#64 EVOLUTION OF SHIP PROPULSION SYSTEM PART - I

-

From the very beginning of human existence, ships were considered as an indispensable means of transportation, trade and war. Mankind does not know what was the first means for overcoming water spaces in humans. There are no chronicles that would record what the very first ship in the world was like, where and by whom it was built: there are only rock paintings.

But nevertheless, the ancient Egyptians and their boats, made of reed and papyrus, are considered to be the first: after all, trees in Egypt were rare, very dearly valued, therefore, the first ship in the world was reed. Since then, people have tried to make ships faster and more efficient. For this, the methods of movement have changed over the centuries. From wind and steam to diesel engines and autonomous ships, engines are looking for an innovation, while recently the need for environmentally friendly transportation has become a driving force behind new methods of propulsion and the exploration of potentially new ones. In this article, would like to look at how engines and propulsion systems on ships have evolved over the years and what the future holds for them.

Wind

Before the use of the coal steam engines on ships in the early 19th century, oars or wind were mainly used to propel ships. At that time, merchant ships used sail as well as rowing, which was preferable as it provided maneuverability and speed.

Until the moment when the engines appeared, the sail was not used by the ship as a means of transportation. Recently, however, more and more developments have been taking place in which wind power is used to power ships.

Steam

The real steam turbine was invented in medieval Egypt, by the 16th century Turkish astronomer, physicist and engineer Takiyuddin al-Shami. He proposed a method of rotating the spit by means of a stream of steam directed to the blades fixed along the rim of the wheel. In the 1700s, steam was one of the main sources of energy that propelled ships.

In fact, there was a large influx of steam ships in 1769, as the steam engine underwent great changes during this time.

During this period, steam powered two types of engines: reciprocating (with steam pistons connected to the crankshaft) and turbines.

Reciprocating

The first steamers operated on wood and used aft or side paddle wheels, which later gave way to propeller wheels. The next generation of steamboats used coal or fuel oil, and the first commercial success was achieved on Robert Fulton's North River Steamboat in the United States in 1807.

Turbines

Initially, steam turbines were fired with coal, and then with fuel oil, while the ship's steam turbine increased the power density. This allowed the creation of new high-speed liners in the first half of the 20th century, making the reciprocating steam engine obsolete.


to be continue

By

Shanmugham Magesh,Chief Engineer.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

#18 10 Main Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Used Onboard Ship

-
Image
  Safety of self and co-workers is the prime priority kept in mind by a professional seafarer while working onboard ship. All shipping companies ensure that their crew follow personal safety procedures and rules for all the operation carried onboard ships. To achieve utmost safety on board ship, the basic step is to make sure that everybody wears their personal protective equipments made for different types of jobs carried out on ship. Following are the basic personal protective equipments (ppe) that are always present onboard a ship to ensure safety of the working crew: Protective Clothing : Protective clothing is a coverall which protects the body of the crew member from hazardous substance like hot oil, water, welding spark etc. It is popularly known as “dangri “or “boiler suit”. Helmet : The most important part of the human body is the head. It needs utmost protection which is provided by a hard plastic helmet on the ship. A chin strap is also provided with the helmet which k...
Read more

#68 MANNED SHIPS ERA TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CONTROLLED SHIPS ERA (iota-4)

-
Image
 Differences between IT and OT systems Whereas IT systems manage data and support business functions, OT is the hardware and software that directly monitors/controls physical devices and processes and as such are an integral part of the ship and must function independently of the IT systems onboard. The systems can, however, be connected to the IT network for performance monitoring, remote support etc. Such systems are sometimes referred to as belonging to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT). There may be important differences between who handles the purchase and management of the OT systems versus IT systems on a ship. IT managers are not usually involved in the purchase of OT systems and may or may not have a thorough understanding of cyber security. The purchase of such systems should involve someone, who knows about the impact on the onboard systems but will most probably only have limited knowledge of software and cyber risk management. IT covers the...
Read more

#41 Maritime Cybersecurity

-
Image
Maritime is one of the oldest industries and lifeblood of the global economy, accounting for the carriage of 90% of world trade. Ships and other vessels may seem like unusual targets for cyberattacks. But with their growing use of industrial control systems (ICS) and satellite communications, hackers have a new playground that’s ripe for attack. In a 2020 Safety at Sea and BIMCO Maritime Cyber Security survey, despite the majority of respondents (77%) viewing cyber-attacks as a high or medium risk to their organizations, few appear to be prepared for the aftermath of such an attack, 64% of respondents said their organization has a business continuity plan in place to follow in the event of a cyber incident, but only 24% claimed it was tested every three months, and only 15% said that it was tested every six to 12 months. Only 42% of respondents said that their organization protects vessels from operational technology (OT) cyber threats, and some respondents went so far as to describe...
Read more