Auxiliaries for Motor Vessels

Abstract

With the vast increase in motorships it is only natural to expect a variety of installations; and the many designs and variety of types of propelling machinery and modes of drive in turn affect the auxiliary equipment.

The great differences that exist in auxiliaries in such factors as weight, space, duty, capacity, cost, etc., without doubt could be minimized.

Determining the right kind and capacity of auxiliaries, in order to reduce first cost and weight and at the same time have the most economical marine plant both at sea and in port, is a somewhat difficult task, because one has to consider the ship’s trade routes, and whether the ship is new or converted.

It must also be remembered that the assumption regarding continual running with full cargo is rather ideal, but as all ships will be equally liable to runs in ballast or with part cargo or load, the results will be relative.

Comparisons between types of machinery are often based on the relative space required, the weight and fuel-consumption values, and the resulting saving in fuel.

While perhaps these are quite fair to the machinery, they are not to the ship as a whole, and are apt to show differences, the benefits of which in practice are never realized.

The comparisons in the paper have been made without bias for or against any particular type of machinery, and in a manner that shows a more true ultimate saving than that attained by other comparative methods.

The differences brought out by the analysis, although showing no one particular type as vastly superior, do show that certain vessels can be built and operated with more profit than others, and they therefore justify a close investigation of ships’ economies when selecting the type of machinery.