The history of automation in the manufacturing industry can be traced back to the early use of basic pneumatic and hydraulic systems, up to the modern robots used by industry today. Many operations in the manufacturing industry have become automated, increasing production at the expense of labor.
Numerous different ships systems and controls being maintained by engineer officers are used on all types of vessels today. These consist of engine room systems such as lube oil, fuel oil, and seawater, along with deck officer’s roles such as cargo recording and navigation.
Marine fuels and fuel handling are a common part of a ship’s engineers routine from taking on bunkers to ensuring the fuel is kept at optimum temperature, and as free from contaminates as possible, for use in the main engines or boilers.
The invention of the diesel engine in 1893 has been attributed to Rudolf Diesel, a German mechanical engineer and inventor. This was an innovative internal combustion engine that was the fore-runner of today’s marine diesel engines used in ships worldwide.
Resurfacing of bronze rudders and propellers is required after the boat has been subjected to the ravages of seawater immersion. This causes several types of corrosion that along with flow induced damage leave the components badly pitted, necessitating a spell on the slips to remove them for repair.
The power used in running a building’s Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) is quite substantial, so any measures to improve its efficiency will save energy and cash.
An upgrade of the HVAC system can be carried out by replacing the old worn components with modern more efficient units.
When I was serving my apprenticeship in Harland and Wolff Belfast in the 1960’s, estimating costs for shipbuilding and repair was carried out in a specialist department by men experienced in hull construction and engine manufacture. Today, it is much the same in most shipyards worldwide.
Marine diesel engines and engine rooms have changed a bit since I was a young engineer at sea in the 1960’s. Nowadays modern engines are designed to be more economical and emit fewer toxic exhaust gas fumes.
Scapa Flow is a stretch of shallow water off the north coast of Scotland within the Orkney Islands. It has been used for centuries as a safe anchorage for ships with the most recent exploitation being by the British Admiralty who used it as a Royal Naval Base for the fleet during two World Wars.
On 15th September 1958, the commuter train carrying passengers from Bay Head to Jersey Central met with a fatal accident. The engineer ignored three warning lights and both train locomotives tumbled off the end of an open drawbridge, dragging two of their five cars into the waters of Newark Bay.
Emission from ships exhausts account for a 2-3% of all global CO2 emissions, along with quite sizeable amounts of SOx and NOx emissions. However, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has capped the NOx in exhaust emissions and reduced the sulfur content in HFO used by ships main engines.
A ships anchor is used to prevent the ship from drifting from its location due to wind and tidal currents, larger ships having two bow and one stern anchor. There are numerous types of ships anchors and the heavy ones are normally produced through casting or drop-forged from carbon steel.
Whether installed on a ship, factory, or in the local supermarket, all piping needs to well supported and vibration free. Pipe supports can incorporate springs to reduce vibration, however there are numerous other designs of specific vibration eliminators that can be fitted to the pipework.
Natural gas contains about 80% methane and 20% or so of other hydrocarbons. It is found in on/off-shore oil and gas fields as well as shale oil deposits. The main source of NG is presently from the reservoirs in oil and gas fields where it is piped to the surface for processing to pure methane.
Warble Narrowboats was a highly regarded canal boat building company that carried out construction to their own designs at their boatyard in Hyde, England. They were renowned for their steel hulled boats that were specifically designed for waterways and canals. They ceased trading in 2004.
The St Francis Dam failure in California occurred in 1928, two short years after its completion, resulting in over 450 deaths. The dam was constructed of concrete in an arch-gravity design, and spanned the San Francisquito Canyon forming a reservoir that supplied Los Angeles with drinking water.
The Occidental Piper Alpha was built at McDermott’s Offshore Construction Yard, starting production as an oil production platform in the North Sea in 1976 and was later upgraded to also process gas. In July 1988 she suffered a gas explosion resulting in the death of 167 crewmen. Only 62 survived.
Gimbals and gimbal bearings are extensively used in components that are required to stay stable in unsteady conditions. These range from use in the NASA spacecraft engine gimbals, to shipboard applications such as the gyro compass and chronometers compensating for pitch, roll and yaw conditions.
Decarbonization of aux engines such as power generators aboard ships is a part of routine engine maintenance. It involves the removal of the cylinder heads and valve gear, pistons and rings, allowing the inspection of the liner and removal of the accumulation of carbon from these components.
MV Derbyshire was built at Swan Hunters Yard at Wallsend on the River Tees in 1976, being originally named MV Liverpool Bridge. She was the last of six oil, bulk, ore (OBO) carriers built for the Bibby Line. She was lost in the South China Sea in 1980 during a typhoon, going down with all hands.
