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Emergency Hydraulic starter for engine

Discussion in 'Technical Discussion' started by Trinimax, Jun 28, 2023.

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  1. Trinimax, Jun 28, 2023
    #1
    Trinimax

    Trinimax Senior Member

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    Hi All

    As a ship surveyor I see and test these manual hydraulic or spring starting devices used as back up starting device on emergency generators on large vessels. These emergency generator engines are typically what is found as a main engine on medium size powrboats (v12 man pictured)

    My question, I wonder why we dont see these devices on expedition type vessels or long range cruisers, or any vessel type that spends some serious time away from the dock. It would be a good back up to start the main engine incase the vessel had a battery issue and lost DC power.

    Attached Files:

  2. Capt Ralph, Jun 28, 2023
    #2
    Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Typing out loud; I SWAG, not many engines have a mounting location for 2 starters.
    Many large vessels may already have air or hydraulic starters.

    On smaller pleasure vessels, cost considerations, simplicity (turn key) or you can't get the wife down there to pump it up..

    OTOH; major loss of DC power on a med to large vessel is deserving of a Darwin award, we don't want them back at the dock anyway.
  3. mapism, Jun 28, 2023
    #3
    mapism

    mapism Senior Member

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    I'm familiar with these engines when used as mains, but not at all as gensets.
    On the starter, I agree with CR that a DC motor is simpler and more than good enough for pleasure boats, and any other redundancy - even if feasible - would be overkill.

    Your photos made me curious about the differences with the same blocks when used as mains, though.
    Am I right in seeing neither a heat exchanger nor an itercooler?
    And is the big fan in the background meant to cool a huge radiator for the engine coolant?

    Also, the rating must be well below the 1200hp @ 2300rpm that the same block can produced as propulsion engine.
    Less than half the power @ 1800rpm, at a guess?
    If it weren't for this reason (and also the huge radiator size!), I'd love not needing to bother with periodic CAC+HE removal and cleaning...
  4. Pascal, Jun 28, 2023
    #4
    Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    all boats have redundant battery banks so I cant imagine running out of DC power. And I always have a spare starter for the mains

    interesting concept though.
  5. Trinimax, Jun 29, 2023
    #5
    Trinimax

    Trinimax Senior Member

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    Thats correct these emergency generators on large commerical vessels are air cooled. The one in the pic is on a 900 ft LNG carrier. rating is about 500 KW and it has its independent fuel tank with minimum 24 hrs worth of fuel. The egen will only power critical equipment such as as fire pumps, nav equipment, steering pumps, fuel pumps and emergency lighting