Detect cylinder leakage
05/11/2026
Germany’s CM Technologies (CMT) has introduced a compact pressure drop testing instrument designed to detect cylinder leakage before it leads to higher fuel consumption, major repairs or vessel downtime.
The Pressure Drop Test Instrument (PDTI) identifies losses during during the compression cycle of an engine that may indicate piston ring deterioration, cylinder liner wear or leaking inlet and exhaust valves.
“Any loss of cylinder pressure also represents a loss of energy,” said David Fuhlbrügge, Managing Director of CMT. He said engines may require additional fuel to compensate for reduced pressure and maintain power output.
The device introduces pressurised air into the combustion chamber through the engine indicator valve. Once the target pressure is established, the system is locked for a defined period and the rate of pressure loss is measured.
Engineers repeat the procedure across all cylinders and compare the results. Cylinders showing faster pressure decay than others can then be selected for further inspection.
CMT said pressure drop testing should form part of routine engine condition monitoring, but crews often lack standardised equipment and instead rely on improvised tests that produce inconsistent results across fleets.
“Comparing results across cylinders provides engineers with a practical means of identifying deviations,” said David.
The stainless-steel PDTI is produced using additive manufacturing, allowing complex internal channels to be formed while preserving the strength of the external structure of the instrument.
