James Hefner
Member
I share Tom Bates interest in the steam pumps aboard the Titanic. My interest is in steam pumps in general; I own two of them already, and am trying to find homes for nearly two dozen of them from a chemical plant I work at here in Texas. I am also the moderator of a group pertaining to steam pumps on Yahoo.
I have searched the web trying to learn as much as I can about the steam pumps found on board the Titanic. I am sharing what I have found so far, in the hopes that others may be able to correct or add to what I have so far. (Some of the references I have found seem to contradict one another; thus, I am not 100% sure in what I have so far. Some of the content posted to this discussion group has been a big help already.
* All of the ship's pumps were steam-driven. Most of the pumps were of the vertical, single or duplex, direct-acting piston type, and were double acting. I have noticed that the ones in the feedwater water system were all made by G & J Weir of Glasgow, Scotland; maybe others were as well.
* I have heard that there were feedpumps (or March) pumps driven by the main engine shafts themselves; with a separate steam pump providing makeup (fresh) water as well from the fresh water tanks. But this seems to contradict what I have read elsewhere in this group that four pairs of Weir's main feed pumps, two pairs being located at floor level on either side of the forward end of the reciprocating engine room were used. Perhaps someone can clear this up for me.
* Four centrifugal pumps were used as circulating water pumps for the two condensers. (These circulated cooling water through the tubes of the condensers.) The two main circulating pumps were powered by two cylinder compound engines; the two auxiliary circulating pumps by single cylinder engines. Each pump had suction and discharge pipes of 20 in. bore. All four had suction pipes that were open to the sea outside the hull, but all four also had suctions down in the bilge (bottom) of the hull. Two could pump water from the reciprocating engine rooms, and two from the turbine room. I don't know who the builder was; I have seen in other ships were the shipyard itself built the circulating water pumps.
* As pointed out in previous threads, four G & J Weirs "Dual" type vertical pumps were used as air (condensate) pumps to pump the condensed steam from the bottom of the condensers to the two 2,790 gallon feedwater tanks in the turbine room. They had one steam cylinder located above the "wet air" (condensate) barrel, with a second "dry air" (vapor) barrel driven by links from the piston rod. The Weir "paragon" pump is a similar design, and can be seen on the webpage at: http://www.instruction-manuals.co.uk/category/MISCELLA/paragon.htm .
* As pointed out in previous threads, from the feed tanks, the water drained into two 4' x 4' x 3' hotwell tanks, one located on each side of the reciprocating engine room. From feed water was drawn from each of these tanks by four Weir hotwell pumps, one pair per hotwell tank.
* As pointed out in previous threads, condensate from the steam powered generators was collected and pumped to the Weir "Uniflux" horizontal surface feed heater by a Weir vertical simplex air pump, and was added to the stream of feedwater coming from the hot well pumps.
* As pointed out in previous threads, after leaving the Weir "Uniflux" horizontal surface feed heater, the feedwater went to a Weir's direct contact heater (or open feedwater heater) located at the D-deck level in the reciprocating engine room casing. Steam was supplied to the heater from the various pumps and auxiliary engines in the engine room. From here, the water flowed by gravity to four pairs of Weir's main feed pumps, two pairs being located at floor level on either side of the forward end of the reciprocating engine room. The feed pumps supplied boiler feed through a set of feed mains to the various boiler rooms, at a pressure above that of the working pressure of the boilers. These pumps were connected to the feed mains through valve chests which allowed any pump to feed any main. As I stated before, no mention is made here of "march" pumps driven by the main engine shafts.
I understand that there were five large and three small bilge pumps on board. The large pumps were capable of discharging 250 tons of water per hour, while the small ones were capable of discharging 150 tons per hour. This would equal the total pumping capacity I have seen quoted of 1700 tons per hour, or 28 tons per minute. Water was pouring in at first at the rate of 450 tons per minute. As the pressure between the inside and outside equalized, the rate of flooding lessened to 75 tons per minute, still too much for her pumps to handle.
What I have not been able to determine what type and make they were, and their exact location. The following is the best I could come up with.
* Five duplex ballast and bilge pumps, each capable of discharging 250 tons of water per hour. These were in separate pump rooms on the centerline between the boiler rooms. These steam pumps could be used to work the See's ash ejectors (there were two ash ejectors in the four large boiler rooms, and one in each of the small boiler rooms, for a total of ten). But they were also used as bilge pumps.
* Three bilge pumps, each of 150 tons per hour capacity. One was in each of the reciprocating engine rooms, and one was in the turbine room. When used as ballast pumps, they pumped the ballast water from a common 10” main ballest pipe that was carried fore and aft through the ship with separate connections to each tank, and with filling pipes from the sea connected at intervals for trimming purposes.
* The Titanic had four refrigeration units on board. Two horizontal duplex CO2 machines, each of which comprised two self-contained units capable of independent working - so that actually four complete refrigeration units were provided. The refrigeration machine was designed and manufactured by Halls Thermotank Ltd. and was of the standard marine type. They were not steam pumps per say, but steam powered compressors, and worked along similar lines (I think.)
* Each of the four refrigeration compressors was fitted with its own steam service condenser, a brass circulating pump, and air and feed pumps. A duplex brass-ended water pump was also provided as an emergency stand-by unit.
* Each of the four refrigeration evaporators was internally divided into four separate units and was locked in an insulated recess above the machinery at the Orlop - Deck level. This recess also housed the three main brine pumps and their interchangeable connectors. The brine return tanks were placed at a higher level immediately above the evaporators.
* Adding up all of the steam pumps listed so far, we have one fresh water pump, four centrifugal circulating water pumps, five duplex and bilge pumps, four hotwell, air pump for the generators, eight boiler feedpumps, three ballest, and bilge pumps. We also have four brass circulating pumps, four air pumps, four feed pumps. and four emergency stand-by duplex brass-ended water pumps for the refrigeration units. That brings our total to 42 so far.
* Not mentioned, but I would think were also on board were one or more lubricating oil pumps, used to pump lubricating oil from the oil tanks to the bearings on the engines and turbine. Any others?
Thanks to all who have obviously helped in my research already, and for any additional help provided. I plan on sharing the results of my research in a message to my steam pump group on Yahoo; it will provide group-related insight into a popular icon.
-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a
Surviving World Steam Project
http://www.survivingworldsteam.com
I have searched the web trying to learn as much as I can about the steam pumps found on board the Titanic. I am sharing what I have found so far, in the hopes that others may be able to correct or add to what I have so far. (Some of the references I have found seem to contradict one another; thus, I am not 100% sure in what I have so far. Some of the content posted to this discussion group has been a big help already.
* All of the ship's pumps were steam-driven. Most of the pumps were of the vertical, single or duplex, direct-acting piston type, and were double acting. I have noticed that the ones in the feedwater water system were all made by G & J Weir of Glasgow, Scotland; maybe others were as well.
* I have heard that there were feedpumps (or March) pumps driven by the main engine shafts themselves; with a separate steam pump providing makeup (fresh) water as well from the fresh water tanks. But this seems to contradict what I have read elsewhere in this group that four pairs of Weir's main feed pumps, two pairs being located at floor level on either side of the forward end of the reciprocating engine room were used. Perhaps someone can clear this up for me.
* Four centrifugal pumps were used as circulating water pumps for the two condensers. (These circulated cooling water through the tubes of the condensers.) The two main circulating pumps were powered by two cylinder compound engines; the two auxiliary circulating pumps by single cylinder engines. Each pump had suction and discharge pipes of 20 in. bore. All four had suction pipes that were open to the sea outside the hull, but all four also had suctions down in the bilge (bottom) of the hull. Two could pump water from the reciprocating engine rooms, and two from the turbine room. I don't know who the builder was; I have seen in other ships were the shipyard itself built the circulating water pumps.
* As pointed out in previous threads, four G & J Weirs "Dual" type vertical pumps were used as air (condensate) pumps to pump the condensed steam from the bottom of the condensers to the two 2,790 gallon feedwater tanks in the turbine room. They had one steam cylinder located above the "wet air" (condensate) barrel, with a second "dry air" (vapor) barrel driven by links from the piston rod. The Weir "paragon" pump is a similar design, and can be seen on the webpage at: http://www.instruction-manuals.co.uk/category/MISCELLA/paragon.htm .
* As pointed out in previous threads, from the feed tanks, the water drained into two 4' x 4' x 3' hotwell tanks, one located on each side of the reciprocating engine room. From feed water was drawn from each of these tanks by four Weir hotwell pumps, one pair per hotwell tank.
* As pointed out in previous threads, condensate from the steam powered generators was collected and pumped to the Weir "Uniflux" horizontal surface feed heater by a Weir vertical simplex air pump, and was added to the stream of feedwater coming from the hot well pumps.
* As pointed out in previous threads, after leaving the Weir "Uniflux" horizontal surface feed heater, the feedwater went to a Weir's direct contact heater (or open feedwater heater) located at the D-deck level in the reciprocating engine room casing. Steam was supplied to the heater from the various pumps and auxiliary engines in the engine room. From here, the water flowed by gravity to four pairs of Weir's main feed pumps, two pairs being located at floor level on either side of the forward end of the reciprocating engine room. The feed pumps supplied boiler feed through a set of feed mains to the various boiler rooms, at a pressure above that of the working pressure of the boilers. These pumps were connected to the feed mains through valve chests which allowed any pump to feed any main. As I stated before, no mention is made here of "march" pumps driven by the main engine shafts.
I understand that there were five large and three small bilge pumps on board. The large pumps were capable of discharging 250 tons of water per hour, while the small ones were capable of discharging 150 tons per hour. This would equal the total pumping capacity I have seen quoted of 1700 tons per hour, or 28 tons per minute. Water was pouring in at first at the rate of 450 tons per minute. As the pressure between the inside and outside equalized, the rate of flooding lessened to 75 tons per minute, still too much for her pumps to handle.
What I have not been able to determine what type and make they were, and their exact location. The following is the best I could come up with.
* Five duplex ballast and bilge pumps, each capable of discharging 250 tons of water per hour. These were in separate pump rooms on the centerline between the boiler rooms. These steam pumps could be used to work the See's ash ejectors (there were two ash ejectors in the four large boiler rooms, and one in each of the small boiler rooms, for a total of ten). But they were also used as bilge pumps.
* Three bilge pumps, each of 150 tons per hour capacity. One was in each of the reciprocating engine rooms, and one was in the turbine room. When used as ballast pumps, they pumped the ballast water from a common 10” main ballest pipe that was carried fore and aft through the ship with separate connections to each tank, and with filling pipes from the sea connected at intervals for trimming purposes.
* The Titanic had four refrigeration units on board. Two horizontal duplex CO2 machines, each of which comprised two self-contained units capable of independent working - so that actually four complete refrigeration units were provided. The refrigeration machine was designed and manufactured by Halls Thermotank Ltd. and was of the standard marine type. They were not steam pumps per say, but steam powered compressors, and worked along similar lines (I think.)
* Each of the four refrigeration compressors was fitted with its own steam service condenser, a brass circulating pump, and air and feed pumps. A duplex brass-ended water pump was also provided as an emergency stand-by unit.
* Each of the four refrigeration evaporators was internally divided into four separate units and was locked in an insulated recess above the machinery at the Orlop - Deck level. This recess also housed the three main brine pumps and their interchangeable connectors. The brine return tanks were placed at a higher level immediately above the evaporators.
* Adding up all of the steam pumps listed so far, we have one fresh water pump, four centrifugal circulating water pumps, five duplex and bilge pumps, four hotwell, air pump for the generators, eight boiler feedpumps, three ballest, and bilge pumps. We also have four brass circulating pumps, four air pumps, four feed pumps. and four emergency stand-by duplex brass-ended water pumps for the refrigeration units. That brings our total to 42 so far.
* Not mentioned, but I would think were also on board were one or more lubricating oil pumps, used to pump lubricating oil from the oil tanks to the bearings on the engines and turbine. Any others?
Thanks to all who have obviously helped in my research already, and for any additional help provided. I plan on sharing the results of my research in a message to my steam pump group on Yahoo; it will provide group-related insight into a popular icon.
-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a
Surviving World Steam Project
http://www.survivingworldsteam.com
