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If you think car engines are powerful, wait until you see ship engines—the engineering titans that power the world’s commerce.
Imagine if a thousand car engines were lined up side by side, they still wouldn't have the power of a single cargo ship engine. These giants weigh a whopping 2.300 tons — the equivalent of 13 blue whales! But why do these ship engines need to be so big? The answer lies in the engineering behind them and the global demand they meet.
Nine out of ten products you buy were, at some point, transported by ship. When we talk about ship engines, the numbers are absurd. For example, a cruise ship engine weighs about 180 tons and costs over a million dollars. It's not something you can joke about, right?
Ship engines undergo a series of rigorous tests
Before being installed, these engines undergo a series of rigorous tests. The first challenge is manufacturer acceptance test. Then comes the famous sea trial test, where everything is put to the test in real conditions. When the ship is handed over to the new owner, the comparative test to verify that the engine performance matches the specifications. And that's just the beginning — there's more to come research tests and new tests on test benches.
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FASHION – FREE MARKET
Engineering has come a long way since the days of steam engines. Ships have moved from coal-powered turbines to nuclear power and now to diesel engines. From the 1950s onwards, Maritime technology has advanced to the point of equipping giant vessels with nuclear reactors. However, most ships are not large enough to carry a nuclear reactor, reserving this technology for vessels such as aircraft carriers.
Some ships have gas turbines
Most ships, especially cargo ships, are powered by diesel engines and many use liquefied natural gas as fuel. Some ships have gas turbines, which are generally used on faster vessels, and In many cases, these turbines are combined with other types of engines.
Speaking of cargo ship engines, the most common are powered by heavy fuel oil or marine diesel. The largest ship engine ever built weighs an incredible 2.300 tons, is 14 meters high (equivalent to a five-story building) and 27 meters long. It has 14 cylinders and generates 84,42 MW of power — no less than 115.000 horsepower!
These ship engines are so gigantic that a person can literally stand on them inside the crankshaft and use a ladder to make repairs. But be careful: the crankshaft is covered in lubricating oil, making everything slippery.
How does a ship engine work?
Despite its colossal size, the A ship's engine works in a similar way to the engine of any vehicle. The crankshaft moves, and instead of wheels, it drives a giant propeller at the rear of the ship. Most ships in the world are powered by conventional propellers, but some use jet engines or water jet propulsion.
The focus of cargo vessels is to transport large volumes, not necessarily to reach high speeds. On long-distance voyages, such as from San Francisco to Japan, where no stops are necessary, the ship can travel around 1.000 km in 24 hours. During this journey, it consumes approximately 250 tons of fuel per day. This fuel, which is heavy fuel oil, needs to be heated to about 40 °C before being injected into the engine. After injection, the oil is heated even further, reaching about 100 °C to ensure proper operation.
Ships carry hundreds of thousands of tons
This may seem like an absurd amount of fuel consumption, but when you consider that these ships transport hundreds of thousands of tons over huge distances, it makes more sense. They travel at about 23 knots, which is equivalent to 42 km/h.
Manufacturer acceptance test
Before anything else, ship engines must pass a series of tests to ensure that everything is working as expected. The first is the manufacturer’s acceptance test, where the engines are placed on a test bench to determine whether the specified performance values are within acceptable parameters. If they pass, the ship moves on to the sea trial, where the engine’s performance is compared to the contract standards.
If everything is in order, the manufacturer delivers the engine to the buyer, who will carry out his own tests throughout the life of the ship. At this stage, The buyer carries out comparative tests that mark the beginning of the fourth phase of testing, called research testing. This stage occurs after the new owner provides feedback on the vessel, with the aim of identifying and resolving issues or making necessary modifications.
After completing these tests, the ship and engine can proceed to sea trials. Four major sea trials must be performed:
- Docking Test: occurs before the ship sets sail for open sea. In this test, performance is assessed while the ship is moored or tied to the quay.
- Running Test: the engine power is monitored and the piston rings and cylinder lining are evaluated.
- Preliminary Test: carried out just before the official engine test.
- Official Test: During this test, the engine must pass 11 rigorous tests carried out in the open sea.
If all of these tests pass, they can begin stability testing. The biggest problem a ship can face in rough seas is a sinking. While any vessel can face the risk of capsizing, the likelihood is greater for smaller boats and ships, especially in severe wave conditions. This is because smaller vessels have less mass and therefore less stability.
Small boats and ships are designed with a keel
To reduce this risk, many small boats and ships are designed with a keel on the bottom. This keel, which is a structure that extends downward from the hull, helps increase stability, allowing the vessel to stay steady in rough waters. On the other hand, sinking a giant cargo ship is much more difficult due to its size and weight. These ships have a lower center of gravity and a greater ability to withstand sudden movements, which makes them more stable in adverse conditions.
Even though smaller ships are at greater risk of sinking, all ships, regardless of size, must undergo rigorous stability tests before being launched.. Shipyards perform advanced computer simulations and heeling experiments to assess the limits of newly built vessels.
The engineering behind ship engines is a fascinating field
In addition to the tests already mentioned, There are other essential procedures that the ship must perform before being considered fit for the sea and for real operations. Tests such as draft measurement, anchor testing and engine resistance are also essential for the ship to be considered safe to operate. And we cannot forget the blackout test, where all systems are switched off to see how the ship reacts. These tests ensure that the vessel is fully prepared to face the demands of the sea.
The engineering behind ship engines is a fascinating field that combines raw power with technical precision. It is thanks to this engineering that global trade flows, and products of all kinds reach us, powered by these giants of the sea.
Do you think that ship engine technology will evolve further with the use of alternative fuels, such as hydrogen or electric energy?
How much does a Blue **** weigh?
All that was missing was to say that all ships combined release more CO2 than all cars in the world combined, but no one bothers them because they know that CO2 doesn't do as much harm as it does alarm.