Naval sealift ship puts accuracy to the test - Case Study
The United States Naval Ship (USNS) Watson is one of the large, medium-speed, roll-on, roll-off ships that have significantly expanded the nation’s sealift capacity. The Watson has a considerable amount of machinery, including main engines, generators and cranes, that need oil tested on a regular basis to detect potential problems and eliminate the possibility of a catastrophic failure. Operated by Ocean Shipholdings Inc. under contract to the Military Sealift Command, the Watson previously used oil test kits but found them time-con- suming. Its engineers questioned the kits’ accuracy, too.
Three years ago, the ship switched to handheld lubricant condition monitors, and one year ago added a portable viscometer to its oil testing arsenal.
“The portable instruments help us get more done in less time while providing results that are more accurate and reliable than single-test kits,” said Ocean Shipholdings’ William Maus, chief engineer of the USNS Watson. “When I show them to engineers from other ships they ask, ‘when can we get ours?’”
Major military mover
Military Sealift Command operates approximately 110 non-combatant, civilian- crewed ships that replenish U.S. Navy ships, strategically pre-position combat cargo at sea around the world and move military cargo and supplies used by deployed U.S. forces and coalition partners.
The Watson can carry a variety of military equipment in support of Army and Marine Corps operations. The Watson and other ships of its class were the major transporters of military equipment during Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom and during the military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq that began after the September 2001 terrorist attacks.
The Watson is 950 feet long, has a beam of 106 feet, a fully loaded dis- placement of 62,644 tons, and a service speed of 24 knots. It has a cargocarrying capacity of more than 380,000 square feet — equivalent to almost eight football fields. There are two gas turbine engines, each with an output of 32,000 brake horsepower (bhp), driving two shafts with 24-foot controllable pitch propellers at 95 rpm at full power. The ship’s diesel generators are capable of producing 12,500 KW of electrical power. The ship has many hydraulically powered cranes, cargo doors and ramps.
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