Furthermore, the pump was running in parallel operation with the other seawater pump that was serving as a cooling water pump and the discharge from both pumps had to pass via the central cooler giving a pressure head of 3.0 bar. The backpressure from the coolers contributed to a diminished capacity of the pump. The emergency bilge suction valve provides direct suction from the engine room tank top. The opening of the suction valve was supposed to be carried out manually by a large handwheel just above the floor plate (figure 28 on page 28). The suction valve was situated just above the tank top and its spindle was connected to the handwheel by an extension rod (figure 29 on page 28) fitted to the valve spindle by a cardanic connection, the bushing of which was locked to the rod with steel pins (figure 27 below). When operating the handwheel, a steel pin broke and the handwheel could not be used. The engineer then crawled under the floor plates and used a wrench to open the valve while standing on the tank top in water to the knees.
Extension rod
Cardanic connection
Steel pins
Bushing
Figure 27: Extension rod with a cardanic connection fitted with a bushing and steel pins, in a sister ship and of the same type and principles as in EMMA MÆRSK Source: DMAIB
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