Author Topic: Recent recruit  (Read 2027 times)

Offline Deseado

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Recent recruit
« on: February 14, 2020, 01:32:03 PM »
Hi, I have just joined MEM, I'm a (semi) retired Marine Engineer/Naval Architect having started life as a sea-going Engineer Officer. Part of my apprenticeship was served in the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast working on seriously large, low speed diesel engines (up to 30,000BHP) After swallowing the anchor I came ashore and continued in vessel technical management for fleets such as dredging, towage/salvage/offshore support and latterly cruise ships and mega yachts.
Having always been interested in model engineering I now find myself with the time and workshop space to pursue this hobby assisted by my ancient Myford ML7B and a very recent Chinese Mill onto which Ive just fitted a 3 axis d.r.o. Currently building a triple expansion engine partly from proprietary castings and the rest from scratch. Would like to build a model of one of the first main engines I had the misfortune to sail with - a Harland and Wolff double-acting opposed piston diesel. 3 pistons per cylinder, 6 cylinders per engine and two engines per vessel: an Engineer's nightmare. Unfortunately I can't find much archive material or drawings at the moment so if any of you out there.............
Best regards
Graham

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: Recent recruit
« Reply #1 on: February 14, 2020, 01:43:37 PM »
Hi Graham and welcome to the forum. hat sounds like a very interesting and no doubt challenging project you have planned. Hoping you can find the information you need for it.

Bill

Offline Roger B

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Re: Recent recruit
« Reply #2 on: February 14, 2020, 02:19:31 PM »
Welcome to the Forum  :ThumbsUp:  :ThumbsUp:

This member is building a Doxford opposed piston engine:

http://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php/topic,1556.0.html

and I have been playing with fuel injection systems with some limited sucess:

http://www.modelenginemaker.com/index.php/topic,4906.0.html
Best regards

Roger

Offline Dan Rowe

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Re: Recent recruit
« Reply #3 on: February 14, 2020, 06:25:57 PM »
a Harland and Wolff double-acting opposed piston diesel. 3 pistons per cylinder, 6 cylinders per engine and two engines per vessel: an Engineer's nightmare.

Graham, wow what a beast could you make a sketch of the arrangement? I am a retired Marine Engineer and I mostly worked on Sulzer RND and RLB engines.

Cheers Dan
ShaylocoDan

Online Kim

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Re: Recent recruit
« Reply #4 on: February 14, 2020, 11:11:14 PM »
Hi Graham,
Welcome to the forum!
Kim

Offline AVTUR

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Re: Recent recruit
« Reply #5 on: February 15, 2020, 01:09:32 PM »
Graham - welcome (you are the first person I have welcomed which says a lot about me).

During my apprenticeship I had a friend who believed that the big marine diesel was a major gift to mankind. He made us all aware of the three piston two stroke engine. I have never seen one but the Science Museum at South Kensington displayed a model of one in the late 1960s. It is likely that they still have it somewhere in their archives. It would certainly be worth contacting them. The IMechE archives would be another good place to start. Generally these organisations/archives are very helpful when they know what they have and you have got beyond the part time archivist who has an sociology degree.

AVTUR
There is no such thing as a stupid question.

Offline Deseado

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Re: Recent recruit
« Reply #6 on: February 15, 2020, 02:06:29 PM »
Here's a X-Section of these engines (I hope). Burmeister and Wain produced similar engines and have an operational unit in their museum of which there are several good youtube films. I've been to most of the usual sources including I Mar E and I Mech E without success but have yet to visit Lloyds Register who have promised to give me access to their basement. I think the model in the science museum may have been a Doxford which used to be in the entrance of Poplar Tech College when it still taught useful subjects!

Offline Dan Rowe

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Re: Recent recruit
« Reply #7 on: February 15, 2020, 06:56:07 PM »
Graham, is this the engine?
http://oldengine.org/members/diesel/marine/wolff.htm

Cheers Dan
ShaylocoDan

Offline crueby

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Re: Recent recruit
« Reply #8 on: February 15, 2020, 08:30:46 PM »
Fascinating looking design, though I cant figure out how it works...   :headscratch:

Offline derekwarner

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Re: Recent recruit
« Reply #9 on: February 15, 2020, 10:56:56 PM »
They are really just amazingly simple old up & downers Chris  :ThumbsUp:

The manufacture of the German B&W engines under Licence was near world wide.......Britian, Japan, Korea ...but also clones as B&W Sulzer varients .....then made under Licence as IHI - Sulzer in Japan

Most of the later builds irrespective of Branding, used the British designed Woodward Governer for engine speed control

In an earlier life, I flew 3000 Km from Sydney to Dampier, then off the Western Australian coast to assist with the rectification of a failed Woodward Governer hydraulic amplifier system of an Australian Flagged 100,000 tonner ...[Australian Purpose]  ....[great experience]

Derek
Derek L Warner - Honorary Secretary [Retired]
Illawarra Live Steamers Co-op - Australia
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Offline steamer

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Re: Recent recruit
« Reply #10 on: February 16, 2020, 02:56:48 AM »
Welcome Graham!

Dave
"Mister M'Andrew, don't you think steam spoils romance at sea?"
Damned ijjit!

Offline fumopuc

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Re: Recent recruit
« Reply #11 on: February 16, 2020, 05:47:27 AM »
Hi Graham Welcome  to MEM.
Do you know this http://www.oldengine.org/members/diesel/Marine/wolff.htm
Or http://www.rakaia.co.uk/assets/hw-da-engines.pdf
30 pages of information about this engine type.
Kind Regards
Achim

Offline fumopuc

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Re: Recent recruit
« Reply #12 on: February 16, 2020, 10:04:15 AM »
Fascinating looking design, though I cant figure out how it works...   :headscratch:


Hi Chris, page 2 off my above linked PDF may be will give you a better idea about the function of these 3 pistons, playing with each other.
Kind Regards
Achim

Offline Deseado

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Re: Recent recruit
« Reply #13 on: February 16, 2020, 11:28:34 AM »
Thanks very much folks for all the interest and leads. I have the copy of C C Pounders book from which the extract is taken. This book and a similarly titled one by John Lamb were required reading for all sea going Engineers. Pounder was the Chief Designer at Harlands for many years and designed the engine I'm researching. At the same time Percy Jackson was the Chief Designer at Doxfords and was responsible for the 'P' and 'J' type engines (guess where the initials came from!)
The article by Pounder is, obviously, very informative but certain parts are like a bikini - what is revealed is interesting but that which is concealed is vital!!
Crueby says he can't see how it works, well the intention of my model is to construct  a 3 cylinder version with the centre cylinder part-sectioned in order to demonstrate the relative motion of the running gear. I normally run out of hands when trying to explain the basics of the design.

Thanks again, Graham

Offline Dan Rowe

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Re: Recent recruit
« Reply #14 on: February 16, 2020, 01:59:24 PM »
Graham,
I think this is a video of one running:
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wcMdqGVuS4" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wcMdqGVuS4</a>

Cheers Dan
ShaylocoDan

 

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