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Old 07-29-2019, 02:48 AM
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ChalkLine ChalkLine is offline
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What's down in there?

Well, to start with the engines need fuel.
The Fuel Bunkers are either tankage or open. Open fuel bunkers need the crew position Coal Trimmer as noted above to load, level, drain, clean and transport the fuel forward to the Boilers. The Bunkers need a clear access way to the Boilers but must must be separate to avoid catastrophic fires. Usually they are separated by a sturdy sliding hatch that lets the Coal Trimmer through with their wheelbarrows. The bunker must be accessible to the exterior for the loading of fuel and cranes should be nearby. There must be firefighting gear available to extinguish fuel fires and pumps to drain water out of the fuel as it settles (must fuel arrives wet to some degree).

The Boilers supply energy to the Engines. Boilers are subject to catastrophic pressure explosions and should preferably be placed below the waterline to avoid enemy fire. Boilers are a pressure vessel and feed their energy to the engines by high pressure steam-lines. On smaller vessels the engines are sometimes directly coupled to the Boiler but this is not the preferred practice on large installations. The Boilers exhaust thick dirty smoke via an exhaust stack but also through the open hatch to the firebox and this greasy smoke coats everything on the vessel, raising maintenance requirements for all items. The Boiler Room requires firefighting equipment, pumps to remove water and ventilators to feed fresh air to the boiler and the crew.

Then there is the Engine Room. The engine translate energy from the boilers to the propeller shafts and the generator(s). Do not overlook the abundant electrical energy available to ships. The Engine Room is the simplest but most vital part of ship. The Generator Flat may or may not be part of this area. Once again firefighting equipment and pumps are vital.

Workshops(s) may be either included in the Engine Room or should be adjacent. The engines and boilers require constant supply or parts and maintenance provided from and fabricated in this area. There should be access to the exterior for introduction of raw materials.
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