Setting A Brisk Pace!

Ken Berry, Project Manager reports from Durban that the work onboard the Africa Mercy continues at a brisk pace by the two main contractors and 8 or their subcontractors, all of whom are busy with piping, electrical and support systems.

The two Generator Rooms and the Main Switchboard Room are crowded with electricians, pipe fitters, welders, fire watchmen and cleaners.

Strength and tightness testing of tanks and piping systems has commenced on the portions of these systems that are now completed.

A big push is on to complete major system installation work by Christmas Day, in order that system commissioning can begin Christmas week.

As soon as all support systems are checked out and proven to be reliable, the new Generators can be started up and run thru their paces.

We are anxiously awaiting that day!  

Shipyard Work Continues

Work on connecting the new MAN Generators and CARRIER Chiller units continue onboard the Africa Mercy. The ship has now left drydock in is docked inside the shipyard.

Carrier Chiller unit in place ready to be wired up.

Genset in place and being hooked up. Deck plates going back in.

Cabling being run and getting in place to hook up.

photos Chuck Dodgen

Putting It All Together.

Special projects team members continue working on projects aboard the Africa Mercy in dry dock in Durban, South Africa.

Special project crew member, Arie Roest, works on
the electrical system for the control panels.



One of the two new Carrier air conditioning units being installed



Work has started putting down framing for the deck plating.

Note the steps that have been attached to the generator foundation



Controlmatic has mounted the control boxes for the generators in
preparation for wiring the system together. One of the gensets is visible in
the background and the box in the foreground



Shipyard workers continue readying more pipe for the project.

Photos courtesy of Mercy Ships and Chuck Dodgen.

Cabling Trays Being Mounted

Work is progressing on the wiring, cabling and reconnecting of the newly installed MAN Generator units onboard the Africa Mercy.

Cabling trays being mounted for the wiring of the units.

photos courtesy of Chuck Dodgen.

The Work Continues...

The four new MAN generators are now in position and being hooked up to fuel pipes, exhaust pipes and cables. Below is a shock absorber, on which the generator sits, which will help to reduce vibrations and noise. These shock absorbers are critical to absorb vibrations to ensure a quiet surround in the hospital and surgery suites.

Below, one of the two new Carrier air conditioning units, and (in the background) the hole in the ship's side through which they came.

Below, the smoke stack slowly changing shape, as six old exhaust pipes have been removed...

...(old exhaust pipes on the dock waiting to be taken away for scrap)...

...to be replaced by four new exhaust pipes for the four new generators.

Below, all these pipes and valves have to go back into the ship and be reconnected in the right order, to carry diesel fuel, heavy fuel, fresh water, salt water etc etc.

And so the work continues. Good luck shipyard workers and Africa Mercy crew!

Photos and text Olly Peet

Reaching The Midway Point

Ken Berry, Project Manager reports from Durban that the Generator Replacement Project has reached its midway point with the new generator sets and associated equipment safely installed onboard and the hole in the side of the ship welded up. The Technical crews are busy reinstalling the existing piping and equipment that had to be temporarily removed to allow the shifting of the new generator sets from the hole in the hull to their proper resting places in the Forward and Aft Generator rooms. New piping systems, racks for the new power cables and new exhaust lines are starting to be installed. The existing Main Switchboard is being upgraded to accept the new generators and includes an up-to-date Power Management System, that will simplify operating the system and provide a more secure power source to critical areas of the ship, especially the hospital.

Another project that has reached its midway point is the installation of the new Main Engine Control System. Literally four miles (6 KM) of signal cabling is currently being installed to connect all the Main Engines to the new control gear located on the Bridge and in the Control Room. The ‘cable pulling’ team is made up primarily of Dutch Electricians and Technicians, who assembled onboard the Africa Mercy to tackle the installation of this extensive system that requires a large range of technical disciplines to successfully install. Other project work is ongoing in the Hospital, galley, pool and other areas around the ship, to make the ship more accommodating for the crew and more effective as a tool of service to our patients while in Field Service.

Connecting the Generators

All the new generators are now in place onboard the Africa Mercy and in the process of being connected to the various systems and controls.



Covered in a tarpaulin for protection, one of the new
generators sits in place waiting to be connected.

Photo courtesy of Chuck Dodgen

Closing The Hole In The Hull

With all the generator sets safely onboard, a welding team
welded the entry hole in the hull of the Africa Mercy shut.

All The Generators Are Now Onboard

The new MAN generators are now inside the Africa Mercy, although not positioned or welded down yet.


The new generators being craned onto the loading platform



Ready to be moved into the Africa Mercy

 

One of the new MAN generators, starboard side in
old Frichs generator room, waiting to be installed 


(photos courtesy of Africa Mercy crew members Chuck Dodgen and Olly Peet.)

Preparing The MAN Generators For Installation

Justin Ray, Project Engineer and Ken Berry, Project Manager, uncover
one of the new MAN Generators to prepare it for installation.

Ken Berry, Project Manager

Strengthening The Deck

In preparation for the installation of the new generators, work is being done to reinforce the tank tops, ready for the arrival of the 10 ton bases.

 One of the bases shortly before it was lifted into the ship.

(photos courtesy of Africa Mercy crew member Olly Peet.)

The First Of The MAN Generators Is Onboard!

The first of four new 5L21/31 type MAN generators are brough onboard the Africa Mercy!

Removing The Old Generators

 

Africa Mercy Generator Project Update



The Africa Mercy enters dry-dock in Durban, South Africa.

 Mercy Ships state-of-the-art hospital ship, the Africa Mercy, has recently entered dry-dock in Durban, South Africa. Built in 1980, it had become essential to replace the onboard power generators in order to provide the vessel with a reliable supply of power and enable it to remain in service. The ship is receiving four 5L21/31 type MAN engines, each with an output of 1,000 kW (1,360 hp). The new generators will be mounted in such a way as to cause minimum vibration, as any vibration transmitted to the operating theatres could make the surgeons’ task more difficult.

The Africa Mercy entered dry-dock on Saturday, September 25^th. Approximately 40 shipyard employees are working on the ship. Senior VP of International Operations, Jim Paterson, believes the project timeline is on track. “The shipyard is confident that we are on schedule for our completion date.”

At this stage in the project, the workers have cut a hole in the side of the ship and removed the old generators: four Frichs diesel generators and two B&W Alpha diesel generators. Currently, the foundations are being prepared before the workers lift the new generators into the ship.



The remains of one of the harbor generators being

removed from the Africa Mercy. It was moved

inch by inch onto a platform outside the hull,

and lifted onto a waiting truck by the shore crane.



Other than the project manager and project supervisors, the Africa Mercy crew is not working directly on the generator project. They are, however, providing ample support for the ship yard during the project. There are roughly 80 Mercy Ships crew members still living on the ship working simultaneously on other projects. The ship being in the ship yard created an opportunity for the crew to repair areas that cannot normally be worked on when the hospital is in use. Projects include replacing the Main Engine Control System, doing a Main engine overhaul and painting in the dining room. There are also some hospital modifications being done.

When the project is complete, Mercy Ships will be able to reduce its fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 20%. It will serve as a substantial cut of annual fuel costs. Founder Don Stephens is pleased with the amount of money that will be saved, and ensures those savings will directly benefit patients onboard the Africa Mercy in the future.

Preperation and Removal of Existing Generators

The Africa Mercy entering the dry dock in the port of Durban, South Africa.



Below decks, the deck plates have been removed around the Frichs
and Harbour generators to prepare them to be removed from the ship.



The Frichs generators, still in position, and beyond the hole cut in the port side
of the hull  for the removal of the generators.



The two Harbour generators having been transported into the ballast tank
besides the harbour generator room, waiting to be removed from the ship.



The hole cut in the port side of the hull of the Africa Mercy to remove the
old generators. You can see the Frichs generators inside waiting to be removed.



The remains of one of the harbour generators being removed from the Africa Mercy
over the weekend. It was moved inch by inch onto a platform outside the hull, and
lifted onto a waiting truck by the shore crane.



One of the four new MAN generators waiting to be installed.



The empty Frichs generator room, facing to the starboard side. That green
square on the floor is the incinerator, waiting to be returned to its correct place.



Man Diesel & Turbo Engines Generate Power For The World's Largest Civilian Hospital Ship

Augsburg, Germany - May 4, 2010 -- Some 48,000 ships worldwide are powered by MAN Diesel & Turbo SE engines, either providing propulsion or serving as on-board power generators. Among them is the world’s largest civilian hospital ship, the Africa Mercy. The Augsburg-based manufacturer of large-bore diesel engines and turbomachinery is supplying Mercy Ships – a charitable organisation whose hospital ship provides free medical care in African coastal areas to those who otherwise couldn’t afford it – with four new 5L21/31 type on-board power generators on favourable terms. Thus MAN Diesel & Turbo grants a donation of around €350,000 for the benefit of the organisation.

The Africa Mercy is equipped to the same standard as a medium-sized hospital, with six operating theatres, modern X-ray and computer tomography equipment, a dental practice, a pharmacy, and more besides. There are also facilities for the approximately 400 voluntary crew members and their families, who often live on board for months at a time: recreation rooms, a large kitchen, a laundry, and a school for up to 60 children. All these amenities require a lot of electricity, which is produced on board by diesel-powered generators known as gensets.

Because the Africa Mercy is a converted Danish rail ferry, built in 1980, it had become essential to replace the on-board power generators in order to provide the vessel with a reliable supply of power and enable it to remain in service. From now on, the ship’s power supplies will be provided by four 5L21/31 type MAN engines, each with an output of 1,000 kW (1,360 hp). They will be mounted in such a way as to cause minimum vibration, as any vibration transmitted to the operating theatres could make the surgeons’ task more difficult. The engines are due to be installed when the vessel puts into port in South Africa as of September 2010.

“Some of the world’s poorest countries are situated on the African coast. Many people in these areas have no hope of receiving medical treatment, either because the medical infrastructure is not there or because it is only accessible to the few who can afford it. Mercy Ships does something remarkable by providing free assistance on its hospital ship in these very areas. We are delighted to support this vital initiative with our own diesel engines. It’s important to us to fulfil our social responsibility even in economically difficult times,” says Klaus Stahlmann, CEO of MAN Diesel & Turbo SE.

Don Stephens, founder and president of Mercy Ships, welcomed the donation: “We are delighted that MAN wants to support our work with the underprivileged in Africa. Thanks to this partnership and the new diesel generators from MAN Diesel & Turbo, Mercy Ships will be able to reduce its fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 20% and also cut annual fuel costs substantially. The money we save will be used for the direct benefit of patients on board the Africa Mercy.”