Guidance

Auxiliary Equipment Part 1 Written Examination Syllabus

Published 20 August 2014

1. Valves

1. Types of valves.
2. Construction and application of following valves:
   1. Construction and application different types of valves;
   2. Simple plug cock;
   3. Ball valve;
   4. Screw-lift valve;
   5. Screw-down non-return (SDNR) valve;
   6. Butterfly valve;
   7. Gate valve;
   8. Diaphragm valve;
   9. Quick closing valves;
   10. 3-way valves;
   11. Valve chests;
   12. Basic valve symbols;
   13. Pressure relief valve - differentiate between a safety valve and a relief valve.
3. Materials used in valve construction (cast iron/ steel, bronze, brass, stainless steel, etc.).
4. Compatibility of the materials used in construction with fluids flowing through the valve, aspects of corrosion and erosion.

2. Pumps

1. Types of pumps.
2. Basic classification of pumps, positive displacement and centrifugal.
3. Typical pump applications in systems.
4. Basic pump symbols.
5. Positive displacement pumps, construction and theory of operation.
6. Types of positive displacement pumps:
   1. electric motor driven reciprocating pump;
   2. lobe pump;
   3. gear pump;
   4. rotating piston pump;
   5. screw pump;
   6. vane pump.
7. Positive displacement pump relief valves and system flow pulsation damping.
8. Centrifugal pumps, construction and theory of operation.
9. Types of centrifugal pump, volute casing and diffuser.
10. Problems associated with priming centrifugal pumps and methods of priming.

3. Compressed air systems

1. Knowledge that the compressed air system commonly has two pressure levels, 30-40 bar for starting air, and 7-10 bar for control air.
2. Basic compressed air system, layout and components (air compressors, air receivers).
3. Compressed Air Safety and Safety devices associated with the compressed air systems: Isolation and draining of system, safety valves, fusible plugs, compressor bursting discs, compressor lifting heads, pressure cut outs.

4. Hydraulic and pneumatic control principles

1. Basic hydraulic and pneumatic symbols (interpretation of system drawings).
2. Hydraulic system safety: safety devices fitted to the system and equipment, safe working procedures on hydraulic system and equipment.
3. Basic electro-hydraulic and electro-pneumatic control.
4. Hydraulic fluids, types, uses, characteristics.
5. The importance of clean air supplies for pneumatic control systems.
6. Basic control air supply system, layout and components (reducing valve, driers, filters, lubricators).

5. Steering gears

1. Basic functions of a steering gear.
2. Types of steering gear construction, 2-ram and rotary vane.
3. Knowledge of signal transmission from remote steering positions.
4. Feedback control within steering system.
5. Constant and Variable pressure hydraulic system for a steering gear system.
6. Steering gear protection and system redundancy (split hydraulics, dual pumping arrangements, isolating valves, by-pass valves, movement limiters, and shock valves).

6. Propulsion

1. Basic theory of propellers (number of blades, skewed etc.).
2. Methods of securing the propeller to the propeller shaft.
3. Fixed and variable pitch configurations including water jet, Azipod and Voith Schneider propulsions.
4. Controllable Pitch Propellers (CPP), advantages/disadvantages, construction, operation, control systems.
5. Configurations and construction of transverse thrusters (fixed drive, fluid drive, water jet).
6. Safety devices and manual control (fail safe/fail set).

7. Transmission and shaft arrangement

1. Shaft support bearing types and construction (plain bearing, roller bearing).
2. Thrust bearings (tapered roller bearing and thrust collar).
3. Bearing lubrication.
4. Stern tube bearings (linings, oil and water lubricated).
5. Stern seals (Lip seals, mechanical seals).
6. Rigid and flexible shaft connections (fitted coupling bolts, flange, hydraulic muff, steel diaphragm).
7. Basic shaft alignment and Shaft coupling alignment (lateral and angular).

8. Electrical plant

1. Basic construction and operational principles of AC alternators (production of voltage and current, pole/speed relationship, exciters, speed control, auto-voltage regulators (AVR), response to change in load).
2. Synchronising and paralleling alternators manually and automatically (in phase, check synchroniser, synchroscope, synchronising lamps, load sharing, speed droop and voltage droop).
3. Switchboard layout (main alternators, main switchboard, emergency alternator, Emergency switchboard.
4. Switchboard safety devices list (alternator main breaker trip devices, earth leakage detection, preferential tripping, sequential starting and discrimination protection) and their functions.
5. Main breakers and their safety protection devices.
6. Fuse types and applications.
7. Shore power connection and safe operation.
8. Neutral point insulated distribution.
9. Essential and non-essential consumers.
10. Earth lamps.
11. Earth fault tracing.
12. Basic construction and operational principles of 3-phase and single phase motors (direct on- line starting, alternative starting arrangements, torque and current characteristics, safety protection, fault finding, single phasing).
13. Basic construction and operational principles of batteries (lead-acid, alkaline, Ni-ion, charging circuits, inspection and maintenance, safety).
14. Emergency power supplies (The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) legislation, typical installations, testing, and recovery from blackout).
15. Electrical safety (legislation - the code of safe working practices for merchant seafarers (COSWP), safe isolation, safe testing procedures).
16. Electrical maintenance.
17. Understanding, maintenance, troubleshooting of Electrical Lighting Circuits including Navigation lights.
18. Basic transformer theory, safe working practice, routine maintenance.
19. Intrinsically safe circuits and equipment.