Marine Auxiliary Machinery

ENGINE ROOM SYSTEMS AND LAYOUT 

Engine room is the heart of a ship, providing necessary power and essential “fluids” for a modern vessel. Usually a merchant ship has propulsion and auxiliary power generators in engine room or dedicated compartments as for steering or separators. There are different systems and installations to keep vessel safe and running. They may differ from ship to ship so will mention few that can be found in most:

The arrangement of an engine room is similar to most ships when thinking to basic systems.  Different parts of the systems are arranged and fixed using engine room horizontal and vertical space, on decks or platforms. All components and machineries have to be arranged in such a way to use at maximum their characteristics, to allow circulation spaces, servicing and dismantling/replacing spaces.

To increase a vessel's safety and chances of surviving damage, the machinery necessary for operations may be segregated into various spaces. The engine room is generally the largest physical compartment of the machinery space. Attention shall be paid to the ventilation, transport ways, escapes, maintenance hatch and space for maintenance etc.

On a large percentage of vessels ships, the engine room is located near the bottom, and at the rear or aft end of the vessel, and usually comprises few compartments. This design maximizes the cargo carrying capacity of the vessel and situates the prime mover close to the propeller, minimizing equipment cost and problems posed from long shaft lines. The engine room on some ships may be situated mid-ship, especially on vessels built from 1900 to the 1960s.

To conclude the requirement of the engine room, it is considered to be a space or spaces containing propelling machinery, boilers, oil fuel units, generators, and major electrical machinery, and includes auxiliary machinery spaces, store rooms, workshops, machine shops, the shaft alley, and the steering gear room.

Lighting should be adequate for the tasks of personnel working in engine rooms and associated spaces. The minimum illumination levels should be determined by the Administration, taking into account national or international standards recognized by it. Adequate lighting below floor plates should also be considered.

Engine Room Layout

Engine Room Elevation

The propulsion engine with its auxiliary units (to support main machinery) are located in a space, called engine room. To operate and maintain the machinery at their peak performance and efficiency the lay out of engine room to be fully conversant for all marine engineers.

  Layout will vary according to –

1.      Type of ship

2.      Type of engine

3.      Number of engines used

4.      Number of propellers used.

Engine Room General Lay out

Funnel Casing

Third Deck Plan

3 rd Platform

                EGB

                Incinerator

                Ref and AC plants

                FW Hydrophore system

                DW Hydrophore system

                Mineralizer

                UV Treatment plant

                Geyser & Hot Water Circ Pp

                Steering Gear Room (outside machinery spaces)

                Aft Mooring Winch Power Pack

                Emergency Fire Pump

                VRCS

                ECR

                ER Work Shop

                ER Spares and Stores

                ER Crane

Upper Platforms---

                ER blowers

                ME, AE, MAC, Expansion Tanks

                St Tube Header Tank