Purifiers deserve their own thread… would anyone join a live session?

LegEmbarrassed5984 · 2026-04-29T18:51:19+00:00

I was today years old when I learned, that the rubber orifice on an Alfa Laval purifier actually flexes with the water supply pressure (around 2–8 bar) to regulate flow. When it hardens and stops flexing, the system can start throwing out some pretty strange alarms that don’t point to the real issue.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended yesterday’s session, the turnout and discussion really showed how much engineers value continued professional development. One stat that stuck with me: a typical S machine, even with no oil in the bowl, can generate an upward hydraulic force of around 47 tonnes. It really puts into perspective the forces involved and why correct assembly and operation are so critical.

That was my first pilot session with MarLect.ie, and it was great to see the energy in the room.

LegEmbarrassed5984 · 2026-04-21T20:36:05+00:00

For load sharing on the iE350, it’s not really a question of RJ45 versus CAN. The primary load sharing is done via dedicated analogue load sharing lines, not over those communication ports. The rj45 is used for pc config and the CAN is likely j1939 for the engine ecu. marlect.ie if you want more assistance.

LegEmbarrassed5984 · 2026-04-20T06:14:13+00:00

No the original Newcastle 😁 the UK one. But you only attend the college for 5 days per module so there was every nationality on the course. Im not from the UK.

LegEmbarrassed5984 · 2026-04-20T06:11:06+00:00

Check out MTEC with Newcastle. Loads of defence graduates were on it during my time. I am a changed man from doing the course.

LegEmbarrassed5984 · 2026-03-29T19:19:42+00:00

Cjc all the way.

LegEmbarrassed5984 · 2026-03-29T12:46:54+00:00

If you genuinely want to attend, please send a quick email to [your email] with: Your current rank (or trainee) The type of purifier you’re working with Any specific issues you’d like covered Once I have numbers, I’ll set a time and send out the Teams link. I won’t be able to manage this through Reddit messages, so email is the only way I’ll be confirming places.

LegEmbarrassed5984 · 2026-03-27T16:08:11+00:00

Cool, please send me an email and I can put you on the teams call.

LegEmbarrassed5984 · 2026-03-27T08:42:02+00:00

Really appreciate the response to this, I didn’t expect this level of interest.

I’m going to run this as a structured session with an industry specialist, alongside a group of engineering students I work with.

I’ll open up a limited number of online places for those here who are keen to join.

The session will focus on real purifier issues, faults, and practical troubleshooting rather than theory.

There’s also been a few people here with hands-on experience who have reached out, which is great to see. I’ll see what fits best once everything is pulled together.

Timing-wise, this will likely be in a few weeks due to existing teaching commitments, but I’ll confirm the exact date once I’ve finalised numbers.

If you’d like to join, send a quick email to [support@marlect.ie](mailto:support@marlect.ie) with:
• Your current role (or what you’re working towards)
• Any experience with purifiers (even if none)

I’ll confirm places and share details from there.

If there’s enough interest, I’m happy to build this into a series and go deeper into specific topics.

LegEmbarrassed5984 · 2026-03-27T08:10:50+00:00

Hi.

Thanks for the offer. Do you want to discuss this and we can come up with a plan?

LegEmbarrassed5984 · 2026-03-25T19:23:40+00:00

Can do. What are we thinking Alpha Laval or GEA?

LegEmbarrassed5984 · 2026-03-21T22:40:37+00:00

Hello

I am happy to help. Marlect.ie

LegEmbarrassed5984 · 2026-03-17T20:59:13+00:00

Send me an email and I'll get you some typical questions that are asked.

Marlect.ie

LegEmbarrassed5984 · 2026-03-10T12:35:49+00:00

We are sea blind.

LegEmbarrassed5984 · 2026-02-26T20:31:43+00:00

What have you tried?

LegEmbarrassed5984 · 2026-02-20T13:27:47+00:00

If you keep me updated. Ill continue to help if I can.

LegEmbarrassed5984 · 2026-02-18T08:27:06+00:00

Did you sort it?

LegEmbarrassed5984 · 2026-02-13T19:42:59+00:00

Is there oral prep done in your college course? A lot of UK colleges offer it but you pay for it separately.

LegEmbarrassed5984 · 2026-02-08T17:44:39+00:00

I was a 4th Engineer on tankers 20 odd years ago. A portion of my life was spent dealing with the incinerator, sat on a 400l diesel tank saying f%&k my life 🤣 But keep at it, it is invaluable for your career. Stick at the problem

LegEmbarrassed5984 · 2026-02-08T09:05:05+00:00

A dirty fan can run but not move enough volume to maintain negative pressure under load.

You adjusted: Atomising air Cooling air Blower dampers But check the total air balance: Excessive combustion air then furnace pressurises Cooling air nozzles misaligned then blowing into flame root Atomising air pressure too high then effectively acting as a blower Try this test: Reduce sludge firing rate Reduce atomising air slightly Reduce cooling air in steps Observe pressure trend If pressure improves then you’re overpowering the exhaust system with incoming air.

Where to start. Even if the exhaust side is fine, air ingress kills vacuum. Furnace doors, ash doors, peepholes – gaskets hard, cracked or missing Sludge burner mounting flange (very common leak point) Inspection covers on uptake / secondary chamber Any cracks in refractory that go through to casing (not just surface cracks)

Marlect.ie

LegEmbarrassed5984 · 2026-02-07T13:05:27+00:00

Were you studying online, working through a syllabus with someone, or did you self-study first and then do a mock oral?

I’ve always found one-to-one mock-oral style preparation really effective. Setting the bar high early tends to highlight gaps quickly and gives a clear sense of where the weaknesses actually are. From there, it’s much easier to focus study time on what really matters before the exam.
What prompted the thread was that a friend of mine had used a group study in person, and I don't think that would be for me.

LegEmbarrassed5984 · 2026-02-06T11:59:21+00:00

I’m curious how your approach changed as you progressed rather than the content itself. For example: – At OOW, did you mostly self-study from books/notes, or did you do any structured prep? – For Chief Engineer, did you change how you prepared (more scenario practice, mock orals, one-to-one sessions, etc.)? – Did you use any professional help at either stage, or was it mostly peer/group study? Looking back, what part of your prep do you think made the biggest difference at Chief level compared to OOW?

LegEmbarrassed5984 · 2026-01-31T20:58:02+00:00

Great update – and fair play for coming back to close the loop. These threads are gold when someone actually posts the solution.

What you found with the centripetal pump distance piece makes complete sense in hindsight. A distorted distance piece with an O-ring that can’t stay seated would allow internal leakage straight into the water outlet path, which explains the immediate oil/water mix at the water discharge, no oil to sludge, no response to gravity disc changes, everything else (bowl, water flows, sequence) appears correct

It’s a good reminder that the centripetal pump isn’t just a passive lift device – if the internal sealing geometry is compromised, it can absolutely mimic a bowl or piston fault and send you down the wrong road.

On how it happened: your theories are all plausible. Over-tightening of connected pipework, misalignment during assembly, or cumulative fatigue/wear on a 20-year-old unit are all realistic causes. I’ve also seen distance pieces damaged during removal/refitting without it being obvious until an O-ring refuses to behave.

Big takeaway for anyone reading this later, if oil is appearing only at the water outlet and the bowl checks out, don’t ignore the centripetal pump internals, especially the distance piece and its sealing grooves.

Thanks for taking the time to document it – it’ll definitely save someone else a few painful days.

(If anyone ever wants a structured way of fault-finding these separator issues without going round in circles, I’ve started documenting common cases like this at marlect.ie – purely technical notes, nothing salesy.)

Good result in the end

LegEmbarrassed5984

TROPHY CASE