Cian O'Reilly
Member
Cian O'Reilly
Member
This is the latest version of the Titanic's portside Reciprocating Engine. All four cylinders are now in place, with the addition of the high pressure cylinder. In addition to this, other elements have been added and existing ones detailed and improved. The video is somewhat rushed, I wanted it up before Christmas, so there are issues with the render - denoising for example and the dodgy lens flare - I'll need to work on those issues in Marmoset Toolbag 4 (which I'm still getting used to). One other element I tackled was making the animation more accurate in terms of reducing the 'separation' of these parts when in motion. Anyways, graphics issues aside, this is the current state of things, hope you like it and Merry Christmas!
Steven Christian
Member
Nice. You do really good work. Cheers.
Cian O'Reilly
Member
This is another quickly thrown together video but as I haven't posted both engines in quite some time I figured it would be nice to try it. In the previous double engine video, none of the cylinders had been added so you couldn't get a real feel for these beasts. As I say, it's quickly thrown together with the mirroring process causing issues in the animation that I'll sort in later versions. (The Thumbnail doesn't seem to be showing up, not sure why)
Steven Christian
Member
Nice vid as usual. Raised a 2 questions for me.
1. Did Olympic class ships have any way to synchronize the engines automatically for rpm or were they strictly manual control? I read thru Mr Halpern's prime mover paper again and looked at the schematics but didn't find anything.
2. If a ship of those days say had one prop that wasn't as efficient as the other and they wanted to keep a straight track would they just correct with the rudder or call down to add a few rpm's to the less efficient prop. Seems the rudder option would waste fuel to me. But I don't know having never worked on one of those systems. Cheers all and Happy New Year!
P.S...I asked the questions here because watching the 2 engines work at the same time made me curious. But if any mods know a better thread for it please move it. Thanks.
1. Did Olympic class ships have any way to synchronize the engines automatically for rpm or were they strictly manual control? I read thru Mr Halpern's prime mover paper again and looked at the schematics but didn't find anything.
2. If a ship of those days say had one prop that wasn't as efficient as the other and they wanted to keep a straight track would they just correct with the rudder or call down to add a few rpm's to the less efficient prop. Seems the rudder option would waste fuel to me. But I don't know having never worked on one of those systems. Cheers all and Happy New Year!
P.S...I asked the questions here because watching the 2 engines work at the same time made me curious. But if any mods know a better thread for it please move it. Thanks.
Cian O'Reilly
Member
As far as I know, both engines could be operated independently to each-other. Whether or not they had individual starting/control platforms I don't know - I'm not an expert I'm afraid, just an enthusiast who's learning as the project progresses - so I'd guess that their rpms could be adjusted on a per engine basis. I'd guess that each engine had it's own team of engineers but that they would closely coordinate to ensure either that the engines were synchronised (during normal cruising/conditions) or that if needed they could operate as independent machines - for example,during a crisis like when Olympic threw a blade in 1911. This resulted in one engine (the portside Reciprocating engine IIRC) having to be shut down of course, and she made her way home under the power of the other engine and the turbine.
Mike Spooner
Member
I think you will find when Olympic threw a blade in February 1911, They still used that engine and
put up with the bad vibration. Also from the two reciprocation engines exhaust steam from the lower pressure cylinders are required to drive the turbine.
put up with the bad vibration. Also from the two reciprocation engines exhaust steam from the lower pressure cylinders are required to drive the turbine.
Steven Christian
Member
Yes from what I understand each engine had it's own engineer/operator in control of it. I was just wondering if they had a way of syncing up the engines once they were cruising. But looking at the schematics more I didn't see anything. Probably that was later in the century with bias controls to tweak each engine. But their system seem to work out well. At least on the Olympic. I've seen operators that could run a system in manual as well as being in automatic.
Cian O'Reilly
Member
Cian O'Reilly
Member
Latest vid on YouTube encompassing the work shown in the previous still images...
Tim Aldrich
Member
Outstanding work Mr. O'Reilly.
Cian O'Reilly
Member
Cheers Tim!
Cian O'Reilly
Member
Continuing texturing the Reciprocating Engine build I'm working on, this time the bedplate and columns for the forward Low Pressure Cylinder. I've added some weathering/dirt/grime but I want to keep it subtle, given that the engines were basically new... 
Cian O'Reilly
Member
Latest update on engine texturing - quite a lot of progress over the last few days - the shaft and cranks have been added back in, as have the textured eccentrics for the Stephenson's Linkages, the weigh bar and associated Link/slide arms and the Crosswalks accross the lower levels are in place, as well as the oil-boxes on the bearing casings. Lots still to do but it feels like it's gaining momentum after positively dragging over the last couple of months. As ever, crits welcome, let me know if anything looks/is wrong...
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Bill West
Member
Excellent work Cian, I've been admiring it for some time. Your handling of the texture is impressive, the painted castings look photographically real.
Two items for thought:
-the reverser appears to be based on a page of Sothern's circa 1936 "Verbal Notes" book that appeared on the old TRMA forum. Unfortunately the manual pump, selector switch and the casting bosses for the pipes from the pump are not in the H&W photo of the Britannic engine. The ships instead had steam/hydraulic pumps on the aft engine room bulkhead for operation of the reverser during engine maintenance. I've not found the interconnecting pipes illustrated on any drawing or photo however.
-the Britannic's engine was lengthened with an extra crankshaft bearing between the HP and IP cylinders. This left room for a catwalk over the bearing, it shows in one of the shop pictures. There is no catwalk over the other bearings however and no similar catwalks at all on the Olympic or Titanic.
Bill
Two items for thought:
-the reverser appears to be based on a page of Sothern's circa 1936 "Verbal Notes" book that appeared on the old TRMA forum. Unfortunately the manual pump, selector switch and the casting bosses for the pipes from the pump are not in the H&W photo of the Britannic engine. The ships instead had steam/hydraulic pumps on the aft engine room bulkhead for operation of the reverser during engine maintenance. I've not found the interconnecting pipes illustrated on any drawing or photo however.
-the Britannic's engine was lengthened with an extra crankshaft bearing between the HP and IP cylinders. This left room for a catwalk over the bearing, it shows in one of the shop pictures. There is no catwalk over the other bearings however and no similar catwalks at all on the Olympic or Titanic.
Bill
