operations and intricacies of
machineries can be arduous and challenging task onboard
ships. For every engineer officer, preliminary theoretical
knowledge of day to day operations and piping systems is
important for taking cognizance of complicated machinery
operations. The hierarchy on board further defines and
demands the engineers in their first stint onboard to trace
the piping diagrams in order to have thorough
understanding of different symbols and lines from the
facsimiles provided onboard.
Usually, a typical line diagram would look like a printed
labyrinth and could be difficult to understand. It is hence
suggested to keep them for reference and trace them
physically.
The junior rank is generally the in-charge of daily transfers

related to sludge and bilge waters, under the directions of
the second engineer and thus he should begin his
enterprise with the same approach.
To instigate with the process of plotting line diagrams, one
should always start with the highest or lowest point in the
system, specifically with a tank that supplies or is being
drained to, taking all safety precautions.
The tank being drawn without scale, should be marked
with the outlet valves or inlet valves, along with the
sophisticated remote closing devices having pneumatic
control arranged for operations external to the engine
room.
The tanks should further be marked with the air pipes,
thermometers, level gauges, overflow pipes and electronic
high and low level alarms.
Sounding pipes must be considered and their position in
the tank must be thought of, whether in aft or forward of
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the tank.
Manhole doors and other mountings aid the cleaning and
inspection of particular tanks and they must also be drawn
with a symbol representing important details. Tracing the
mountings serve an additional aid to know abnormality
and the normal operating parameters of the system. With
any deviation, a problem can be encountered and dealt
without chasing the track of breakdown maintenance.
The point of the pipes leaving the tank should be noted.

Further, the lines should be traced with the subsequent
valves marked with their types ( some require turning the
floor plates if they lie buried inside). This would help to
know the leakages and get them rectified at the earliest.
Special attention should also be paid to the lagging clad
steam lines and valves which could cause a burn if
handled carelessly. Valves placed below the floor plates
could be difficult to identify and memorize, and thus
should be marked with the respective names from the
system diagram by a felt tip pen for future references.
Moving further, each and every pump along with its
auxiliary should be marked with strainers and filters. The
change over lever in the duplex filter should be carefully
noticed, along with the purging cock and drain
respectively.
The type of pump should be considered along with their
application in handling different fluids in the particular
system. The same should be studied and the reasons
should be framed for their application in that system.
Relief valves, if provided, on the discharge side of the
pump must be looked upon, laying emphasis on the fact
that they are not present on the discharge side of
centrifugal or roto dynamic pumps.
Procedure
Following ways should be taken for tracing a system for
line diagram:
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– Start from the highest or the lowest point. Never start

from any random or middle point.
– Ensure to know the color coding of various piping
systems on ship (e.g. bilge lines are normally yellow,
sludge line is black, fresh water lines are blue, sea water
lines are green etc.)
*Color coding will differ depending on company SMS
-Ensure to wear all PPEs specially helmet, gloves and
safety shoes as for tracing you may need to go below the
floor plate where space constraint is prominent
– Always carry a good torch as a pipe being traced may

crossover another pipe in dark corners or in bilge area
below floor plate which if misread, will lead to wrong
interpretation of line diagram
– Know different types of valves and their universal
symbol. While tracing the line diagram, draw the valve as
per the type
– Any crossover or overlapping line must be clearly shown
in the diagram. Crossover lines are connected to each
other and overlapping lines do not touch. They can be
indicated by a gap or using a jump curve/ half circle
ndicating it iis not connected to the below line
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– Ensure to mark the fwd-aft, port and starboard position

in the diagram. This is very important to pin point the
location of any object in the diagram
– While tracing the line, draw the diagram in rough hands.
Once the tracing is complete, draw it in a neat paper with
approximate scale.
– Compare your diagram with the line diagram provide in
ship’s library
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– If you see any line or valve etc. is missed after

comparing from ships diagram, do check it locally as ships
often undergo modifications, which is generally not
included in the original line diagram
– If you pointed out any modification in the line diagram,
mark it as “modification”
– Never trace and draw two systems in one diagram.
– Lastly, make sure a senior officer has checked the
diagram you have drawn for any general fault
Every system has its peculiar intricacy and a concept
involved. Fuel Oil system, if considered, is divided into 4
specific systems, mainly bunkering, fuel oil transfer
system, cleaning and separation systems and the Fuel
supply system (to boiler, Main engine, Generator, etc.).
This should be noted while tracing and drawing diagrams.
In general, “cushy” diagrams must be drawn first and then
one should head for fuel supply system which is integrated
in the machinery i.e. fuel supply lines in the main engine
generator engine or boiler firing line etc.
Considering the cooling sea water line, one could easily
miss the mountings on the sea chest filter, which has a
distinct cock to purge off air before it enters the system.
Ensure not to miss such details.
Three way valves in a particular system, such as cooling
fresh water system must also be emphasized upon and its
functioning should be studied, centering the type of control
involved in its operation.
Computer based training is another source of potential
knowledge and concept, which could be studied for the
systems prior tracing the lines physically, if provided.
Keeping safety in conscience and considering the engine
room a hazardous place, the valves ought not to be
tampered while carrying out tracing procedure. This is
specifically for the junior engineers with little knowledge of
the systems.
The systems once drawn should be verified with the
senior engineers and could be then understood in detail
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with the operations and transfers. A rational approach with

the theoretical concept can well be carried out on paper, if
done religiously.
Drawing and reading the line diagrams is the basis of
understanding each and every detail of the machinery
operations onboard and the above approach should be
followed in order to master the art of line diagram plotting
and drawing.
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CYLINDER OIL LUBRICATION SYSTEM LINE DIAGRAM

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MAIN SEA WATER LINE DIAGRAM

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How to Draw and Read Line Diagrams

The junior rank is generally the in-charge of daily transfers

The point of the pipes leaving the tank should be noted.

– Start from the highest or the lowest point. Never start

– Always carry a good torch as a pipe being traced may

– Ensure to mark the fwd-aft, port and starboard position

– If you see any line or valve etc. is missed after

with the operations and transfers. A rational approach with

CYLINDER OIL LUBRICATION SYSTEM LINE DIAGRAM

MAIN SEA WATER LINE DIAGRAM

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