Re: RN machinery supply 1880


<kenney@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:mI-dnVh3vp3GeJzeRVnyrQ@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> Again from War-ships and Navies of the world
>
> "No steam machinery for ships of war has at any time been manufactured
> in the excellent works of the dockyards. These works are employed
> solely on repairs of the steam fleet. All new machinery is built by
> contract from the designs of responsible bidders, and the
> establishment to which the contract is awarded guarantees the entire
> work and the indicated horsepower on the measured mile, and six hours
> run. It is also held responsible for the efficiency of the machinery
> for a period of one year after it has been accepted by the
> Admiralty,and any parts which during that period, may be found
> defective, or may show symptoms of weakness owing to faulty
> design,materials, or workmanship, must be removed and others
> substituted for them by the contractors at their own expense. When the
> machinery for a new ship or class of vessels is to be furnished, the
> specifications are drawn up by the Engineer-in-Chief, and printed...
>
> These specifications give all the principal dimensions and may of the
> details of the engines, boilers, and appendages. They also limit the
> weight and space to be occupied. They are then sent out to the
> principal engineering establishments -about eight in number.
> In tendering for the supply of the machinery, the contractors are
> requested to forward a design in accordance with the specifications
> and tracings of the shp, &c., supplied. They are also requested to
> furnish a design and tender for any other plan of engines and boilers
> not based on the specifications, adhering to the total weight and
> space to be occupied by the machinery."
>
> What King does not mention is that this system originated, because at
> the start of the steam era, the dockyards could not build steam
> machinery. In fact it took a lot of modernisation before they could
> repair it. See "Building the Steam Navy". It is interesting that at
> this point ship speed was not a contractual issue, unlike the later
> period when speed was specified with in some cases bonus and penalty
> conditions.

It is unlikely that the engine manufacturers were ever asked to guarantee
speed, that was the responsibility of the design and would be dependant on
the engines making their rated horsepower, which was by the article measured
on the various high speed runs during trials. Tests of engine output are
still made because it is just as unlikely today as it was then for a ship to
reach target speed if the engines do not give out the rated HP.

Peter


.

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