4.4.6 Guidelines for allowable adjustment or modification within an engine group
Clasification Society 2024 - Version 9.40
Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - International Codes - NOx Technical Code - Technical Code on Control of Emission of Nitrous Oxides from Marine Diesel Engines - Chapter 4 - Approval for serially manufactured engines: engine family and engine group concepts - 4.4 Application of the engine group concept - 4.4.6 Guidelines for allowable adjustment or modification within an engine group

4.4.6 Guidelines for allowable adjustment or modification within an engine group

  4.4.6.1 Minor adjustments and modifications in accordance with the engine group concept are allowed after pre-certification or final test-bed measurement within an engine group upon agreement of the parties concerned and approval of the Administration, if:

  • .1 an inspection of emission-relevant engine parameters and/or provisions of the on-board NOx verification procedures of the engine and/or data provided by the engine manufacturer confirm that the adjusted or modified engine complies with the applicable NOx emission limits. The engine test bed results on NOx emissions should be accepted as an option for verifying on-board adjustments or modifications to an engine within an engine group; or

  • .2 on-board measurement confirms that the adjusted or modified engine complies with the applicable NOx emission limits.

  4.4.6.2 Examples of adjustments and modifications within an engine group that may be permitted, but are not limited to those described below:

  • .1 for on-board conditions, adjustment of:

    • injection timing for compensation of fuel property differences,
    • injection timing for optimization of maximum cylinder pressure,
    • fuel delivery differences between cylinders
  • .2 for performance optimization, modification of:

    • turbocharger,
    • injection pump components,
    • - plunger specification
    • - delivery valve specification
    • injection nozzles,
    • cam profiles,
    • - intake and/or exhaust valve
    • - injection cam
    • combustion chamber.

  4.4.6.3 The above examples of modifications after a test-bed trial concern essential improvements of components or engine performance during the life of an engine. This is one of the main reasons for the existence of the engine group concept. The Administration, upon application, may accept the results from a demonstration test carried out on one engine, possibly a test engine, indicating the effects of the modifications on the NOx level which may be accepted for all engines within that engine group without requiring certification measurements on each engine of the group.


Copyright 2022 Clasifications Register Group Limited, International Maritime Organization, International Labour Organization or Maritime and Coastguard Agency. All rights reserved. Clasifications Register Group Limited, its affiliates and subsidiaries and their respective officers, employees or agents are, individually and collectively, referred to in this clause as 'Clasifications Register'. Clasifications Register assumes no responsibility and shall not be liable to any person for any loss, damage or expense caused by reliance on the information or advice in this document or howsoever provided, unless that person has signed a contract with the relevant Clasifications Register entity for the provision of this information or advice and in that case any responsibility or liability is exclusively on the terms and conditions set out in that contract.