ocyaniqueprofessionals

HI FOG - AN ADVANCED TECH IN FIRE FIGHTING

2012-10-06T15:00:00.003+05:30

WE AS MARINE ENGINEERS ARE ALWAYS WARY OF THE ACCIDENTS WHICH MAY OCCUR ON BOARD THE SHIPS AND AND ARE ALSO AWARE OF THE SYSTEMS OF FIRE FIGHTING USED ON BOARD.APART FROM THE REGULAR SYSTEMS USED ON BOARD NOW A DAYS WE HAVE A NEW SYSTEM WHICH IS USED CALLED-THE HIFOG.

THIS SYSTEM HAS NOW REPLACED THE SPRINKLER SYSTEMS ON BOARD AND ALSO THE CARBON-DI-OXIDE SYSTEM USED IN THE ENGINE ROOM ON SHIPS. THE FIRE FIGHTING AGENT IS WATER AND WATER IS DIRECTED IN THE FORM OF MIST TO FIGHT THE FIRE. LET'S SEE HOW HI FOG FIGHTS THE FIRE.

HI-FOG® controls, suppresses or extinguishes fires by discharging a fine water mist at high velocity.

The water mist is made by discharging plain, potable water at high pressure through specially designed, patented HI-FOG® sprinkler or spray heads. The water mist is discharged at high velocity by the system’s high-pressure pumps or accumulators.

FIRE TRIANGLE

Attacking the fire:

The micro-droplets of HI-FOG® represent water in its most effective fire fighting form. The high pressure enables the water mist to penetrate into the fire.

The small droplets vaporize very fast and, when doing so, absorb heat very efficiently. At the same time, the water mist expands 1,760 times, displacing the oxygen at the seat of the fire.

Protecting the surroundings HI-FOG:

Water mist also provides an efficient water curtain, which blocks the radiant heat, preventing the fire from spreading or reigniting. Smoke particles also bind with the droplets, preventing the smoke from spreading.

Using little water:

HI-FOG® delivers extremely good performance, combating fire by removing two of the main elements a fire needs to survive: heat and oxygen. This is achieved with remarkably little water: HI-FOG® uses up to 90% less water than conventional sprinkler solutions.
Water mist droplet comparison:

The fire fighting effectiveness of a water mist system is defined by drop size distribution, the number of droplets, and penetration to the fire. The combination of these properties is entirely system-specific.

PLATFORM SUPPLY VESSEL

2012-08-21T19:22:00.002+05:30

A Platform Supply Vessel (or PSV) is a ship whose primary purpose is to supply and perform other tasks related to offshore oil platforms. These ships can range from 65 to 350 feet in length and their primary function is the transportation of supplies and personnel to and from platforms.

Capabilities

CARGO

The primary function of PSV is to transport goods to the platform and return other cargo to shore. It is equipped with cargo tanks for transporting drilling mud, pulverized cement, diesel fuel, water and chemicals used in drilling. It transports fuel, water and chemicals required by oil platforms, and certain other chemicals that mus be returned to shore for proper disposal. The PSV usually does not transport crude oil product from the rig.

SUPPORT

The large decks of these vessels usually carry common or specialty tools. Most are constructed or re-fitted to perform a certain job such as deploying, monitoring and retrieving seismic cables. Other vessels are equipped with firefighting capability and monitors for assisting during platform fires. Some vessels are equipped for oil containment and recovery during the cleanup of a spill at sea. Many other types of specialty jobs are performed with these types of vessels.

VESSEL CREWS

Crews on platform supply vessels can range from as few as three or four on the smaller ones, to 20 to 30 people on the larger vessels. Often half of the crew are specialists such as scientists, geologists or other people involved in special jobs related to operations on the oil platforms.

DAILY OPERATIONS

Crews sign on to work and live aboard the platform supply vessels for an extended period of times, depending on the company. Work details on PSV are organized into shifts.
Most of PSV have a bridge area for navigation and operation, a machinery spaces, living quarters, and a galley area for cooking and eating. The large main deck area of the ship can sometimes be used for portable housing.

WORLD'S BIGGEST AIR COOLED TURBO GENERATOR

2012-07-03T12:41:00.000+05:30

Air-cooled technologies : Recent key facts

WORLD'S LARGEST TURBOGENERATOR IN OPERATION:

1980-1990: Constant air cooled generator technology evolution from 100 to 200 MW

1990-1995 : Development and market introduction of 250 MW class air-cooled generator.

1995-2000 : Development and tests of 300-400 MW class air-cooled generator, to anticipate the large GT's and combined cycle development

TOPAIR 25 Generator : MAIN FEATURES

Basic design based on experience and proven technologies

Stator insulation : Single bar VPI (Micadur / Class F +(155°C)

Stator cooling : Indirect / Multichamber cooling

Rotor cooling : Direct / Axial with subslots

Larger output achieved by sizes increase : (D+7% L+17%)

Linear current density (up to +20%) tanks to the following features

Reverse cooling (6 air coolers just after fans : 17K enefits)

External air by-pass and air mixer at cooler outlet

Rotor air inlet guide vanes

TOPAIR 25 type :

Rated output : 400 MVA

Power factor : 0,85

Active power : 340 MW

Voltage : 21 kV

Cooling : AIR

Excitation : Static

Operation : IEC Class B

MAIN DATA:

TYPE TEST:

Rated output : 500 MVA

Power factor : 0,85

Active power : 425 MW

Rated temperature : 40°C

Voltage : 23 kV

Cooling : AIR (TEWAC)

Operation : IEC Class F 155°C

MEAN & HOT SPOTS:

Efficiency : 98.78 %

Short Circuit Ratio : 0.432

Noise level at 1m : 89.5 dBA

MV BELUGA

2012-06-24T14:43:00.000+05:30

EVER HEARD OF A MULTIPURPOSE VESSEL SUCH AS THIS WHICH CARRIES A SHIP AS ITS 'CARGO' ON IT. CHECK THIS OUT

MV Beluga Gravitation: A Powerful Multipurpose Vessel

Beluga Gravitation is a powerful multipurpose vessel (MV) which was launched in the year 2008. Alongside its launching, the vessel’s owner and operator Freese Reederei launched three other multipurpose vessels – Generation, Gratification and Graduation in the months of June 2008, January 2009 and May 2009 respectively. The vessel along with her sister ships was built in the Chinese shipbuilding yard of Hudong-Zhonghua, located in the province of Shanghai.

The most noteworthy accomplishment of the Gravitation is her transition from the Nantong province to the port of Rotterdam, with three different ship hulls placed on it. Gravitation embarked upon this journey, almost immediately after its date of launching and carried out the whole expedition quite successfully.

Statistically each of the three ship hulls positioned on the Gravitation differed in terms of their length. The smallest ship hull measured 86 meters, while the longest measured 135 meters. The third hull had a length of 114 meters. The smallest hull was positioned separately while the other two hulls were stacked one atop another, in order to maintain stability while the Gravitation was on water.
The entire operation was overseen and carried out under the expertise of specialized marine experts and absolute care was taken to ensure that there were no problems or loss of material cargo placed aboard the ship. As a special measure, Gravitation’s bow was equipped with a radar system to allow for a secure transition trip throughout.

MV Beluga Gravitation Specifications

The vessel bears an Antiguan and Barbudan registration flag
Lengthwise, it measures 143 meters with a breadth of 22 meters and a draft of slightly over seven meters
Gravitation has a GRT of almost 12,000 tonnes with a dead weight tonnage of slightly over 17,000 tonnes
It has three 60 ton cranes. The vessel’s cranes along with that of her sister ships’ is classified under the G-categorisation
The speed offered by the vessel is 16 knots and it is graded as with the Germanischer Lloyd classification

The Beluga vessels bear unique names and equally, serve a unique purpose. The owners and operators of the vessels are well-known in the maritime community as providing vessels that are unparalleled and incomparable.

THE STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR

2012-06-19T15:21:00.002+05:30

THE PATH FROM EUROPE TO AFRICA'S NORTHERN SIDE HAS BECOME THE EASIEST THROUGH ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS STRAITS

THE STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR:

The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Spain in Europe from Morocco in Africa. The name comes from Gibraltar, which in turn originates from the Arabic Jebel Tariq (meaning "Tariq's mountain"^[) named after Tariq ibn Ziyad. The Arab name for the Strait is Bab el-Zakat, meaning "Gate of Charity".

It is also known as the Straits of Gibraltar, or STROG (Strait Of Gibraltar), in naval use and as the "Pillars of Hercules"Europe and Africa are separated by 7.7 nautical miles (14.3 km; 8.9 mi) of ocean at the strait's narrowest point. The Strait's depth ranges between 300 and 900 metres (160 and 490 fathoms; 980 and 3,000 ft) which possibly interacted with the lower mean sea level of the last major glaciation 20,000 years before present^[5] when the level of the sea was believed to be lower by 110–120 m (60–66 fathoms; 360–390 ft).^[6] Ferries cross between the two continents every day in as little as 35 minutes. The Spanish side of the Strait is protected under El Estrecho Natural Park.

Approximately 9 miles (14 km) wide at its narrowest point, the Strait of Gibraltar is the entry point into the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean.

It's bordered by the continents of Africa and Europe, and the countries of Morocco, Spain, the British colony of Gibraltar, and the Spanish exclave of Ceuta.

LOCATION:

On the northern side of the Strait are Spain and Gibraltar (a British overseas territory in the Iberian Peninsula), while on the southern side are Morocco and Ceuta (a Spanish exclave in North Africa). Its boundaries were known in antiquity as the Pillars of Hercules. There are several islets, such as the disputed Isla Perejil, that are claimed by both Morocco and Spain.

Due to its location, the Strait is commonly used for illegal immigration from Africa to Europe.

IMPORTANCE:

The Strait is an important shipping route from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. There are ferries that operate between Spain and Morocco across the strait, as well as between Spain and Ceuta and Gibraltar to Tangier.

THE KIEL CANAL

2012-06-05T10:17:00.001+05:30

OF THE FAMOUS CANALS IN THE WORLD ONE LOCATED IN THE GERMAN AREA OF EUROPE IS

THE KIEL CANAL:

The Kiel Canal (German: Nord-Ostsee-Kanal, NOK), known as the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Kanal until 1948, is a 98-kilometre (61 mi) long canal in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein.

The canal links the North Sea at Brunsbüttel to the Baltic Sea at Kiel-Holtenau. An average of 250 nautical miles (460 km) is saved by using the Kiel Canal instead of going around the Jutland Peninsula. This not only saves time but also avoids potentially dangerous storm-prone seas. According to the canal's website, it is the most heavily used artificial seaway in the world; over 43,000 vessels passed through in 2007, excluding small craft.

Besides its two sea entrances, the Kiel Canal is linked, at Oldenbüttel, to the navigable River Eider by the short Gieselau Canal.

HISTORY:

The first connection between the North and Baltic Seas was constructed while the area was ruled by Denmark-Norway. It was called the Eider Canal, which used stretches of the Eider River for the link between the two seas.

The Eiderkanal was completed during the reign of Christian VII of Denmark in 1784 and was a 43-kilometre (27 mi) part of a 175-kilometre (109 mi) long waterway from Kiel to the Eider River's mouth at Tönning on the west coast.

It was only 29 metres (95 ft) wide with a depth of three metres (ten feet), which limited the vessels that could use the canal to 300 tonnes displacement.

During the 19th century, after Schleswig-Holstein had come under the government of Prussia (from 1871 the German Empire) following the Second Schleswig War in 1864, a combination of naval interests — the German navy wanted to link its bases in the Baltic and the North Sea without the need to sail around Denmark — and commercial pressure encouraged the development of a new canal.

In June 1887, construction works started at Holtenau, near Kiel. The canal took over 9,000 workers eight years to build. On June 20, 1895, the canal was officially opened by Kaiser Wilhelm II for transiting from Brunsbüttel to Holtenau. The next day, a ceremony was held in Holtenau where Wilhelm II named it the Kaiser Wilhelm Kanal (after Kaiser Wilhelm I), and laid the final stone. The opening of the canal was filmed by British director Birt Acres and surviving footage of this early film is preserved in the Science Museum in London.

In order to meet the increasing traffic and the demands of the Imperial German Navy, between 1907 and 1914 the canal width was increased. The widening of the canal allowed the passage of a Dreadnought-sized battleship. This meant that these battleships could travel from the Baltic Sea to the North Sea without having to go around Denmark. The enlargement projects were completed by the installation of two larger canal locks in Brunsbüttel and Holtenau.

After World War I, the Treaty of Versailles internationalised the canal while leaving it under German administration. The government under Adolf Hitler repudiated its international status in 1936. After World War II the canal was reopened to all traffic.

OPERATION:

There are detailed traffic rules for the canal. Each vessel in passage is classified in one of six traffic groups according to its dimensions. Larger ships are obliged to accept pilots and specialised canal helmsmen, in some cases even the assistance of a tugboat.

Furthermore, there are regulations regarding the passing of oncoming ships. Larger ship may also be required to moor at the bollards provided at intervals along the canal to allow the passage of oncoming vessels. Special rules apply to pleasure craft.Maximum length for ships passing the Kiel Canal is 235.50 metres (772.6 ft); with the maximum width of 32.50 metres (106.6 ft) these ships can have a draught of up to 7.00 metres (22.97 ft). Ships up to a length of 160.00 metres (524.93 ft) may have a draught up to 9.50 metres (31.2 ft). The bulker Ever Leader is considered the cargo ship that came closest to the overall limits, yet.

PIRACY AND HIJACKING

2012-05-29T19:05:00.000+05:30

We very often hear about piracy attack on ships and very few cases of hijacking of aircrafts. As aspiring mariners we know about the attacks of USS NICHOLAS , MV SEA BOURNE SPIRIT etc.We also know about the kandahar hijacking incident but still people like us do not know the similarities and differences. Why so ?

Piracy attack on ships are different from Hijacking of aircrafts. Though there are some similarities in both cases, the differences are more. For clarity, I prefer to use the term ‘piracy’ for ships and the term ‘hijacking’ for aircrafts.

Here are the similarities in Piracy and Hijacking:

Surprise element: In both the cases, there is no specific warning and we come to know only after the ship or aircraft is trapped.
Organized groups: In both the cases it is carried out by organized groups.
Use of compact,lethal weapons: Compact, lethal weapons find immediate applications in both the cases.

Here are the 15 differences in Piracy and Hijacking:

1.Motive:Piracy is a terrorist act to earn quick money.

In case of hijacking, it is a terrorist act to demonstrate or draw the world attention to meet political cause.

2.Ransom:

Ransom is demanded against the ship and ship’s cargo. Ship’s crew are generally not harmed.

In case of aircrafts, the hijackers demand release of terrorists who are in prison or simply blow up the aircraft to draw world attention or expect the government to meet their political demands.

3.Place:

Piracy takes place at certain known places, mostly in coastal areas.

In case of hijacking, it can take place anywhere.

4.Crime network:

Piracy is by local criminals and is restricted to certain regions only.

In case of hijacking, it is carried out by worldwide network of criminals.

5.Planning:

Hardly any planning is done by pirates to attack a ship. They carry out the attack on sighting a ship.

In case of hijacking, foolproof planning to hijack a specific aircraft is done meticulously.

6.Background:

Sea pirates are only males, less educated, poor and good navigators.

Hijackers can be males and females, well educated, intelligent, misguided youth with strong will power.

7.History:

Piracy is going on for centuries and is an old profession.

In case of of hijacking, it is a recent development going on for the past few decades.

8.Speed of the craft:

Ships are bigger in size and move very slowly comparing to the aircrafts. Pirates come in fast moving crafts with modern weapons to capture the ship.

In case of aircrafts, the hijackers have no means to chase an aircraft and capture the aircraft.

9.Type of Craft:

Pirates prefer to capture generally cargo ships because of less number of ships crew to resist the attack. Pirates prefer to take possession of costly ship and costly ship’s cargo.

In case of aircrafts, hijackers prefer passenger aircrafts to take possession of the passengers to use them as human shield. Also, they prefer to use the aircraft to crash on soft targets.

10.Mode of Attack:

Pirates approach towards the ship in fast moving crafts with lethal weapons to attack after sighting a ship.

In case of aircrafts, hijackers board the aircraft as passengers and commence their operation after getting airborne.

11.Resistance:

Pirates can be scared or repelled by the ship’s crew if the ship is provided with light arms, ammunition and training to the ship’s crew.

In case of hijackers, repulsion by the passengers is impossible as the hijackers are ready for suicide missions.

12. Meeting the demands:

Shipping companies or Ship owners meet the demands of the pirates to release the ship and ship’s crew.

In case of hijacking, the government takes action to meet their demand.

13.Punishments and Preventive actions:

Tougher punishments or preventive actions by the countries are the least to stop piracy.

In case of hijacking, tougher punishments and foolproof preventive actions are being taken by all countries to stop hijacking.

14.Intelligence inputs or warnings:

No definite intelligence is available of a piracy attack.

Reliable intelligence is available on hijacking because of global determination to fight out terrorism.

15.Government reaction and Global efforts:

Very few countries only react strongly to piracy attacks. However global awareness is increasing to fight out piracy.

In case of hijacking, all countries are united and determined to fight out hijacking. This is the only reason for the reduced incidents of hijacking of aircrafts.

THE PANAMA CANAL

2012-05-23T18:16:00.000+05:30

IN EARLIER DAYS THEY SAY SAILORS WENT AROUND CAPE HORN THE SOUTHERNMOST TIP OF SOUTH AMERICA TO REACH THE OTHER SIDE OF U.S.A FROM THE EASTERN AND WESTERN COASTS. BUT TODAY THE CROSSING FROM THE ATLANTIC TO THE PACIFIC AND VICEVERSA IS BEING DONE THROUGH THE FAMOUS CANAL OF THE WATERS

THE PANAMA CANAL.

The Panama Canal (Spanish: Canal de Panamá) is an 82-kilometre (51 mi) ship canal in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean (via the Caribbean Sea) to the Pacific Ocean. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a key conduit for international maritime trade.

Work on the canal, which began in 1880, was completed in 1914, making it no longer necessary for ships to sail the lengthy Cape Horn route around the southernmost tip of South America and to navigate the dangerous waters of the Strait of Magellan. One of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken, the Panama Canal shortcut made it possible for ships to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in half the time previously required. The shorter, faster, safer route to the U.S. West Coast and to nations in and along the Pacific Ocean allowed those places to become more integrated with the world economy.

Ownership of the territory that is now the Panama Canal was first Colombian, then French and then American before coming under the control of the Panamanian government in 1999. The Panama Canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships when it opened in 1914, to 14,702 vessels in 2008, the latter measuring a total of 309.6 million Panama Canal/Universal Measurement System (PC/UMS) tons. By 2008, more than 815,000 vessels had passed through the canal, many of them much larger than the original planners could have envisioned; the largest ships that can transit the canal today are called Panamax.The American Society of Civil Engineers has named the Panama Canal one of the SEVEN WONDERS OF MODERN WORLD..

HISTORY

The history of the Panama Canal goes back to 16th century. After realizing the riches of Peru, Ecuador, and Asia, and counting the time it took the gold to reach the ports of Spain, it was suggested c.1524 to Charles V, that by cutting out a piece of land somewhere in Panama, the trips would be made shorter and the risk of taking the treasures through the isthmus would justify such an enterprise. A survey of the isthmus was ordered and subsequently a working plan for a canal was drawn up in 1529. The wars in Europe and the thirsts for the control of kingdoms in the Mediterranean Sea simply put the project on permanent hold.

In 1534 a Spanish official suggested a canal route close to that of the now present canal. Later, several other plans for a canal were suggested, but no action was taken. The Spanish government subsequently abandoned its interest in the canal.

In the early 19th century the books of the German scientist Alexander von Humboldt revived interest in the project, and in 1819 the Spanish government formally authorized the construction of a canal and the creation of a company to build it. The discovery of gold in California in 1848 and the rush of would-be miners stimulated Americas interest in digging the canal

In 1879, de Lesseps proposed a sea level canal through Panama. With the success he had with the construction of the Suez Canal in Egypt just ten years earlier, de Lesseps was confident he would complete the water circle around the world.

Time and mileage would be dramatically reduced when travelling from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean or vice versa. For example, it would save a total of 18,000 miles on a trip from New York to San Francisco.

Although de Lesseps was not an engineer, he was appointed chairman for the construction of the Panama Canal. Upon taking charge, he organized an International Congress to discuss several schemes for constructing a ship canal. De Lesseps opted for a sea-level canal based on the construction of the Suez Canal. He believed that if a sea-level canal worked when constructing the Suez Canal, it must work for the Panama Canal.

LAYOUT:

While the Pacific Ocean is west of the isthmus and the Atlantic to the east, the direction of the 8- to 10-hour canal passage from the Pacific to the Atlantic is from southeast to northwest. This is because of an anomaly in the shape of the isthmus at the point the canal occupies. The Bridge of the Americas (Spanish: Puente de las Américas) at the Pacific side is about a third of a degree east of the Colón end on the Atlantic side.

The canal consists of artificial lakes, several improved and artificial channels, and three sets of locks. An additional artificial lake, Alajuela Lake (known during the American era as Madden Lake), acts as a reservoir for the canal. The layout of the canal as seen by a ship passing from the Pacific end to the Atlantic is as follows:[33]
From the buoyed entrance channel in the Gulf of Panama (Pacific side), ships travel 13.2 km (8.2 mi) up the channel to the Miraflores locks, passing under the Bridge of the Americas.

The two-stage Miraflores lock system, including the approach wall, is 1.7 km (1.1 mi) long, with a total lift of 16.5 meters (54 ft) at mid-tide.

The artificial Miraflores Lake is the next stage, 1.7 km (1.1 mi) long, and 16.5 meters (54 ft) above sea level.

The single-stage Pedro Miguel lock, which is 1.4 km (0.87 mi) long, is the last part of the ascent with a lift of 9.5 meters (31 ft) up to the main level of the canal.

The Gaillard (Culebra) Cut slices 12.6 km (7.8 mi) through the continental divide at an altitude of 26 meters (85 ft), and passes under the Centennial Bridge.

The Chagres River (Río Chagres), a natural waterway enhanced by the damming of Lake Gatún, runs west about 8.5 km (5.3 mi), merging into Lake Gatun.

Gatun Lake, an artificial lake formed by the building of the Gatun Dam, carries vessels 24.2 km (15.0 mi) across the isthmus.

The Gatún locks, a three-stage flight of locks 1.9 km (1.2 mi) long, drop ships back down to sea level.

A 3.2 km (2.0 mi) channel forms the approach to the locks from the Atlantic side.
Limón Bay (Bahía Limón), a huge natural harbour, provides an anchorage for some ships awaiting passage, and runs 8.7 km (5.4 mi) to the outer breakwater.
Thus, the total length of the canal is 77.1 km (47.9 mi).

CONCLUSION:

What makes the Panama Canal remarkable is its self sufficiency. The dam at Gatun, is able to generate the electricity to run all the motors which operate the canal as well as the locomotives in charge of towing the ships through the canal. No force is required to adjust the water level between the locks except gravity. As the lock operates, the water simply flows into the locks from the lakes or flows out to the sea level channels. The canal also relies on the overabundant rainfall of the area to compensate for the loss of the 52 million gallons of fresh water consumed during each crossing.

Despite the limit in ship size, the canal is still one of the most highly travelled waterways in the world, handling over 12,000 ships per year. The 51-mile crossing takes about nine hours to complete, an immense time saving when compared with rounding the tip of South America.

Until the early 1970's the Panama Canal Company made considerable profits. After a period of

nearly 60 years the loss in profit required the increase of tolls 3 times in 4 years. Much of the equipment, some of which dates back too 1914, now requires expensive modifications, simply to continue moving its present rate of traffic.

The original plan for the Panama Canal was evolved from many years of engineering study, but it was unfortunate that it had not been based on marine operating experience.

PISTONS CONCAVED OR CONVEXED AT THE TOP AND NOT FLAT WHY?

2012-05-18T10:46:00.000+05:30

WHY THESE?

WHY NOT THIS?

PISTONS AS ASPIRING MARINERS THINK IS NOT FLAT AND IS EITHER CONCAVED OR CONVEXED.THERE ARE VARIOUS REASONS FOR THIS QUERY.

PISTONS WITH FLAT SURFACES ARE NOT SELF SUPPORTIVE AND IS SUBJECTED TO PRESSURE ON ONE SIDE AS IT OCCURS WHEN AN ENGINE PISTON IS LOADED.

AN UNSUPPORTED FLAT SURFACE TAKES CONCAVE FORM ON ONE SIDE WHICH IS LOADED AND AS LOAD OR THE GAS PRESSURE INCREASES CURVATURE OF THE CONCAVITY INCREASES DEPENDING ON THE PRESSURE APPLIED.

THUS IF PISTONS WERE FLAT THEN IT WOULD GO THROUGH A PATTERN OF CONCAVITY WHICH IS DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL TO PRESSURE i.e IF PRESSURE INCREASES THEN THE CONCAVITY ALSO INCREASES AND VICE VERSA. THIS CAUSES THE PISTON TO SUFFER FROM FATIGUE AND FAILURE OCCURS DUE TO THE ABOVE REASON EVEN THOUGH THE PARTS OF THE PISTON ARE GOOD.

CURVED SURFACES ARE SELF SUPPORTING WHEN LOADED ON ONE SIDE. THEY DON'T CHANGE THEIR SHAPE OR MOVE TO ANY DEGREE WITH CHANGES IN PRESSURE. HENCE FATIGUE FAILURE IS REDUCED AND IF THEY ARE RIGHTLY ARRANGED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FUEL INJECTOR GOOD COMBUSTION OCCURS.

SOME LARGE, SLOW SPEED, HIGHLY RATED 2 STROKE ENGINES HAVE CONVEX STRUCTURE ON OUTER PERIPHERY.THIS IS CLOSED BY A FAIRLY EXTERNAL FLAT AREA SUPPORTED BY BRACKETS ASSISTING IN COOLING AND REDUCING COMPRESSION LOAD ON THE PISTON WALLS.

SOME OTHER SECONDARY REASONS ARE THAT THE GAS PRESSURE DURING THE EXHAUST CAN BE EASILY REMOVED THROUGH THE PORTS IN CASE OF LOOP AND CROSS SCAVENGED ENGINES AND SOMETIMES ON THE SIDES THEY ARE HELPFUL FOR THE OPENIG AND CLOSING OF THE EXHAUST AND INLET VALVES.

GRAND MOTHER'S DAY -- INS VIRAAT

2012-05-13T17:48:00.002+05:30

TODAY IS MOTHER'S DAY FOR ALL OF US AND ALL PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD NO SURPRISES IN THAT. BUT TODAY IS ANOTHER DAY TO CELEBRATE.

INDIA'S SOLITARY AIRCRAFT CARRIER AFFECTIONATELY CALLED AS THE 'MOTHER' OF ALL INDIAN NAVAL SHIPS CELEBRATED ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY YESTERDAY AFTER BEING COMMISSIONED INTO THE INDIAN NAVY ON MAY 12 1987.

IT'S MOTTO IS- "JALAMEV YASYA BALAMEV TASYA"[ HE WHO CONTROLS THE SEA IS ALL POWERFUL]

INS VIRAAT

HISTORY:

The British warship- earlier known as HMS Hermes- was acquired by the Indian Navy On May 12, 1987 after completing 28 years under the Union Jack and having participated in the Falklands Campaign of the Royal Navy in 1982.

"In the last 25 years, INS Viraat has done over 40,000 hours of steaming and traversed over 5,00,000 nautical miles across the proverbial seven seas. The ship has undertaken over 20,000 hours of flying from its deck," Navy officials said here today.

Currently commanded by Captain Ajendra Bahadur Singh, the 19th Commanding Officer of the ship, INS Viraat has the rare distinction of being commanded by three officers who rose up to become the chiefs of Indian Navy.

"Ship has seen 18 Commanding Officers of which three- Admirals Madhvendra Singh, Arun Prakash and Nirmal Verma- went on to become Chief of Naval Staff," they said.

INS Viraat was also the flag ship of the western fleet during Operation Parakram. "With its full strength of Sea Harriers fighter aircraft embarked, Viraat was central to the Western Fleet deployment for over six months. She was at sea with Capt (now Vice Admiral) D K Joshi as the Commanding Officer and Rear Admiral (later Vice Admiral) JS Bedi as the Fleet Commander," they said.

The ship underwent last major modernisation and life enhancement refit in 2008-09, which gave it a life extension of a few more years.

Born in November 1959 as HMS Hermes, INS Viraat is also one of the longest serving aircraft carrier in the history of naval operations anywhere in the world.

STRUCTURE:

Viraat is fitted with a 12° ski jump to operate the Sea Harrier, a reinforced flight deck, and 1.2 inches (3 cm) of armour over the magazines and machinery spaces. The magazine capacity includes at least 80 lightweight torpedoes. The vessel retains commando transport capability for up to 750 troops and carries four LCVP landing craft in the aft section. In a wartime scenario, the INS Viraat can embark up to 30 combat aircraft. INS Viraat is suited for two missions: supporting amphibious operations and conductingf ASW operations.

AIR GROUP:

(Capacity for 30 total)

Fleet Defence - Sea Harrier FRS51
Airborne Early Warning - Kamov Ka-31 Helix-B
ASW/ASV - Sea King Mk. 42B and Kamov Ka-28 Helix-A
Commando Assault and Vertical Replenishment - Sea King Mk. 42C

COMBAT DATA SYSTEMS

The ship has been fitted with

Italian SELEX (former ELMER) communication suites
CAAIS action data automation; Link 10
SATCOM systems

REFRIGERATING COMPRESSORS

2012-05-01T16:58:00.001+05:30

THE REFRIGERATION SYSTEM CONSISTS OF A COMPRESSOR , CONDENSER,EXPANSION VALVE, EVAPORATOR IN IT AND WHOLE SYSTEM IS USED BOTH FOR REFRIGERATING FOOD STUFFS AND ALSO FOR THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM. TODAY I WILL DISCUSS ABOUT COMPRESSORS.

COMPRESSORS ARE USED IN THE COMPRESSION OF LOW PRESSUE VAPOUR INTO HIGH PRESSURE VAPOUR. COMPRESSORS ARE OF 4 TYPES RECIPROCATING , SCREW AND CENTRIFUGAL TYPE AND ROTARY TYPE. ALL ARE USED DEPENDING ON THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE SYSTEM AND USAGE.

RECIPROCATING TYPE:

THE RECIPROCATING COMPRESSORS ARE OF VERTICAL INLINE TYPE. THEY ARE ARRANGED IN EITHER 'V' OR 'W' CONFIGURATION.

CONSTRUCTION:

EACH CRANK CARRIES THE BOTTOM ENDS OF PISTONS IN CYLINDERS.

PISTONS OF MODERN COMPRESSORS ARE ALUMINIUM ALLOY PISTONS. PISTON RINGS ARE OF CAST IRON BUT SPECIAL RINGS HAVE PHOSPHOR BRONZE INSERTS AS THEY ARE HELPFUL WHEN RUNNING IN. EACH THROW CARRIES FOUR BOTTEM ENDS. MAIN BEARINGS ARE WHITE METAL LINED STEEL SHELLS. THE SUCTION AND DISCHARGE VALVES MAY BE SPRING LOADED PLATE TYPE OR REED VALVES DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE COMPRESSOR. THE SPRING LOADED SAFETY HEADS TO PREVENT DAMAGE IN THE EVENT OF SLUGS OF INCOMPRESSIBLE LIQUID REFRIGERANT OR OIL ENTERING THE CYLINDERS.

AMMONIA(R717) AND R22 COMPRESSORS ARE SOMETIMES FITTED WITH WATER COOLED JACKETS AROUND THE UPPER PARTS OF THE CYLINDERS TO PREVENT EXCESSIVELY HIGH DISCHARGE TEMPERATURES AND ALSO TO INCREASE THE EFFECIENCY OF THE COMPRESSOR.

UNLOADING MECHANISM:

LARGE COMPRESSORS ARE FITTED WITH UNLOADING MECHANISM WHICH ENABLES THE COMPRESSOR TO START EASILY WITH NI VAPOUR PRESSURE LOAD IN THE CYLINDER, AND PERMITTING THE USE OF ELECTRIC MOTORS WITH LOW STARTING TORQUES. UNLOADING IS ALSO DONE WHEN THE REQUIRED TEMPERATURE IS GOING TO BE OBTAINED AND ONE BY ONE THE UNLOADING OCCURS. THIS IS EFFECTED BY HOLDING THE SUCTION VALVES OPEN, OR BY OPENING A BYPASS VALVE BETWEEN SUCTION AND DISCHARGE SIDE. IT IS ACTUATED BY SOLENOID VALVE.

WORKING:

GAS FROM THE EVAPORATOR PASSES THROUGH THE SUCTION STRAINER HOUSED IN THE SUCTION CONNECTION AND IT PASSES THROUGH THE SUCTION VALVES. THE GAS GETS COMPRESSED AND AT A HIGHER PRESSURE IS BEING DISCHARGED THROUGH THE DISCHARGE VALVE AND GOES TO THE CONDENSER.

ADVANTAGES:

1. GIVES A HIGHER REFRIGERATING EFFECT

2.GIVES GOOD AND EFFECIENT OPERATION

DISADVANTAGES:

1. OCCUPIES A LARGER SPACE AREA.

2. MORE NOISE AND VIBRATION.

3.MAINTENANCE IS DIFFICULT.

4.COSTLY

2 STAGE RECIPROCATING COMPRESSORS:

THE COMPRESSION CAN BE DONE IN STAGES TO INCREASE THE EFFECIENCY AND TO HAVE THE FOLLOWING ADVANTAGES:

A. LOWER CYLINDER PRESSURES, HENCE LOWER BEARING LOADS AND WEAR

B. LOWER DISCHARGE GAS TEMPERATURES, PREVENTING OIL DECOMPOSITION AND VALVE DAMAGE

C. INCREASED VALVE EFFECIENCY

WORKING:

IN CASE OF A TWO STAGE COMPRESSOR THE GAS AFTER BEING COMPRESSED IN FIRST STAGE IS PASSED THROUGH THE INTERCOOLER AND ITS TEMPERATURE IS REDUCED TO ATM TEMPERATURE AND THEN PASSED THROUGH THE SECOND STAGE AND IS BEING DICHARGED AT HIGHER PRESSURE AND BETTER EFFECIENCY.

2.SCREW COMPRESSORS:

THE SCREW COMPRESSORS ARE 2ND TYPE USED FOR REFRIGERATION PURPOSE.

CONSTRUCTION:

THESE COMPRESSORS CONSIST OF 2 ROTORS ONE FEMALE AND ANOTHER MALE. THE MALE ROTOR CONSISTS OF 4 LOBES AND FEMALE ROTOR CONSISTS OF 6 LOBES. THE CONSTRUCTION IS SIMPLE AND IS ONE OF THE BEST AND EFFECIENT ONE.

WORKING:

THE PATH OF GAS FLOW STARTS AT INLET PORT. AS THE PASSAGE BETWEEN FEMALE ROTOR PASS THIS PORT GAS IS DRAWN IN. AS THE ROTOR CONTINUES TO TURN THE MALE LOBE FILLS UP THE SPACE AND GAS IS FORCED AXIALLY AND COMPRESSED IN THE SPACE UNTIL IT ESCAPES FROM THE OUTLET.

TO OBTAIN EFFECIENT COMPRESSION LEAKAGES ARE TO BE MINIMIZED BETWEEN THE LOBES BY INJECTING OIL AND MAINTAINING ITS CONTINUITY. OIL ALSO SERVES AS A COOLANT TO REDUCE THE OPERATING TEMPERATURE.

ADVANTAGES:

1. UNAFFECTED BY LOAD VARIATION

2.MAINTENANCE FREE

3.VIBRATION FREE

4.LESS SPACE

5. HIGH SERVICE LIFE

1.OIL CARRYOVER IS THE ONLY DEFECT.

ALL THE ABOVE HAVE BEEN COMPARED TO RECIPROCATING COMPRESSORS AND YOU WILL NOTICE THAT THE LATTER IS THE BEST.

CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSORS:

FOR THE MARINE USE THESE COMPRESSORS ARE USED FOR ONLY AIRCONDITIONING DUTIES. THIS IS SIMILAR TO A CENTRIFUGAL PUMP.

CONSTRUCTION:

THIS COMPRESSOR CONSISTS OF AN IMPELLER WITH AN EYE AND IS BEING KEPT IN A CASING WHICH IS AIR TIGHT. IT ALSO CONSISTS OF A SUCTION AND DISCHARGE IN WHICH THE FORMER AREA IS BIGGER. A DIFFUSER IS ALSO PRESENT CONCENTRIC TO THE IMPELLER.

WORKING

THE GAS IS BEING TAKEN AS SUCTION BY THE EYE OF THE IMPELLER AND IMPARTS CENTRIFUGAL FORCE TO IT AND THEN IT WILL BE PASSED ON TO THE DIFFUSER WHERE THE KINETIC ENERGY IS CONVERTED INTO PRESSURE ENERGY. THIS GAS THEN PASSES THROUGH THE VOLUTE CASING AND IS BEING RELEASED AT HIGH PRESSURE THROUGH THE OUTLET.

ADVANTAGES:
1. ELIMINATION OF RUBBING SURFACES,PISTON RINGS,VALVE GEARS ETC.
2. REDUCTION IN MAINTENANCE
3. NO INTERNAL LUBRICATION IS NECESSARY
4. OIL CARRYOVER IS NOT A PROBLEM.

DISADVANTAGES:
1.CANNOT BE DESIGNED TO OPEARATE OVER A WIDE RANGE OF COMPRESSION RATIOS.
2. NOT PREFERRED FOR CARGO DUTIES.
3. ELECTRIC DRIVES CAN CREATE LARGE PROBLEMS DUE TO HIGH STARTING CURRENTS.
4. SEPERATELY NEED A DRIVING EQUIPMENT LIKE MOTORS, STEAM TURBINES.

ROTARY COMPRESSORS:

IN A ROTARY COMPRESSOR THE REFRIGERANT IS COMPRESSED BY THE ROTATING ACTION OF A ROLLER INSIDE A CYLINDER. THE ROLLER ROTATES ECCENTRICALLY AROUND A SHAFT SO THAT PART OF THE ROLLER IS ALWAYS IN CONTACT WITH THE INSIDE WALL OS THE CYLINDER. A SPRING MOUNTED BLADE IS ALWAYS RUBBING AGAINST THE ROLLER. THE 2 POINTS OF CONTACT CREATE TWO SEALED AREAS OF CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE VOLUME INSIDE THE CYLINDER. AT A CERTAIN POINT IN THE ROLLER ROTATION, THE INTAKE PORT IS EXPOSED AND A QUANTITY OF REFRIGERANT IS SUCKED INTO THE CYLINDER, FILLING ONE OF THE SEALED AREAS. AS THE ROLLER CONTINUES TO ROTATE THE VOLUME OF THE AREA THE REFRIGERANT OCUUPIES IS REDUCED AND THE REFRIGERANT IS COMPRESSED. WHEN THE EXHAUST VALAVE IS EXPOSED, THE HIGH PRESSURE REFRIGERANT FROM THE EXHAUST VALAVE IS OPEN AND THE REFRIGERANT IS RELEASED.

ADVANTAGES:

1.VERY EFFECIENT
2.LESS MAINTENANCE
3.LESS NOISE AND VIBRATION
http://www.fscc-online.com/%22Passing%20Gas%22-article/passing_gas.html

THE HIGHWAY OF INDIA

2012-04-28T15:47:00.000+05:30

THE HIGHWAY OF INDIA IS NOT KNOWN BY ANYBODY AS PEOPLE CALL IT AS THE SUEZ CANAL.THE WORLD'S MOST RENOWNED SAILORS, ALWAYS HAD THOUGHT IN ANCIENT DAYS OF 18TH CENTURY " OH WHAT A WASTE OF TIME IT'S TOO MUCH TO GO AROUND AFRICA TO REACH EUROPE IT'S CRUEL ON THE PART OF POSEIDON-THE LORD OF THE SEAS TO US". IN THE LATTER HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY CAME A BOON FROM GOD IN THE FORM OF THE FAMOUS CANAL WHICH WE CALL TODAY THE SUEZ CANAL.

LOCATION

The Suez Canal, mostly man made, connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Gulf of Suez. It is also called by the famous name THE HIGHWAY OF INDIA.
Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows transportation by water between Europe and Asia without navigation around Africa. The northern terminus is Port Said and the southern terminus is Port Tawfik at the city of Suez. Ismailia lies on its west bank, 3 km (1.9 mi) north of the half-way point.

The canal was constructed by the famous French engineer Sir Ferdinand De Lesseps. At that time the French owned it for few years later The British took control over it and was under them for a long period of time. People came to know the importance of this canal and started to acquire something out of it.

The canal opened in 1869, and remains one of the planet's busiest shipping lanes. Through it the vast percentage of Europe's energy needs are transported from the Middle East oil fields.

This vital corridor of commerce has been closed by war twice. The most recent closing occurred during the Six-Day War (in 1967), a brief war between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

History:

There seems to have always been an interest in linking the Mediterranean and Red Sea. Most of the early efforts were directed towards a link from the Nile to the Red Sea, thus indirectly linking the Red Sea to the Mediterranean through the Nile. Strabo and Pliny record that the earliest effort was directed by Senusret III, but no evidence that there was an actual canal built exists. The earliest efforts may have actually occurred at the command of Seti I or Ramesses II during the 13th century BC.

INAUGURATION

According to the Chronicle of the Pharaohs by Peter A. Clayton, under Necho II (610-595 BC) a canal was built between the Pelusian branch of the Nile and the northern end of the Bitter Lakes (which lies between the two seas) at a cost of, reportedly, 100,000 lives. However, over many years, the canal fell into disrepair, only to be extended, abandoned, and rebuilt again. After having been neglected, it was rebuilt by the Persian ruler, Darius I (522-486 BC), who's canal can still be seen along the Wadi Tumilat. According to Herodotus, his canal was wide enough that two triremes could pass each other with oars extended, and that it took four days to navigate. He commemorated the completion of his canal with a series of granite stelae set up along the Nile Bank.

This canal is said to have been extended to the Red Sea by Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285-246 BC), abandoned during the early Roman rule, but rebuilt again by Trajan (98-117 AD) Over the next several centuries, it once again was abandoned and sometimes dredged by various rulers for various but limited purposes. Amr Ibn el-As rebuilt the canal after the Islamic takeover of Egypt creating a new supply line from Cairo, but in 767 AD, the Abbasid caliph El-Mansur closed the canal a final time to cut off supplies to insurgents located in the Delta. Of course, over time, ships grew in size and so the ancient attempts to connect the two seas would not have worked anyway today.

The first efforts to build a modern canal came from the Egypt Expedition of Napoleon Bonaparte, who hoped the project would create a devastating trade problem for the English. Though this project was begun in 1799 by Charles Le Pere, a miscalculation estimated that the levels between the Mediterranean Sea and the Read Sea were too great (estimating that the Red Sea was some ten meters higher than that of the Mediterranean Sea) and work was quickly suspended.

Then, in 1833, a group of French intellectuals known as the Saint-Simoniens arrived in Cairo and they became very interested in the Suez project despite such problems as the difference in sea levels. Unfortunately, at that time Mohammed Ali had little interest in the project, and in 1835, the Saint-Simoniens were devastated by a plague epidemic. Most of the twenty or so engineers returned to France. They did leave behind several enthusiasts for the canal, including Ferdinand de Lesseps (who was then the French vice-consul in Alexandria) and Linant de Bellefonds

In Paris, the Saint-Simoniens created an association in 1846 to study the possibility of the Suez Canal once again. In 1847, Bourdaloue confirmed that there was no real difference in the levels between the Mediterranean and Red Seas, and it was Linant de Bellefonds that drew up the technical report. Unfortunately, there was considerable British opposition to the project, and Mohammed Ali, who was ill by this time, was less than enthusiastic.

However, Pasha Said was very open to European influence, and in fact, was a childhood friend of Vicomte Ferdinand Marie de Lesseps, who ended up founding the La Campagnie Universelle du Canal Maritime de Suez (Universal Company of the Maritime Suez Canal) in 1858 to build the canal. This was a private company, which would build the canal under an agreement allowing it to operate the canal for 99 years, after which it would revert to Egyptian government ownership.

The pilot study estimated that a total of 2,613 million cubic feet of earth would have to be moved, including 600 million on land, and another 2,013 million dredged from water. The total original cost estimate was two hundred million francs.

When at first the company ran into financial problems, it was Pasha Said who purchased 44 percent of the company to keep it in operation. However, the British and Turks were concerned with the venture and managed to have work suspended for a short time, until the intervention of Napoleon III. Excavation of the canal actually began on April 25th, 1859, and between then and 1862, the first part of the canal was completed. However, after Ismail succeeded Pasha Said in 1863, the work was again suspended. After Ferdinand De Lesseps again appealed to Napoleon III, an international commission was formed in March of 1864. The commission resolved the problems and within three years, the canal was completed. On November 17, 1869 the barrage of the Suez plains reservoir was breached and waters of the Mediterranean flowed into the Red Sea.

The total original cost of building the canal was about $100 million, about twice its original estimated coast. However, about three times that sum was spent on later repairs and improvements.

The completion of the Suez Canal was a cause for considerable celebration. In Port Said, the extravaganza began with fireworks and a ball attended by six thousand people. They included many heads of state, including the Empress Eugenie, the Emperor of Austria, the Prince of Wales, the Prince of Prussia and the Prince of the Netherlands. Two convoys of ships entered the canal from its southern and northern points and met at Ismailia. Parties continued for weeks, and the celebration also marked the opening of Ismail's old Opera House in Cairo, which is now gone.

The canal had a dramatic affect on world trade almost from the time it was opened, and even on world politics. Now, it was much easier for European nations to penetrate and colonize Africa.

Because of external debts the British government purchased the shares owned by Egyptian interests, namely those of Said Pasha, in 1875, for some 400,000 pounds sterling. Yet France continued to have a majority interest. Under the terms of an international convention signed in 1888 (The Convention of Constantinople), the canal was opened to vessels of all nations without discrimination, in peace and war. Nevertheless, Britain considered the canal vital to the maintenance of its maritime power and colonial interests. Therefore, the provisions of the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936 allowed Britain to maintain a defensive force along the Suez Canal Zone. However, Egyptian nationalists demanded repeatedly that Britain evacuate the Suez Canal Zone, and in 1954 the two countries signed a seven-year agreement that superseded the 1936 treaty and provided for the gradual withdrawal of all British troops from the zone.

By June 1956 all British troops had departed, and Egypt took over the British installations. Nevertheless, various conflicts caused the closure of the canal for intermittent periods.

Unfortunately between the Suez Crisis and later wars, the canal was damaged extensively and was not operated for several year after 1967. However, on June 5th, 1975, the canal was again opened, and since then has been updated and enlarged.

Details

The canal stretches over 100 miles (163 kilometers) from Port Said and the Mediterranean Sea to Suez and the Red Sea and, along with other such projects, changed the face of maritime world trade.

The famous Canal (Translated from Arabic as Qana al-Suways) of the modern era is one of the greatest engineering feats of modern record. At its narrowest point, it is about 300 meters wide (197 feet) at the bottom. It is wide enough to allow ships having a a maximum draft of 16 meters (53 feet). The canal can accommodate ships as large as 150,000 dead weight tons fully loaded.

The Canal is really not wide enough to allow two way passage of ships, but there are several passing bays, and areas where ships may pass each other in the Bitter Lakes and between Qantarah and Ismailia. There is also a railway that runs the entire distance of the canal.

The Suez Canal has no locks, because the Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Suez have roughly the same water level. Actually, the canal does not stretch continuously from one sea to the other. It really consists of two parts each flowing into the bitter lakes which lies between Port Said and Suez, and it also uses the waters of Lake Manzilah and Lake Timsah.

Three convoys transit the canal on a typical day, two southbound and one northbound. The first southbound convoy enters the canal in the early morning hours and proceeds to the Great Bitter Lake, where the ships anchor out of the fairway and await the passage of the northbound convoy. The northbound convoy passes the second southbound convoy, which moors to the canal bank in a by-pass, in the vicinity of El Qantara. Egypt's Suez Canal Authority (SCA) reported that in 2003 17,224 ships passed through the canal. The canal averages about 8% of the world shipping traffic. The passage takes between 11 and 16 hours at a speed of around 8 knots. The low speed helps prevent erosion of the canal banks by ship's wakes.

Improvements are planned to allow supertanker passage though the canal by 2010. Presently, supertankers can offload part of their cargo onto a canal-owned boat and reload at the other end of the canal.

"FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE" INS TEG- THE STEALTH FRIGATE

2012-04-28T15:26:00.000+05:30

HELLO FRIENDS GOOD NEWS TO ALL INDIAN CITIZENS AND SAILORS!.. ANOTHER LANDMARK IN THE HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.WELL OUR NAVY IS BEING STRENGTHENED ALONG WITH INDO-RUSSIA TIES.

A NEW STEALTH FRIGATE NAMED INS TEG A TALWAR CLASS WARSHIP HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE INDIAN NAVAL FLEET ON FRIDAY- 27/04/2012. INS TEG WAS COMMISSIONED BY THE VICE -ADMIRAL OF THE SOUTHERN NAVAL COMMAND K N SUSHIL AND WAS FLAGGED OFF AT YANTAR SHIPYARD, KALINGRAD, RUSSIA.

THE FORMIDABLE WARSHIP IS OF CONTEMPORARY DESIGN AND IT " has been built to meet the specific command and control needs of the NAVY for coordinated surface,air, underwater mission."

INS TEG

MISSILES:

LENGTH OF THE SHIP:125 METRES

GROSS TONNAGE: 4000 GT

POWER: GAS TURBINE PROPULSION

SPEED: 30 KNOTS

IT CONSISTS OF THE BRAH-MOS SURFACE TO SURFACE MISSILE SYSTEM ALONG WITH A MODERN SURFACE TO AIR MISSILE SYSTEM. IT ALSO CONSISTS OF 100 MM MEDIUM RANGE GUN, CIWS- CLOSE IN WEAPON SYSTEM, TORPEDO TUBES AND SUBMARINE ROCKETS.

IT ALSO EMBARKS AND OPERATES ANTI SUBMARINE OR AIRBORNE EARLY WARNING HELICOPTER TO ACT AS A FORCE MULTIPLIER.

IT CORPORATES MARITIME STEALTH TECHNOLOGY TO REDUCE RADAR AREA, INFRARED AND MAGNETIC SIGNATURES AS WELL AS RADIATED UNDER WATER NOISE.

IT ALSO CONSISTS OF THE AUTOMATED SYSTEM FOR NUCLEAR, BIOLOGICAL, CHEMICAL DEFENCE DAMAGE AND FIREFIGHTING TO MINIMIZE CASUALTIES.

FEATURES :

1. THE CREST OF INS TEG EMBODIES 2 CROSSED SWORDS AGAINST THE BLUE SKY AND OCEAN WAVES SYMBOLISING STRENGTH RESPONSIBILITY AND COMMITMENT.

2. ENGAGES ENEMY'S AIRCRAFT AND SUBMARINES.

CREW: 250 PERSONNEL, 25 OFFICERS.

COMMANDER: CAPT. RK DAHIYA

BALLAST FREE SHIP

2012-04-27T10:37:00.001+05:30

HANDS WITH SHIPPING: BALLAST FREE SHIP: Know a new concept called ballast free ship BALLAST FREE SHIP – NEW CONCEPT Objective :- A new approach to bulk carrier design tha...

DETAILS OF WORLDS FIRST 10 LARGEST SHIPS

2012-04-24T08:49:00.000+05:30

WELL WELL PREVIOUSLY I HAVE POSTED A DOC OF WORLD'S LARGEST SHIPS. THIS PARTICULAR POST WILL TELL YOU THE IMPORTANT DETAILS OF WORLD'S TOP10 LARGEST VESSELS.WHEN PEOPLE ARE ASKED TO TELL THE NAME OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST VESSEL PEOPLE ALWAYS REPLY TITANIC AS THEY KNOW ONLY THAT AND EVEN WE MARINERS HAVE DOUBT ABOUT TOP 10 AND HENCE THIS POST.THE ENORMOUS AD BIG SHIPS OF TODAY TRANSPORT ALMOST 90% OF ANYTHING THE WORLD PRODUCES.THEY ARE LISTED HERE ON THE BASIS OF LOA AND ALSO DWT AND GT.
ENJOY THIS LIST MARINERS AND PLEASE COMMENT ON THE FAV SHIP OF YOURS FROM THIS LIST.

10. MS VALE (BRASIL)

MS VALE

MS Vale Brasil, owned by the Brazilian mining company Vale, is the world’s largest bulk carrier.Designed to carry iron ore from Brazil to Asia along the Cape route around South Africa, she is the first of seven 400,000-ton very large ore carriers (VLOC) ordered by Vale from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering in South Korea and twelve from Jiangsu Rongsheng Heavy Industries in China.While close to the specifications of Chinamax, these ships are generally referred to as Valemax vessels by Vale.

It is a huge Bulk carrier in service ship with the length of 1,188 feet and a gross registered tonnage of almost 199,000 tones. Vale Brasil started its maiden voyage in May 2011 and since then it is in service for transferring cargo materials from one country to another.

If you have a look at Vale Brasil from high above, then no doubt you will say that’s it’s a lady in red because of its eye captivating red colors. With the maximum speed of 14.9 knots, Vale Brasilcan handle deadweight tonnage of almost up to 400,000. Vale Brasil is also one of the world’s largest iron ore carriers of the world.

9. JARMADA CLASS

JARMADA CLASS

Jarmada class started off on July 1975 to carry oil to different corners of the world. With the length of 1,225 feet and the speed of almost 16 knots, Jarmada class has made many successful voyages.

With a long service period of almost 32 years, Jarmada class came to an end in 2008. The deadweight tonnage of this huge ship was 380,000 and in its time was counted one of the most strongest, powerful and biggest ship of the world. Jarmada classwas retired three years ago and now is currently being used as a dumb storage tank barge.

8.GLOBTIK TOKYO

GLOBTIK TOKYO

Globtik Tokyo touched the surface of water in February 1973 for its first voyage. It was one of the biggest oil tankers of its time with the length of 1,243 feet and a massive deadweight tonnage capacity of almost 484,000 tons. Along with this huge weight lifting capacity, Globtik Tokyo had a top speed of 16 to 17 knots. Globtik Tokyoserved the world continuously for a straight 13 years until its life ended. The red and black combination of coloring scheme on the body of Globtik Tokyo, when moving on water gave a great view to everyone, greatly enhanced its beauty and massive looks.

7. TI CLASS SUPERTANKER

TI CLASS SUPERTANKER

TI class supertankeI Oceania is one of the most attractive ships ever built with massive capacity transferring crude oil. TI Oceania is a huge Oil Tanker still in the working condition even after a tough journey routine of 9 years.

The deadweight tonnage of TI Oceania is around 440,000 tones along with the speed capacity of speed between 16 to 18 knots. TI Oceaniais a master piece ship highly laden with technology to hurdle all the obstacles which might occur during the journeys.

If you look at TI Oceania from the sky or from a long distance, the very first thing which comes to mind is a giant ice berg floating on the water. The length of TI Oceania is 1,246 feet.

In the list of top 10 biggest ships of the world, Emma Maerskis currently the biggest ship which is still in service. Along with this title,Emma Mærsk is the first container ship in the E-class of eight owned by the A. P. Moller-Maersk Group. When she was launched in 2006, Emma Mærsk was the largest container ship ever built.

6. EMMA MAERSK

EMMA MAERSK

As of 2010, she and her seven sister ships are the longest container ships constructed and the longest ships currently in use, after the largest ship ever built, Seawise Giant, was permanently moored in 2004 and scrapped in 2010.Officially, Emma Mærsk is able to carry around 11,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) or 14,770 TEU depending on definition. In May 2010, the class set a record of 15,011 TEU in Tanger-Med, Tangiers on sister Ebba Mærsk. Emma Maerskis one of the most finely made biggest ships present today.

It’s a Container ship which carries different goods from country to country. Emma Maersk entered the oceans to serve the world in August 2006 with the deadweight tonnage capacity of almost 159,000 and the speed of almost 26 knots which makes it one of the fastest container ships of the world as well. The length of the massive big ship is 1,305 feet.

5.ESSO ATLANTIC

ESSO ATLANTIC

Esso Atlantic is one of the most popular historic names in the big ships category. This huge ship used to be the best in its time and has served the world with its consistent services level of straight 35 years. Basically it was an Oil tanker with the deadweight tonnage capacity of almost 516,000 tones. The length of this huge ship was 1,334 feet and the speed capacity was up to 16 knots. Esso Atlanticwas disposed off as scrap on 2002 in Pakistan.

4. PRAIRIAL

PRAIRIAL

Prairial was a supertanker, built in 1979 by Chantiers de l’Atlantique at Saint-Nazaire for Compagnie Nationale de Navigation. Prairial, which was the fourth and final vessel of Batillus class supertankers (the other three were Batillus, Bellamya and Pierre Guillaumat).

It was the only ship of that class to have a career longer than ten years, sailing until 2003, although under different names: Sea Brilliance (1985), Hellas Fos (1986) and Sea Giant (1997). She is also distinguished as the third biggest ship ever constructed, surpassed in size only by Seawise Giant built-in 1976 and subsequently lengthened, and her sister ship Pierre Guillaumat.

Prairial was an Oil Tanker which has served the world for almost 34 years by transporting crude oil and goods from one corner of the world to the other. Prairial is the only big ship which, despite undergoing many name changes with the passage of time, is still mostly known by its first name. With a massive deadweight tonnage capacity of almost 555,000 tones, Prairial has challenged many a sea storms in its voyages and won the battle many times. The length of Prairialwas 1,359 feet and the speed capacity was almost 16 knots.

3.BATILLUS

BATILLUS

Batillus was a supertanker, built in 1976 by Chantiers de l’Atlantique at Saint-Nazaire for the French branch of Shell Oil. The first vessel of homonymous Batillus class supertankers. Batillus, together with her sister ships Bellamya, Pierre Guillaumat and Prairial, was one of the biggest ships in the world, surpassed in size only by Seawise Giant (later Jahre Viking, Happy Giant and Knock Nevis) built in 1976, and extended in 1981, although the four ships of the Batillus class had a larger gross tonnage.

Her last voyage was from Vestnes to Kaoshiung (Taiwan) where she arrived on December 28, 1985. to be scrapped. One of the main reasons of scrapping the Batillus was purely financial keeping in view its very less usage and demand. When it comes to weight capacity, the deadweight capacity of Batillus was almost 554,000 and the speed of this big ship was 16 to 17 knots. The length of Batilluswas almost 1,359 feet.

2.PIERRE GILLAUMAT:

GILLAUMAT

It was the 2nd biggest ship ever built in the history of mankind but it didn’t last quite long enough as was expected. Pierre Guillaumat was a supertanker, built in 1977 by Chantiers de l’Atlantique at Saint-Nazaire for Compagnie Nationale de Navigation. Pierre Guillaumat, which was the third vessel of Batillus class supertankers (the other three, slightly smaller, were Batillus, Bellamya and Prairial), is distinguished as the biggest ship ever constructed, surpassed in size only by Seawise Giantbuilt in 1976, and only subsequently lengthened, although the four ships of the Batillus class had a larger gross tonnage.

Named after the French politician and founder of Elf Aquitaine oil industry, Pierre Guillaumat, the vessel was completed and put in service in 1977. Due to unprofitability, accentuated by huge dimensions of the ship, which placed restrictions on where she could be employed, the Pierre Guillaumat was put on hold at Fujairah anchorage since February 2, 1983,and later that year, bought by the Hyundai Corporation, and renamed Ulsan Master, she arrived at Ulsan, South Korea for demolition on October 19, 1983.

Because of her gigantic proportions the usability of the Pierre Guillaumat was very limited. She couldn’t pass through either the Panama or Suez canals. Because of her draft, she could enter a minimal number of ports in the world, and was therefore moored on offshore rigs, and oil terminals like Antifer and after off-loading to reduce her draft, at Europoort.

Pierre Guillaumat served the world for only 6 years before it was disposed of as scrap because of the huge unprofitability and declining demands. The biggest reason which created such a name of Pierre Guillaumat, ironically, became its major disadvantage which led it to its end very soon. It was the Pierre Guillaumat’sgigantic size. Because of the huge structure of the ship, it was very difficult for many harbors to provide a good parking for the ship. The deadweight tonnage of Pierre Guillaumat was almost 555,000 tones with near about 16 knots of speed. The length of Pierre Guillaumat was almost 1,360 feet.

1. SEAWISE GIANT:

KNOCK NEVIS

Seawise Giant is the biggest ship of the world ever built till present.Seawise Giant, later Happy Giant, Jahre Viking, and Knock Nevis, was a ULCC supertanker and the longest ship ever built, and possessed the greatest deadweight tonnage ever recorded.

Fully laden, her displacement was 657,019 tonnes (646,642 long tons; 724,239 short tons), the heaviest ship of any kind, and with a draft of 24.6 m (81 ft), she was incapable of navigating the English Channel, the Suez Canal or the Panama Canal. Overall, she was generally considered the largest ship ever built,as well as the largest self-propelled manmade object ever built.

Seawise Giant was built-in 1979 by Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. at their Oppama shipyard in Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan as a 418,000 ton ULCC^[8] to be named the Porthos by a Greek owner. It was last used as a floating storage and offloading unit (FSO) moored off the coast of Qatar in the Persian Gulf at the Al Shaheen Oil Field.

The vessel was sold to Indian ship breakers, and renamed Mont for her final journey in December 2009. After clearing Indian customs, she was sailed to, and intentionally beached at Alang, Gujarat, India for demolition. Along with the title of being the biggest ship of the world, the Seawise Giant also holds the title of being the biggest Oil tanker type ship ever built.

With the deadweight tonnage almost a massive 564,700 tones and a surprisingly top speed of 16 knots, Seawise Giant has faithfully served the world and fared the seas for an astounding 30 years till 2009. Seawise Giant was also called the Queen of oceans and rivers. The length of Seawise Giant is 1,504 feet which makes it the biggest ship of the world.

MV SEABOURNE SPIRIT

2012-04-20T10:35:00.002+05:30

WE ALL HAVE HEARD MANY INCIDENTS IN WHICH THE PIRATES HAVE ATTACKED THE SHIP AND HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN A RANSOM BUT WE MUST FEEL PROUD THAT ONE OF THE PASSENGER SHIPS NAMED MV SEABOURN SPIRIT OUT RAN THE PIRATES IN THIS FAMOUS INCIDENT WHICH TOOK PLACE IN 2005.THIS SHIP DID THAT WITH THE HELP OF A DEVICE CALLED LRAD [LONG RANGE ACOUSTIC DEVICE].

Seabourn Spirit is a German-built cruise ship completed in 1989. The luxury liner travels between Europe and Africa, and is owned by the Seabourn Cruise Line. In early 2005 it was rated the best small cruise ship by Condé Nast.


A GREAT ESCAPE

Pirate attack

GRENADE ATTACK

The motor of a rocket propelled grenade (RPG), shown after striking the cruise liner Seabourn Spirit

MICHAEL GROVES

On 5 November 2005 at 5:50 am, Spirit was while underway 115 km off the coast of Somalia with 115 passengers aboard where the ship was attacked by two pirate speedboats launched by a mother ship. Machine guns were fired as well as rocket propelled grenades were fired at the cruise ship, and the remains of an RPG's rocket motor wedged itself in the wall of a room and was disarmed by sailors from USS Gonzalez after the attack.It was reported that a second RPG bounced off the stern.No passengers were injured, but the ship's Master-at-Arms, Michael Groves, was hit by shrapnel whilst attempting to combat the raiders with a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD). The sonic device repelled the pirates by blasting a powerful sound wave.Groves and fellow British colleague Som Bahadur Gurung (an ex-Gurkha) were honoured for their bravery by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday 16 May 2007, receiving the Queen's Gallantry Medal and the Queen's Commendation for Bravery respectively.The ship then altered course to Port Victoria in the Seychelles for repairs rather than the originally-planned Mombasa in Kenya.^[4] The ship then sailed to Singapore and returned to its original schedule.

According to a report from Cruise Critic member Norman J. Fisher, a passenger onboard the Seabourn Spirit when the incident occurred at about 5:30 a.m. local time, "the ship was hit by a large number of bullets and at least one rocket. One crew member was injured."

The pirates –- each of the two boats reportedly had four or five of them aboard –- were attempting to board Seabourn Spirit. In order to do so they fired shots into the ship. One crew member was, according to Fisher, injured by shrapnel. The captain otherwise refused to allow passengers to go above decks as the fear was that folks that were visible might well be shot.

In a bulletin appearing on CNN's Web site, Mike Rogers, another passenger onboard Seabourn Spirit, was quoted as saying "the captain tried to run one of the boats (about 25 feet long) over ... the captain said he was going to do anything to keep them from getting onboard."

Indeed, in a hasty statement issued by Miami-based Seabourn, it is noted that "the ship's crew immediately initiated a trained response and as a result of protective and evasive measures taken, the occupants of the small craft were unable to gain access to Seabourn Spirit. The ship has moved away from the boats and is now sailing from the area. All passengers and crew are safe."

Seabourn Spirit, carrying 151 passengers and 161 crew members, was on its way to Mombasa, the last stop on a 16 night cruise from Alexandria, Egypt. As a result of the incident, however, the ship sailed away from Africa and is now headed for an unplanned visit to the Seychelles where passengers will disembark.

While reports of pirates and banditry are more common than you’d think in waters off of Indonesia (and typically are directed towards cargo rather than cruise ships), the United Nations did warn last week that its World Food Programme, which was trying to deliver food to Somalia, had been frustrated all fall by hijackings that restricted its efforts and called the southern Somali coastline one of the world's most dangerous.

This incident is likely to have a chilling impact on cruises to this part of Africa. Folks who have booked trips there may want to check with cruise lines, such as Princess, Peter Deilmann and Silversea, which all plan to offer trips that call in this part of the continent, in the coming weeks regarding itinerary changes.

WORLD'S LARGEST DIESEL ENGINE

2012-04-17T14:32:00.001+05:30

If the Seven Wonders of the World was updated for the 21 st century, the Wartsila-Sulzer RTA96-C turbocharged two-stroke diesel engine could be a contender. If you are a student of the internal combustion engine in all its wonderous configurations, then feast your eyes on this set of numbers which outline the truly astounding engineering feat. It is the most powerful and most efficient engine in the world today.

CONSTRUCTION:

Designed to provide the motive force for a variety of supertankers and container ships, it comes in 6 cylinder in-line through to a whopping 14 cylinder version. The cylinder bore is 38 inches and the stroke is just over 98 inches. Each cylinder displaces 111,143 cubic inches (1820 litres) and produces 7780 horsepower. Total displacement comes out to 1,556,002 cubic inches (25,480 litres) for the 14-cylinder version.

At a length of 89 feet and a height of 44 feet, the total engine weight is 2300 tons - the crankshaft alone weighs 300 tons.

MAXIMUM POWER:

The RTA96C-14 can achieve a maximum power output of 108,920 hp at 102 rpm and astonishingly, at maximum economy the engine exceeds 50% thermal efficiency. That means, more than 50% of the energy in the fuel is converted to motion. Its Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC) at maximum power is 0.278 lbs/hp/hr.

Ship owners like a single engine/single propeller design and the new generation of larger container ships needed a bigger engine to propel them.While engine cylinder configurations for large-scale container liners have been discussed in the magnitude of 14, 16 and 18 cylinders, the 14-cylinder in-line low-speed engine is the first to be offered by any engine designer.

Ship owners prefer single engine/single propeller designs and the new generation of larger container ships (or post-Panamax) called for a bigger engine to propel them.

The RTA96C-14 turbocharged two-stroke diesel engine is produced by Swiss company Wartsila-Sulzer and is the largest and most powerful diesel engine in the world today.

The peak capabilities of the 14-cylinder RTA96C engine now exceed 80 MW, making it adequate for a single-screw Post-Panamax container liner, which is as large as container liners will get considering their greater cost-effectiveness.

Sulzer have also managed to increase cylinder output since they began first operation in 1997, due to the maintenance experience accumulated with the large number of RTA96C engines currently in service. The new kW rating of the new engine achieves a power output of 68,640 kW, a four percent increase on the initial RTA96C.

OTHER SPECIFICATIONS:

Despite the large amounts of power produced by these engines, surprisingly low wear rates have been achieved. Diametral cylinder liner wear is in the order of only about 0.03 mm/1000 hours.

This low cylinder wear is possibly attributed to a connecting rod that attaches to a "crosshead" which rides in guide channels, a fundamental difference to most automotive engines where the top of the connecting rod is attached directly to the piston. Instead, in this engine the top of the connecting rod attaches to a "crosshead" and a long piston rod then connects the crosshead to the piston. This lowers the sideways forces produced by the connecting rod and is absorbed by the crosshead and not by the piston. Sideways forces are what makes the cylinders in an auto engine become oval-shaped over time.

Fuel consumption at maximum economy is 0.260 lbs/hp/hour. Comparatively, most automotive and small aircraft engines can only achieve BSFC figures in the 0.40-0.60 lbs/hp/hr range and 25-30% thermal efficiency range.

THE HISTORY:

The design and development of the RTA96C was close collaboration with the companies involved in the early stages of the first commercial project: the owner and operator P&O Nedlloyd BV, the ship designer and builder Ishikawajima Harima Heavy Industries Co Ltd (IHI), and the enginebuilder Diesel United Ltd.

The project began in March 1997 when the first engine, an 11-cylinder unit, was started on the test bed of Diesel United Ltd, Aioi.

Since then a total of 86 RT96C engines with eight, nine, ten, 11 and 12 cylinders in-line are in service or on order, 25 of these currently in service.

SS LOYALTY

2012-04-16T13:22:00.003+05:30

WHEN DID INDIA EARN ITS PLACE IN THE WORLD TRADE? CENTURIES BEFORE INDIANS WERE TRADERS FOR THE WORLD BUT BEING IN SHIPPING FIELD HAVE ANYBODY OF US KNOWN THE FIRST SHIP SAILING AROUND THE WORLD OWNED BY AN INDIAN? IF YOU KNOW IT THEN I ACCEPT IT BUT IF NOT THEN TAKE A LOOK AT THE SHIP 'S DETAILS BELOW WHICH BROUGHT INDIAN TRADE INTO LIMELIGHT.THIS SHIP WAS BOUGHT BY SHRI WALLCHAND HIRACHAND AND NAMED IT AS SS LOYALTY.

RMS EMPRESS OF INDIA:

RMS Empress of India was an ocean liner built in 1890-1891 by Naval Construction & Armament Co., Barrow, England for Canadian Pacific Steamships. This ship would be the first of two CP vessels to be named Empress of India, and on 28 April 1891, she was the very first of many ships named Empress arriving at Vancouver harbor.The Empress of India regularly traversed the trans-Pacific route between the west coast of Canada and the Far East until she was sold to the Maharajah of Gwalior in 1914 and renamed in 1915.

ROYAL MAIL SHIP:

This Empress enjoyed the "RMS", meaning "Royal Mail Ship." This is the ship prefix still in use today by seagoing vessels which carry mail under contract by Royal Mail.In 1891, Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and the British government reached agreement on a contract for subsidized mail service between Britain and Hong Kong via Canada; and the route began to be serviced by three specially designed ocean liners. Each of these three yachtlike vessels was given an Imperial name.The RMS Empress of India and her two running mates - the RMS Empress of China and the RMS Empress of Japan - created a flexible foundation for the CPR trans-Pacific fleet which would ply this route for the next half century.

CAREER:

Name:	1891-1914: RMS Empress of India 1915-1923 SS Loyalty
Owner:	1891-1914: Canadian Pacific Railway 1914-1919: Maharaja of Gwalior 1919-1923: Scindia Steam Navigation
Port of registry:	1891-1914: Canada 1914-1923: British Raj
Builder:	Naval Construction & Armament Co., [Barrow-in-Furness
Laid down:	1890
Launched:	30 August 1890 by Lady Louise Edgerton
Maiden voyage:	8 February 1891
Fate:	Scrapped in 1923

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS:

Class and type:	Ocean liner
Tonnage:	5,905 tons
Length:	455.7 ft
Beam:	51.2 ft
Propulsion:	Three masts twin propellers
Speed:	16 knots
Capacity:	50 1st class passengers 150 2nd class up to 400 steerage passengers

HISTORY:

The Empress of India was built by Naval Construction & Armament Co. (now absorbed into Vickers Armstrongs) at Barrow, England. The keel was laid in 1890. She was launched on 30 August 1890 by Lady Louise Egerton, sister of Lord Harrington. The 5,905-ton vessel had a length of 455.6 feet, and her beam was 51.2 feet. The graceful white-painted, clipper-bowed ship had two buff-colored funnels with a band of black paint at the top, three lightweight schooner-type masts, and an average speed of 16-knots. This Empress and her two sister-ship Empresses were the first vessels in the Pacific to have twin propellers with reciprocating engines. The ship was designed to provide accommodation for 770 passengers (120 first class, 50 second class and 600 steerage).

The SS Empress of India left Liverpool on 8 February 1891 on her maiden voyage via Suez to Hong Kong and Vancouver. Thereafter, she regularly sailed back and forth along the Hong Kong - Shanghai - Nagasaki - Kobe - Yokohama - Vancouver route. In the early days of wireless telegraphy, the call sign established for the "Empress of India was "MPI."

Much of what would have been construed as ordinary, even unremarkable during this period was an inextricable part of the ship's history. In the conventional course of trans-Pacific traffic, the ship was sometimes held in quarantine, as when it was discovered that a passenger from Hong Kong to Kobe showed signs of smallpox, and the vessel was held in Yokohama port until the incubation period for the disease had passed.The cargo holds of the Empress would have been routinely examined in the normal course of harbor-master's business in Hong Kong, Yokohama or Vancouver.

On 17 August 1903, the Empress of India collided with and sank the Chinese cruiser Huang Tai.

The vessel was reported sold on 19 December 1914, to the Geakwar of Baroda (also known as the Maharajah of Gwalior). The former Empress was re-fitted as a hospital ship for Indian troops. On 19 January 1915, the ship was renamed Loyalty. In March 1919, she was sold to The Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd. Company in Bombay (now Mumbai). In February 1923, the ship was sold for scrapping at Bombay.

CP Empresses of India

In 1921, Canadian Pacific added two German-built vessels to the Empress fleet; and initially, both were confusingly re-named Empress of China. Within months, one of these ships will be re-named the SS Empress of India and the other will be re-named the SS Empress of Australia. A quick explanation will help distinguish these quite different ships which each sailed with the same name.

The first SS Empress of India was a 5,905-ton vessel, launched in 1890 from Barrow, England. She would be sold in 1914, re-named SS Loyalty in 1915, and scrapped in Bombay in 1919.
- A CP sister-ship, the first SS Empress of China, was also a Barrow-built, 5,905-ton vessel; but she was launched a few months later, in 1891. She was wrecked on a reef at Tokyo Bay in 1911, and subsequently scrapped in 1912.

The second SS Empress of India was a 16,992-ton vessel launched in 1907 from Gestemunde, Germany as the SS Prince Freidrich Wilhelm. The ship was purchased in 1921 by Canadian Pacific and then immediately, the ship was re-named Empress of China for only a short time.
- This second SS Empress of China and of India will be re-named several more times -- as the SS Montlaurier in 1922; and as the SS Montnairn in 1925. The ship was scrapped 1929.

In other words, this vessel from Barrow is the first of two CP ships named Empress of India.

FEW DETAILS ABOUT THE QWNER:

WALLCHAND HIRACHAND:

Walchand Hirachand Doshi (23 November 1882 – 8 April 1953) was an Indian industrialist. He established India’s first modern shipyard, first aircraft factory and first car factory.

SHIPPING:

In 1919, after the end of World War I, he bought a steamer, the SS Loyalty along with his friends, from the Scindias of Gwalior, a royal family; His underlying assumption was that the post-war years would also spell massive growth for the shipping industry just as the war years had done. However, British companies such as P&O and BI (British India shipping) were strong in the shipping industry and most of the attempts by domestic players till then had failed. Walchand named his company The Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd. and competed with the foreign players. It was recognised as the first Swadeshi shipping company in the true sense of the term and was referred to widely in Mahatma Gandhi’s columns in Young India and Harijan on Swadeshi, boycott of foreign goods and Non co-operation movement. It barely managed to survive after entering into agreements on routes and fare wars with its foreign competitors. However, Walchand still supported new indigenous shipping ventures, as he believed that a strong domestic shipping industry was the need of the hour. In 1929, he became the Chairman of Scindia Steam and continued in the same position till 1950 when he resigned on grounds of ill health. By 1953, the company had captured 21% of Indian coastal traffic.

SHIPYARD:

To face competition in the shipping business from the British and other foreign businesses, Walchand entered allied businesses such as insurance. He also believed that there was a strong need for a shipyard in the country and started work on it in 1940 at Visakhapatnam. It was named Hindustan Shipyard Limited and its first product, the ship Jalusha was launched soon after independence by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1948. However, the shipyard came under government control a few months later (due to the presumed importance of the project to country’s security and economic growth) and was fully nationalised in 1961.

NS SAVANNAH

2012-04-15T08:39:00.000+05:30

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF A NUCLEAR POWERED SHIP? PEOPLE STILL TALK ABOUT NUCLEAR REACTORS AND NUCLEAR PLANTS.BY THE WAY,THE FIRST NUCLEAR SHIP WAS NS SAVANNAH OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.WELL,WELL WE ARE WAY BEHIND .WE SAY NUCLEAR POWER IS POWER FOR THE FUTURE AND I HOPE TO SEE WE MARINERS WORKING IN NUCLEAR SHIPS TOO IN FUTURE AS THE WORLD IS GOING TO BE 'FUELRUPTED'.

INTRODUCTION:

NS Savannah, named for SS Savannah, was the first nuclear-powered cargo-passenger ship, built in the late 1950s at a cost of $46.9 million, including a $28.3 million nuclear reactor and fuel core, funded by United States government agencies as a demonstration project for the potential usage of nuclear energy. Launched on 21 July 1959, she was in service between 1962–1972 as one of only four nuclear-powered cargo ships ever built, while Soviet ice-breaker Lenin launched on 5 December 1957, was the first nuclear-powered civil ship. NS Savannah has been moored at Pier 13 of the Canton Marine Terminal in Baltimore, Maryland since 2008.

CAREER:

Name: NS Savannah

Owner: U.S. Maritime Administration

Operator: 1962—1965: State Marine Lines

1965—1972: American Export-Isbrandtsen Lines

Port of registry: Savannah, United States

Ordered: 1955

Builder: New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, USA

Cost: $46,900,000 ($18,600,000 for the ship, and $28,300,000 for the nuclear plant and fuel)

Yard number: 529

Launched: 21 July 1959

Completed: December 1961

Acquired: 1 May 1962

Maiden voyage: 20 August 1962

In service: 1964

Out of service: 10 January 1972

Fate: Decommissioned

Status: Museum ship

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS:

Type: Nuclear-powered cargo ship

Tonnage: 13599 GRT[2]

Displacement: 9,900 long tons deadweight (DWT)[2]

Length: 596 ft (181.66 m)

Beam: 78 ft (23.77 m)

Installed power: One 74 MW Babcock & Wilcox nuclear reactor powering two De Laval steam turbines[2]

Propulsion: 20,300 hp to a single propeller

Speed: 21 kn (38.89 km/h) (service speed)[2]

24 kn (44.45 km/h) (maximum speed)

Range: 300,000 nmi (560,000 km) at 20 kn (37 km/h) on one single load of 32 fuel elements

Capacity: 60 passengers

14,040 ton cargo capacity

Crew: 124

ECONOMICS OF NS SAVANNAH:

Savannah was a demonstration of the technical feasibility of nuclear propulsion for merchant ships and was not expected to be commercially competitive. She was designed to be visually impressive, looking more like a luxury yacht than a bulk cargo vessel, and was equipped with thirty air-conditioned staterooms (each with an individual bathroom), a dining facility for 100 passengers, a lounge that could double as a movie theater, a veranda, a swimming pool and a library. Even her cargo handling equipment was designed to look good. By many measures, the ship was a success. She performed well at sea, her safety record was impressive, and her gleaming white paint was never smudged by exhaust smoke. From 1965 to 1971, the Maritime Administration leased Savannah to American Export-Isbrandtsen Lines for revenue cargo service. THE PIC SHOWS THE HP REACTOR-->

LOSSES OF NS SAVANNAH:

Savannah's cargo space was limited to 8,500 tons of freight in 652,000 cubic feet (18,000 m³). Many of her competitors could accommodate several times as much. Her streamlined hull made loading the forward holds laborious, which became a significant disadvantage as ports became more and more automated. Her crew was a third larger than comparable oil-fired ships and received special training in addition to that required for conventional maritime licenses. Additionally, a labor dispute erupted over pay scales. Savannah's engineering officers had been allotted extra pay in compensation for their extensive additional nuclear training. The deck officers, however, cited the tradition that they receive higher pay than engineering officers. A labor arbitrator ruled in favor of the higher pay for the deck officers, in keeping with the traditional pay scale, despite the lower training requirements of the deck officers. The pay issue continued to be a problem, so the Maritime Administration canceled its contract with States Marine Lines and selected American Export Isbrandtsen Lines as the new ship operator. The resulting need to train a new crew interrupted Savannah's demonstration schedule for nearly a year.

Although the change in operators alleviated the immediate labor problem, the failure to resolve this dispute would forever cloud the feasibility of nuclear merchant ships. Many feared that abandoning the Masters, Mates, and Pilots (M.M.& P.) and the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association (MEBA) trade unions merely deferred the necessary resolution of this conflict. After all, these two unions represented deck and engineering officers on a majority of all other U.S.-flag operated ships.

As a result of her design handicaps, training requirements, and additional crew members, Savannah cost approximately US$2 million a year more in operating subsidies than a similarly sized Mariner-class ship with a conventional oil-fired steam plant. The Maritime Administration decommissioned her in 1971 to save costs, a decision that made sense when fuel oil cost US$20 per ton. In a note of historical parallel, the ship's namesake, the SS Savannah, which in 1819 became the first steam powered ship to cross the Atlantic Ocean, was also a commercial failure despite it being an innovation in marine propulsion technology.

RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISCHARGE:

During the initial year of operation, the NS Savannah released over 115,000 gallons of very low-level radioactive waste at sea.

MUSEUM SHIP:

In 1981, Savannah was obtained via bareboat charter for display at the Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum near Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Although the museum had use of the vessel, ownership of Savannah remained with the Maritime Administration, and the Patriots Point Development Authority had to be designated a "co-licensee" for the ship's reactor. Periodic radiological inspections were also necessary to ensure the continued safety of the ship. Once Savannah was open for display, visitors could tour the ship's cargo holds, view the engine room from an observation area, look into staterooms and passenger areas, and walk the ship's decks.