Thread: extreme engineering, mega container ship.

Just watched a show on fox , extreme engineering , about the new generation of container ships, being built in Denmark. What amazed me, besides the size of these monsters, was the size of the engine. How about an engine of 93,000 hp, weighing 2,100 tons, 89 feet long, 12 pistons, built in 3 sections. When the time came to marry the engine block to the crankshaft section, the block was that big , they actually lifted the shed out of the way, before they could connect the crane to the block. The TD5 engine wasn't even as big as the big end bearings.

Some things never change, though. While marrying up block to crank, they were 15 mm out, so, out came the dumpy hammer [ to hammer in locating pin] and chain block. I've done an engine change on an attack class patrol boat, [ 16 YJCM Paxman, 1,750 hp] but have never seen anything like that engine. These ships are the biggest container ships ever built, so big the USA is spending 2 billion dollars dredging Long Beach, Cal., harbour so they can enter, 55 metres deep. And, the mind blowing thing, only 15 people crew her. They are also spending millions on new wharves and cranes. Amazing, Grace Bob

emma maersk if i remember, no chance of seeing in these waters fully loaded. now the same company have some on order that are 25% bigger at 18,000teu.
15yrs ago i was driving the 4100teu ones around which were biggest at that time, and yes only minimum crew around 15 to do all jobs onboard.

keep watching the news this week and you might see the propellors on the one in nz on the rocks when it turns turtle.