Abstract:
A Fresh water generator is one of the auxiliary systems on board a ship that produces fresh water
to meet the ship’s operational needs and those of the crew. This system operates on the principle
of evaporating seawater under vacuum conditions and condensing it to produce fresh water. This
study aims to analyze the causes of and measures to address the declining performance of the
Fresh water generator on board the SM Albatross. The research method used is a qualitative
approach with triangulation techniques through observation, interviews, and documentation
during the sea training. The research findings indicate that the drop in ejector pump pressure
from 3.5 bar to 2 bar caused by the pump filter becoming clogged with seawater debris and the
formation of salt deposits (scaling) on the evaporator plates was the primary cause of the decline
in freshwater production. Mitigation efforts were carried out by periodically cleaning the ejector
pump filter to restore system pressure and vacuum, as well as cleaning the evaporator plates
using a scraper to remove salt scale that hinders the heat transfer process. The conclusion of this
study confirms that the optimization of the Fresh water generator’s performance is significantly
influenced by the implementation of routine maintenance in accordance with the Planned
Maintenance System (PMS), monitoring of operational parameters, and the cleanliness of key
components to ensure the smooth production of fresh water and support the ship’s continuous
operations.
