U.S. Steel Orders Colt-Pielstick Engines For Huge Ore Carrier

Two Colt-Pielstick marine engines with associated gearing, supporting equipment and monitoring systems have been ordered from Colt Industries, Fairbanks Morse Engine Division in Beloit, Wis., by United States Steel Corporation of Pittsburgh, Pa. John Morgan, president of the Fairbanks Morse Engine Division, announced the multimillion-dollar order.

The pair of 18-cylinder engines will provide propulsion power for a large self-discharging bulk carrier which will be built by the AMSHIP Division, The American Ship Building Company of Lorain, Ohio. Each engine will drive an inboard turning, controllable-pitch propeller through a single reduction gear. The vessel will be 1,000 feet long with a beam of 105 feet.

This is the fourth ship in the I "Super Carrier" series built by American - Ship, but is unique in I several regards. The first three are also Colt-Pielstick powered, with one in operation and the j other two under construction. The i U.S. Steel ship has different hull lines, midship section, unloading .i arrangement, and a greater horse- |l power engine package than the | | other three ships.

R.D. Jacobs, manager of marine sales, said that the two Colt- Pielstick engines are each rated.

at 9,630 hp at 520 rpm. The ship will be capable of carrying in excess of 58,000 long tons of taconite pellets at midsummer draft.

The vessel will be self-discharging, utilizing a single loop belt concept serving the five cargo holds of the ship. The loop belt transfers the iron ore pellets into a shuttle conveyor that can project outboard from either side of the ship for unloading up to 10,000 long tons per hour into a dockside, hopper fed, conveyor system.

The new vessel is expected to be in operation for the 1979 shipping season. The 18-cylinder, Colt- Pielstick engines are V-configuration and will propel the ship, fully loaded, at about 16y2 mph. They are designed to burn heavy fuel up to 3,500 seconds Redwood viscosity at 100 °F. Colt-Pielstick diesels are available from 12 to 18 cylinders and have a 15.75- inch bore and 18.11-inch stroke (400 mm by 460 mm). The engine is built by licensees worldwide and is the most widely used, high-horsepower, medium-speed marine diesel—furnishing power for more than 1,000 ships. The engines will be manufactured in Colt Industries, Fairbanks Morse Engine Division's plant at Beloit —one of the largest and most modern large engine facilities in the United States. Marine diesels are tested on a 30,000 bhp dynamometer— the highest rating in the United States.

Mr. Jacobs also pointed out that Fairbanks Morse Engine Division will furnish the engine monitoring consoles, bridge and engine control room to meet USCG and ABS 1976 rules (ACCU requirements) for a "no-man" engine room watch. "The centralized engine room and bridge controls with the performance monitoring system will give reliable operation of the machinery and ship by simplifying the operations through automation. The automation will allow more time for a high level of onboard ship maintenance." Two control levers are on each console — one for each engine/ gear/propeller system. Control level positioning determines the engine speed and load as well as the pitch of the propeller for that engine. Four modes of control are possible through a control mode selector. The first allows separate control at engine room console of engine speed and propeller pitch by an engineer. The second mode gives combined engine room control where the engine speed and propeller pitch follows a predetermined program. The third mode is the same combined program from the bridge, and the fourth provides pitch control from the bridge and speed control from the engine room.

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