Using portable oil analysis on USNS Watson - Case Study

Save 15 Hours per Week and Improve Accuracy on Navy Sealift Ship

The United States Naval Ship (USNS) Watson is one of the large, medium-speed, roll-on, roll-off (LMSR) ships that have signi  cantly 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. The test kits used in the past were time-consuming and their accuracy was questionable. The (USNS) Watson is operated by Ocean Shipholdings, Inc. (OSI) under contract to Military Sealift Command.

Three years ago, the ship switched to the Spectro FluidScan Q1000 handheld lubricant condition monitor and one year ago added the SpectroVisc Q3000 portable viscometer. The Q10000 performs 87 tests and provides 174 results in about two-thirds the time it took to conduct 138 tests yielding 138 results with the chemical test kit.

“The Spectro portable instruments helps us get more done in less time while providing results that are more accurate and reliable than single-test kits,” said William Maus, an employee of OSI, is the Chief Engineer of the USNS Watson. “When I show them to engineers from other ships they ask, ‘when can we get ours?’”

Military Sealift Command operates approximately 110 noncombatant, civilian-crewed ships that replenish U.S. Navy ships, strategically preposition 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 911 terrorist attacks.