Coast Guard and Other

Canadian Coast Guard

Support of the Canadian Coast Guard Fleet is on-going.  Propulsion shafting alignment and vibration services for new construction as well as refit, troubleshooting, and repairs are provided.  The following is a partial list of the vessels have been serviced:
  • Amundsen
  • Bartlett
  • Cape Roger
  • Capt. Jacques Cartier
  • Cygnus
  • Dumitt
  • Eckaloo
  • Earl Grey
  • Gordon Reid
  • Hudson
  • Jean Goodwill
  • John Cabot
  • Louis S. St. Laurent
  • Larsen
  • Martha L. Black
  • Mid-Shore Patrol Vessels
  • Pierre Radisson
  • Provo Wallis
  • Ricker
  • Sir John Franklin
  • Sir Wilfrid Laurier
  • Sir Wilfred Grenfell
  • Tanu
  • TerryFox
  • Tully

United States Coast Guard

Support of the United States Coast Guard Fleet is on-going.  Propulsion shafting alignment and vibration services for new construction as well as refit, troubleshooting, and repairs are provided.  The following is a partial list of the vessels have been serviced:
  • USCGC Bertholf
  • USCGC Clamp
  • USCGC FRC-B Class
  • USCGC Healy (WAGB-20)
  • USCGC Mallet
  • USCGC Polar Sea
  • USCGC Polar Star
  • USCGC Vise
  • 47  MLB Class
  • 87  WPB Class
  • 110  MPB Class
  • 140  WTGB Class
  • 210A & 210B WMEC
  • 225 WLB
  • 378 WHEC
  • 418 WMSL

USCG - Fast Response Cutters (FRCB)
(2 x 3800 kW)

US Coast Guard Fast Response Cutters (FRC-B) are under construction at Bollinger Shipyards Inc.  The FRC-B (Sentinel Class) is able to deploy independently to conduct USCG missions, such as ports, waterways and coastal security, fishery patrols, drug and illegal migrant law enforcement, search and rescue, and national-defense operations.  The FRC-B is a twin screw vessel, 154' long and capable of speeds of 28 plus knots.  The six bladed fixed pitch propellers are directly driven by a diesel engine with a rating of 3800 kW at 2100 RPM through a single reduction gearbox.  

LamaLo Technology has been contracted by Bollinger Shipyards to assist with the propulsion shafting design, alignment, vibration and powering performance - both theoretical and measurements.   LLT continues to support construction and sea trials work.  As of February 2021 forty-three (43) vessels have been delivered.  The shafting and powering performance of these vessels has been excellent. 

CCG Offshore Fisheries Research Vessels (OFSV) (1 x 2250 kW)

Three Offshore Fisheries Science Vessels (OFSVs) for the Canadian Coast Guard are under construction by Vancouver Shipyards.  The vessels are 63.4 metres in length with a design displacement of 3212 tons. The vessels have a single screw propulsion system.  The 5 bladed fixed-pitch propeller is driven by a double-wound electric motor rated at 2250 kW at 135 RPM.

LamaLo Technology Inc. (LLT) has been contracted by Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd. (VSY) to provide specialized engineering analysis services with respect to the propulsion shaft alignment and vibration on the OFSVs.   This includes a review of the design arrangement, finite element modeling of shafting vibration and alignment, development of alignment procedures, and measurement of final alignment.    The first vessel CCGS Sir John Franklin was delivered in June 2019.  The second, CCGS Capt. Jacques Cartier, was delivered in December 2019.  The third vessel, CCGS John Cabot, was delivered in 2020. 

CCGS Jean Goodwill - Arctic Class 2 (2 x 6720 kW)

The CCGS Jean Goodwill (Goodwill) is an icebreaking anchor handling tug supply vessel (AHTS), DNVClass-10, and is being converted to a medium class icebreaker for the Canadian Coast Guard at Chantier Davie Canada Inc. and will be rated as Arctic Class 2.  Goodwill is 87.5 m long and has a service speed of 11 knots. The Goodwill has a twin-screw ducted propeller configuration.  Each of the 4 bladed controllable pitch propellers are directly driven by two diesel engines with a rating of 3840 kW and 2880 kW, both at 600 RPM through double-input single output gearbox.  The propulsion shaft is approximately 34.5 m long and is supported by a three oil-lubricated sterntube bearings, and three intermediate shaft bearings. 
 
The component and system design, and documentation, of the propulsion shafting system were reviewed and assessed.  Theoretical analyses of the static alignment condition and lateral (whirling) vibration were conducted and alignment procedures developed.  Final alignment was conducted using the strain gauge technique.  The vessel was delivered in November 2020.
 

CCGS Gordon Reid – SAR Cutter
(2 x 1832 kW)

The CCGS Gordon Reid was delivered in 1990 by Versatile Pacific, in Victoria, BC.  The vessel is an intermediate search and rescue (SAR) cutter and has an overall length of 50 m and a draft of 5.35 m, with a maximum rated speed of 16.5 knots.  Each of the two propellers is driven by two diesel engines, each with a rating of 916 kW at 750 RPM, through a twin input – single output gearbox. Each propulsion shaftline is approximately 13 m long, and is supported by water lubricated strut and sterntube bearings and one lineshaft bearing. 

The vessel was grounded.  The propeller blades were broken, and the propeller shaft and rudder stock were bent.  A visual inspection of the strut and sterntube bearings indicated no damages.  The shaft was not excessively bent and the shipyard straightened the shaft within tolerance.  Welding repair was required on the top of the strut frames, which were found to be cracked.

A propulsion shaftline alignment theoretical analysis and measurement program was conducted.  The alignment condition was measured using optical, jack-up load, and strain gauge alignment techniques.  The port and starboard strut bearings were found to be misaligned such that the aft ends of the bearings were higher than the forward ends and they were horizontally skewed.  This misalignment was consistent with the damage observed to the shafting and propeller, and would have resulted in damage to the bearings if operated under this condition.  To correct for this misalignment the port and starboard strut bearings were replaced with new bearings and realigned to be concentric, parallel and in line with the gearbox output shaft.

With the vessel afloat, the shaft was realigned by adjustment to the lineshaft bearing.  The subsequent alignment measurements showed acceptable loads on the gear shaft bearings.  The CCGS Gordon Reid underwent sea trial the in April 2004.  It has been reported that no significant shaft vibrations were present and all bearing temperatures were acceptable.

MV Oscar Dyson – NOAA Fisheries Research Vessel (1 x 2300 kW)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 40-Day endurance fisheries research vessels (FRV40-1) are under construction at VTHalter Marine Moss Point Yard.  The vessels are 209' long with a beam of 49', a draft of 19.3' / 30.0' (center board up/down), a full load displacement of 2,240 metric tons, and a design speed of 20 knots.  The ships have a range of 12,000 nautical miles, a trial speed of 14 knots, and carry a complement of 39 persons. 

The vessels have a single screw propeller configuration.  The 5 bladed fixed pitch propeller is driven by two tandem DC Motors, each rated at 1150 kW at 134 RPM.  The propulsion shaftline length is about 49' long, and is supported by one sterntube bearing, one intermediate shaft bearing, and one support bearing on the thrust shaft.  Each of the two motor rotor shafts is supported by two bearings.

LamaLo Technology was contracted to conduct a theoretical propulsion shaftline alignment and vibration analysis, provide the propulsion shaftline installation and alignment procedures, and to measure and assess the shaft torsional and lateral vibrations during sea trials.  The strain gauge technique was used to conduct the final alignment prior to chocking.  All four (4) vessels were delivered by 2009.

LLT was contracted by Marinette Marine Corporation to conduct similar work for the fifth vessel of this class (NOAA FSV-6).  This vessel was delivered in 2013.

Center for Advanced Power Systems (CAPS) Test Bed (2 x 2500 kW)

The Center for Advance Power Systems (CAPS) Test Bed Facilities has been developed to conduct applied research on marine propulsion motors.  It consists of two tandem 2.5 MW AC Electric motors driving a test motor.  The AC motors are used to replicate propeller loads on the test motor.  LamaLo Technology Inc. (LLT) was contracted for the following:

·       Install and test the torque measurement system

·       Provided expertise on the physical calibration design and execution

·       Conduct the theoretical shaft alignment and vibration analysis

·       Measure and assess the shaft whirling vibrations and static alignment condition (strain gauge technique)

A static physical calibration was conducted on the torque strain gauges.  Torque was applied by two hydraulic rams pressing against two opposite arms mounted on the flange of the shaft, providing a pure torque load.  A static torque was applied to the shaft of up to 303,000 ft-lb.  Both a clockwise and counter-clockwise torque was applied.  The error in the value of the torque calibration factors was calculated to be less than 1% of full scale.  The linear regression coefficient (R2) was better than 0.9994 for all the tests performed.


A full power test was conducted in 2004 on the Test motor.  The shaft vibrations and alignment condition were acceptable. 


For more information see http://www.caps.fsu.edu

M/Y “Christina O” – Pleasure Yacht
(2 x 2079 kW)

This vessel is a legacy to the late shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis. The vessel is named after Onassis' daughter.  An upgrade to the propulsion system was conducted in 2000.  LamaLo Technology was contracted to conduct a theoretical propulsion shaftline alignment analysis, and to provide the propulsion shaftline installation and alignment procedures. A brief assessment of the potential for excessive shaft vibration was also conducted.  The vessel refit was conducted in Croatia in October 2000.