BD Marine Engineer Class 4 (Coastal CE) study plan

BD Marine Engineer Class 4 (Coastal CE) · Give each week a clear focus.

8 weeks · About 7 hours per week

Week 1

Marine Propulsion Machinery and Power Plants & Engineering Mathematics, Thermodynamics and Applied Mechanics

Sketch from memory a labelled diagram of a four-stroke medium-speed diesel cycle, marking valve timing events and the pressure-volume relationship.
Calculate indicated and brake mean effective pressure, indicated thermal efficiency and specific fuel consumption from given cylinder and fuel data.
Explain the construction and failure modes of cylinder liners, pistons, rings and bearings in two-stroke and four-stroke engines, listing inspection points for each.
Solve five applied mechanics problems covering torque, shaft power and piston speed using consistent SI units.

A one-page formula sheet plus three fully worked power-calculation problems with unit checks shown.

Week 2

Describe the starting, reversing and manoeuvring sequence of a direct-reversing diesel engine and a geared medium-speed installation.
Diagnose common running faults (exhaust smoke, high exhaust temperature, knock, loss of compression) and state the probable cause and immediate action for each.
Outline the fuel injection, cooling, lubrication and scavenge/charge air systems of a main engine and identify the alarms and trips associated with each.
Compare operational characteristics of diesel, dual-fuel and gas-turbine propulsion for a coastal vessel.

A fault-finding table of at least twelve symptoms mapped to causes, checks and immediate actions.

Week 3

Trace the flow path of the main seawater cooling, fresh water cooling and lubricating oil systems and state the purpose of each component.
Explain the operating principles of centrifugal and positive-displacement pumps, including priming, cavitation, wear-ring clearance and relief protection.
Describe the construction, testing and changeover procedure for compressed-air receivers, including safety devices and drainage practice.
Explain the operation of oily-water separators, fresh water generators, air compressors and steering gear from a system standpoint.

Hand-drawn system schematics for cooling, lubricating and compressed-air systems with every component labelled and numbered.

Week 4

Interpret three-phase AC generation, distribution and protection arrangements, including switchboard instrumentation, preferential trips and insulation resistance testing.
Explain the operation of automatic control loops and alarm systems found in engine rooms, including sensors, transmitters, controllers and fail-safe philosophy.
Construct a watchkeeping routine covering handover, hourly log readings, unmanned machinery space alarm response and defect reporting.
Apply a planned maintenance system by building a weekly schedule for main engine, auxiliaries and safety equipment.

A completed 24-hour sample engine room log sheet with realistic readings plus a written response to two injected alarm scenarios.

Week 5

Plan and document a major overhaul of a cylinder unit or auxiliary pump, covering isolation, permits, tooling, clearances and post-overhaul testing.
Explain classification-society survey items and how machinery defects affect class and statutory certification.
Describe hull construction, watertight subdivision, bulkheads, double bottoms and closing appliances relevant to flooding boundaries.
Interpret a damage-control plan: cross-flooding, progressive flooding and the use of bilge and ballast systems to correct list and trim.

A written overhaul procedure with a clearance-recording table and a short damage-control scenario response.

Week 6

Calculate intact stability parameters (KG, GM, free surface effect, list from off-centre weights) from supplied displacement and weight data.
Explain fire chemistry, fire classes and the operation of fixed CO2, foam and water-mist systems, plus portable extinguisher selection.
Outline the organisation and duties of an engine room fire party, including boundary cooling, isolation of fuel and ventilation, and re-entry checks.
Describe survival craft launching, abandonment decision-making and cold-water survival principles from an engineer's role.

A stability calculation set of four problems with answers, plus a one-page engine room fire response checklist.

Week 7

Apply MARPOL Annexes I, IV and VI to daily engine room operations, including oil record book entries, garbage records and sulphur limits.
Explain the requirements for oily-water separator operation, 15 ppm alarm and stopping device, and the consequences of bypassing them.
Identify the certificates and surveys a coastal vessel must hold and the survey intervals for machinery and safety equipment.
Summarise engineer responsibilities under STCW watchkeeping provisions, ISM code procedures and port state control inspection expectations.

A set of ten correctly drafted oil record book and garbage record entries plus a certificate and survey interval table.

Week 8

Complete two full-length timed mock examinations under exam conditions and mark them against the answer keys.
Re-teach the three weakest topics identified from the mock results using worked examples and self-explanation.
Consolidate the formula sheet, fault tables and checklists into a single revision pack for final review.
Rehearse oral-style explanations of five key machinery systems aloud to build exam fluency.

Two marked mock papers with a scored error log and a final one-page revision summary.

Week 2: Score at least 70% on a self-set 20-question propulsion quiz and explain five main engine faults without notes.

Week 4: Produce complete, correctly labelled cooling, lubricating and compressed-air schematics and a defensible 24-hour log sheet.

Week 6: Achieve at least 70% on a mixed mock covering domains 1 to 5 and complete the stability problem set with correct units.

Week 8: Achieve at least 75% on both timed mock examinations with no domain scoring below 60%.