Engine department (ship)

Engine department (ship)
The engine control room of Argonaute, a French supply vessel.

In maritime transportation, the engine department or engineering department is an organizational unit aboard a ship that is responsible for the operating the propulsion systems and the support systems for crew, passengers and cargo.[1][Full citation needed] This work is carried out by marine engineering officers who usually train via cadet ships sponsored by a variety of maritime organizations. Other shipboard departments typically include the deck department and the steward's department.

Marine engineering officers are responsible for propulsion and other systems such as: electrical power generation plant; lighting; fuel oil; lubrication; water distillation and separation; air conditioning; refrigeration; and water systems on board the vessel. They require knowledge and hands-on experience with electrical power, electronics, pneumatics, hydraulics, chemistry, steam generation, gas turbines and even nuclear technology on certain military vessels.[citation needed]

Marine engineer officers emerged with the arrival of marine engines for propulsion, largely during the latter half of the 19th century. Early marine engineers were known as "stokers" as they 'stoked' the coal fires of steam engined ships more or less from the middle of the 19th to the middle of the 20th centuries; the term is still used affectionately by modern ship's engineering staff to describe their role.[citation needed]

The oldest surviving marine engine was designed by William Symington in 1788. The ship 'Turbinia' first demonstrated the superiority of the steam-turbine engine, which is still used for marine propulsion today in some niche applications. In America, the University of Michigan's Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering can be tracked to an 1879 act of Congress, which authorized the U.S. Navy to assign a few officers to engineering training establishments around the country. Mortimer E. Cooley was the first lecturer in the department.[2][Full citation needed]

See also

Yacht foresail.svg Nautical portal

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Qualified Member of the Engine Department — A Qualified Member of the Engineering Department also known as an Unlicensed Junior Engineer or QMED is a senior unlicensed crewmember in the engine room of a ship. The QMED performs a variety of tasks connected with the maintenance and repair of …   Wikipedia

  • ship — shipless, adj. shiplessly, adv. /ship/, n., v., shipped, shipping. n. 1. a vessel, esp. a large oceangoing one propelled by sails or engines. 2. Naut. a. a sailing vessel square rigged on all of three or more masts, having jibs, staysails, and a… …   Universalium

  • Ship transport — Water transport redirects here. For the transportation of water, see Water transportation. Harbour cranes unload cargo from a container ship at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Navi Mumbai, India …   Wikipedia

  • Ship — A ship IPA|/ʃɪp/ audio|en us ship.ogg|Audio (US) is a large vessel that floats on water. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size. Ships may be found on lakes, seas, and rivers and they allow for a variety of activities, such as …   Wikipedia

  • ship construction — Introduction       complex of activities concerned with the design and fabrication of all marine vehicles (ship).       Ship construction today is a complicated compound of art and science. In the great days of sail, vessels were designed and… …   Universalium

  • Engine room — In a ship, an engine room is where the main engine(s), generators, compressors, pumps, fuel/lubrication oil purifiers and other major machinery are located. It is sometimes referred to as the machinery space . Engine Rooms are typically towards… …   Wikipedia

  • Ship of the line — Line Line, n. [OE. line, AS. l[=i]ne cable, hawser, prob. from L. linea a linen thread, string, line, fr. linum flax, thread, linen, cable; but the English word was influenced by F. ligne line, from the same L. word linea. See {Linen}.] 1. A… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Deck department — The deck department is responsible for safely receiving, discharging, and caring for cargo during a voyage …   Wikipedia

  • Diesel engine — Diesel engines in a museum Diesel generator on an oil tanker …   Wikipedia

  • Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine Works — Former type Private Industry Shipbuilding Predecessor Reaney, Son Archbold Successor Chester Shipbuilding Co. Founded 1871 …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”