Universidad Nacional Experimental Marítima del Caribe

Vicerrectorado Académico
Cátedra de Idiomas
English VI. Maritime Engineering
Marine facilities

Unit III. Identifying marine main engines.

Speaking.

Look at the pictures.

What type of marine engines do you think they are?

Look at the figure shown below. Write TRUE or FALSE

1. A ship propulsion system includes at least one marine propeller

2. A ship propulsion system has three main components

3. The components are main engine, auxiliary machinery and the propeller

Label the three components of a ship propulsion system.

A. Propeller

B. Main engine

C. Shaft
Remember!
Ships are large, complex vehicles which must be self-sustaining in their environment for
long periods with a high degree of reliability. A ship is the product of two main areas of skill,
those of the naval architect and the marine engineer. The naval architect is concerned with the
hull, its structure, form, habitability, and ability to endure its environment. The marine
engineer is responsible for the various systems which propel and operate the ship. More
specifically, this means the machinery required for propulsion, steering, anchoring and ship
securing, cargo handling, air conditioning, power generation and its distribution.

What marine systems have you already learnt about?

What do you know about marine main engines?

Reading.
Read the following text

Marine main engines

There are four main types of marine engine: the diesel engine, the steam turbine, the gas
turbine and the marine nuclear plant. Each type of engine has its own particular application.

A diesel engine is a ship's reciprocating machine, the internal

combustion engine. To understand how a diesel engine works imagine
the piston just near the top of its upstroke. All access from the outer air is
closed but a given volume of air has been drawn in and trapped in
between the bottom of the cylinder top and the top of the piston. Air is
compressed and it heats. At the point of maximum compression a needle
valve in the cylinder head opens, a spray of fuel enters. An explosion
takes place and the piston is driven down the cylinder. Working via the
piston rod, crosshead and connecting rod, it rotates the crankshaft. No
diesel engine is a single cylinder engine, there may be as many as twelve
driving one crankshaft, but each cylinder is self-sufficient in operation.

The diesel engine is started by means of compressed air admitted into the cylinder at high pressure
via a special starting valve. There are two main types of diesel engines: one is the two-cycle and the
other is the four-cycle. The power output of a modern marine diesel engine is about 40,000 brake
horse power (bhp). This is now expressed in kilowatts. Large diesel engines, which have cylinders
near 3 ft in diameter, turn at the relatively small speed of about 108 r.p.m. These are known as
slow-speed diesel engines. They can be connected directly to the propeller without gearing.
Although higher power could be produced by higher revolutions, this would reduce the efficiency
of the propeller, because a propeller is more efficient the larger it is and the slower it turns. These
large slow-running engines are used in the larger merchant ships, particularly in tankers and bulk
carriers. The main reason is their low-fuel consumption.
 More and more of the larger merchant vessels are being powered by
medium-speed diesel engines. These operate between 150 and 450 r.p.m.,
therefore they are connected to the propeller by gearing. This type of engine
was once restricted to smaller cargo ships, but now they are used in fast
cargo liners as well as in tankers and bulk carriers.

Read the text again. Look at the picture and with the help of your facilitator; label the parts of this
engine.
The marine engineer concerns about
the engine and is responsible for the
various systems which propel and
operate the ship.

Learn more about main engines.

The steam turbine has until recently been the first

choice for very large power main propulsion units. Its
advantages of little or no vibration, low weight, minimum
space requirements and low maintenance costs are
considerable. In steam turbines high pressure steam is
directed into a series of blades or vanes attached to a shaft,
causing it to rotate. This rotary motion is transferred to the
propeller shaft by gears. Steam is produced by boiling
water in a boiler, which is fired by oil. Recent
developments in steam turbines which have reduced fuel
consumption and raised power output have made them
more attractive as an alternative to diesel power in ships.
They are 50 per cent lighter and on very large tankers
some of the steam can be used to drive the large cargo oil
pumps. Turbines are often used in container ships, which
travel at high speeds.
 What’s the difference between
steam turbines and gas turbines?

Gas turbines differ from steam turbines in that gas

rather than steam is used to turn a shaft. These have also
become more suitable for use in ships. Many naval vessels
are powered by gas turbines and several container ships are
fitted with them. A gas turbine engine is very light and
easily removed for maintenance. It is also suitable for
complete automation. The gas turbine efficiency being low,
its main advantage is its small weight and size which makes
a gas turbine installation very attractive for naval
applications. Most of modern warships of about 5,000 ton
displacement are powered with gas turbines usually
combined with diesel engines. Gas turbines are easier to
start and reliable in operation. However, the use of astern
gas turbines is a rather complex problem; therefore ships
powered with main gas turbine units are equipped with
either controllable pitch propellers (c.p.p.) or other reversing
gears.

Nuclear power in ships has

mainly been confined to naval
vessels, particularly to submarines.
But this form of power can be used
more in merchant ships as oil fuels
become more expensive. The atomic
ice-breakers opened new
possibilities in exploring the
northern areas. They can sail for a
long time without refueling.
A nuclear-powered ship differs from a conventional turbine ship in that it uses the
energy released by the decay of radioactive fuel to generate steam. The steam is used to
turn a shaft via a turbine in the conventional way.

Complete this diagram to form a summary of the basic types of marine engine.
Fill in this box to summarize the applications of these engines.
Type of engine Application
Slow-speed diesel

Medium-speed diesel

Steam turbine

Gas turbine

Marine nuclear plant

Words and terms to be remembered

power-plant output
habitability gear
nuclear efficiency
reciprocate fuel
combustion
power
piston
stroke
steam
cylinder turbine
valve blade
explosion vane
piston rod shaft
crosshead rotate
connecting rod astern
crankshaft pitch
cycle reverse
release
Arrange the words below into the pairs of synonyms:

restrict produce
self-sustained drive
output energy
plant traditional
navy opposite
conventional service
combustion installation
(to) power limit
remove warships
maintenance investigate
power burning
reverse independent
explore take-off

Read the text and answer the following questions.

1. What main types of marine engine can be found at sea today?

2. Why must the propeller shaft rotate at a relatively slow speed?

3. What is the difference between steam and gas turbine?

4. Is the nuclear power used in merchant ships?

Grammar.
Expressing differences Expressing similarities

Steam turbines are different from gas turbines Both steam turbines and gas turbines are light.

Steam turbines differ from gas turbine in that
gas rather than steam is used to turn a shaft
While/Whereas diesel engines are cheap,
nuclear plants are not.
Diesel engines are cheap. On the contrary,
nuclear plants are expensive.
A steam turbine is as light as the gas turbine.
The parts of a steam turbine are similar to the
gas turbine
Neither ferries nor carriers are nuclear-powered
ships
Match the following words (terms) with their explanations.

1) force used for driving machines ___ a) pitch

2) any powerful self-working machine ___ b) bed plate

3) any substance (e.g. oil), by which a fire is kept going ___ c) turbine

4) a foundation framework for a marine engine___ d) power

5) the distance the propeller will advance during one revolution ___ e) fuel

6) a screw with a set of blades ___ f) nuclear reactor

7) a shaft turned by cranks which changes reciprocation motion into g) crankshaft

circular motion ___
8) vapour from boiling water ___ h) propeller

9) apparatus for producing atomic energy___ i) piston

10) machine or device for forcing liquid into or out of or through j) pump
something ___
11) engine or motor whose driving wheel is turned by a flow of water, k) shaft
steam or gas ___
12) the rod which turns the propeller ___ l) steam

13) a connection by means of toothed wheels ___ m) valve

14) a mechanical device for controlling the flow of air, gas, liquid in n) gear
one direction ___
15) a cylinder fitting closely inside another cylinder used in engines, o) engine
pumps to pass on motion ___

"...If the wheelhouse is the brain of the ship,

the engine room may be called the heart of
the ship".

W. Somerset Maugham "Mister Know-All"