The crankshaft is carried in bearings formed in a

bedplate. On the bedplate is mounted a casting

termed the column or frame which forms the
crankcase and supports the cylinder block. The forces
produced by the gas pressure in the cylinders are
transmitted from the top of the cylinder block directly
to the bedplate by the tie bolts (tie rods ). These bolts
pass through all the separate components of the
structure, thus maintaining them in compression and
ensuring that all major tensile loads are carried by the
steel members.

to carry to support
cover - head
circulation - flow
contact - touch
to encircle to surround
to hold to maintain
part component
to place (on) to mount
to resist to withstand
to shut to close

What are diesel engines cooled with ? Cooling water

Where does the cooling water circulate ? In the cooling
water jackets
What does the cylinder block enclose ? The cylinder
head
What is the function of the dividing walls in the
water spaces ? It makes sure that every part of the
cylinder gets the right amount and flow of cooling water
Why is a firm contact needed between a dry liner
and the cylinder casting ? Because there would be a
considerable resistance to heat flow as a result
How is a gas - tight seal between a head and a
cylinder ensured ? A cylinder head is connected with studs
and nuts to the cylinder block
What other types of seal do you know ? Heat,
Hermetic, Dry gas
Describe the type of crankcase shown in Fig. 1.3. Tekst
iznad
What are tie bolts intended for ? What loads do they
have to carry ? They pass through all the separate
components of the structure,maintaining them in
compression and they have to carry all major tensile loads

Frame - The engine load carrying part that includes:

cylinder block,crankcase,bedplate,sump,end plate
Cylinder block - A cast iron casing which encloses / houses
cylinder liners & supports heads.The heads are tightly
secured by studs and nuts to the cylinder block.
Crankcase - a housing for the crankshaft and provides
space for its rotation...connection - by steel tie rods / long
tie bolts
Crankcase explosionCauses-Oil droplets are formed by
oil splashing from the bearings mix with air.This mixture
does not readily burn or explode unless there are
overheated parts within the crankcase & presence of fuel
oil.....Prevention-Proper maintenance, correct lubrication,
cleanliness....Safety arrangements-Crankcase explosion
relief valves;Inert gas flooding system;Crankcase mist
detector ...Consequences-Minor explosion, flames,
pressure shock wave(ruptures crankcase doors)
Major explosion widespread damage.
Bedplate -Main strenght part providing rigid support for
the main bearings and crankshaft...structure- longitudinal
box structures with stiffening members and webs
transverse members or girders...function - To support the
frame and all working part,To collect crankcase lubricating
oil and return it to the sump / draining tank

Replaceable sleeve inserted in the cylinder block

directly surrounded by cooling water. wet liner
Steel rod running from the bedplate to the cylinder
block to the tie the structure together in vertical
direction. column
Component closing the top end of the cylinder so as to
make a confined space in which to compress air.
cylinder head
Base supporting the crankshaft bearing and enclosing
the lower part of the crankcase. bedplate
Enclosed space surrounding the cylinder liner for the
cooling water to circulate water jacket
Stretching force produced by firing pressures tending to
push the cylinder head and the crankshaft bearings apart
tensile loads
Casting containing the cylinders. cylinder block

Crankshaft-converts the reciprocating motion of the piston

to rotating motion, must resist the bending stresses
caused by the connecting rod thrust when the piston is at
top centre. Maximum gas pressure acts straight down on
the crankpin and tends to bend the shaft between the
adjacent bearings. The crankshaft must also withstand the
torsional forces produced by the change of speed.
Medium speed engines have crankshaft usually solid
forged, i.e. made from a single piece, while slow speed
engine crankshafts are mostly of semi-built design with
crankpins and webs forged or cast in one piece and shrunk
on to the journals. The type of steel used, which is carbon
or alloy steel containing nickel, chromium and
molybdenum, is chosen for its strength, resistance to
fatigue and hardness of bearing surface. The cranks of a
multi-throw shaft are set at appropriate angles giving a

firing order for the engine. The firing order is chosen

primarily to obtain a smooth torque and the best
mechanical balance. However, main bearings loads,
exhaust arrangements suitable for turbocharging and
torsional vibration may also be taken into account.
Although the crankshaft appears to be robust, they rely on
the main bearings to develop their full strength. When a
crankshaft has to be handled outside the engine, it should
be carefully supported to avoid high bending moments on
it by its own weight. In the engine it is essential to ensure
that the bearings carrying it are in good alignment, as
bearing misalignment will cause the crankshaft to bend
and eventually break it. The main bearing shells are made
of steel with a lining of bearing metal which can be white
metal, copper-lead or aluminium-tin alloy. A thin flash of
lead or indium is often added to provide a layer giving
protection against corrosion. The shells are held in position
and shape by seatings of the bedplate or frame.To ensure
efficient and reliable operation the crankshaft should be
checked periodically for alignment by measuring the
deflection of the webs.
Main bearings-location- In the transverse saddles of the
bedplate...Purpose-To provide support for the
crankshaft..parts - Upper & lower shells (fitted in bedplate
seating / saddle ),Thrust bolts,Covers,Shims ( for adjusting
vertical bearing play )...Adjustment- This can be taken up
by reducing the thickness of shims between the bearing
butts and the housing...
Crankshaft alignment - Crankshafts are aligned to
determine load reactions on each bearing. This is done by
laser tehnicques and computer calculations....Checks-Once
a year,After replacing the main bearing,If the ship has
grounded...Techniques- The deflections are measured
through one revolution of the crankshaft by inserting a dial
gauge / dial indicator gauge betwee the
webs.Measurements are taken at TDC, BDC and two
horizontal web positions...Misalignment-Wear of main
bearings;Distortion of engine bedplate transverse
members;Damage to supporting ships structure...
Consequences-Hogging is closing of the crank throw at
TDC...Sagging is opening of the crank throw at TDC.
Connetcing Rod - The connecting rod does this important
task of converting reciprocating motion of the piston into
rotary motion of the crankshaft. It consists of an upper
forked section which fits on the crosshead bearings while
the lower part fits on the crankpin bearing.
With this sort of arrangement there is heavy axial loading
on the connecting rod which reaches its peak at the top
dead center because the gas pressure and the inertial
forces add to increase the overall force. Other abnormal
working conditions such as piston seizure and momentary

increase in peak pressure can also result in severe increase

in stress on the con-rod and it could fail due to buckling
due to these forces....Buckle: to bend or cause to bend out
of shape, esp. as a result of pressure or heat
Construction-Normally connecting rods are forgemanufactured and the material used is typically mild and
medium carbon steel. The ends where the rod is
connected to the X-head or crankpin have bearings which
are made of white metal working surface and shims (thing
packings) are used to make the necessary adjustments.
There are four bolts at each connection point which help
for assembly and removal of the connecting rod, and are
tightened to their required torque using hydraulic jack. In
case of auxiliary marine diesel engines which are 4-stroke
engines, the con-rod is constructed by drop forging and
the material used is normally alloy steel and the alloy
metals being nickel, chromium and molybdenum. The
bottom end connecting bolts of 4 stroke engines often fail
due to severe forces acting on them and this failure in turn
can cause various structural damages in the engine in turn.
Hence it is very necessary to tighten these bolts properly
and keep checking for their tightness, lest one has to pay a
heavy price for this minor negligence later on.FunctionThe connecting rod connects the crankshaft directly to the
piston or, as in some other designs, to the crosshead. It is a
running component connecting the crankshaft to the
piston (in trunk piston engines) or to the crosshead (in
crosshead engines). It has both linear (reciprocating, upand-down) & rotational (rotary) motion...Types-Marine
type: The large end bearing is seperate from rod the rod
which has a palm end (T-shaped end)Fixed centre design:
The upper half of the crankpin box makes part of of the
connecting rod.... Alternative design: Connecting rod with
obliquely split large end....Fork and blade type: Vee engine
connecting rodsArticular type: Vee engine connecting
rods
Stresses-Axial forces resulting from gas pressure and
inertia of piston
assembly modified by the side thrust
arrising in consequence of the connecting rod crank angle.
Transverse forces known as whip, are caused by inertia
effects of the rod mass.
Lubrication-is carried out through the shank bore (drilling)
in running throughout the shank length. It conducts oil
from the big end to the small end for lubrication and to
the inside of piston for its cooling.
Marine Type Rod - In the marine type design (Fig.1) the
rod large end, called crankpin end, consists of a
separate bearing housing (or box) divided in two parts,
bolted to a foot on the rod shank. A distance piece, known
as compression plate or shim, is interposed between the
foot and the box to permit the piston to be moved nearer

to or farther from the cylinder head at top dead centre. Its

thickness is chosen so as to ensure correct compression
ratio.
Large end bearing-The design of the large end bearing is
similar to that of the main bearing. The steel shells, of
relatively thin wall section, have a lining of bearing metal,
white metal, copper-lead or tin-aluminium, and a thin
flashing of lead or indium to provide an anti-corrosion
layer. In the bearing housing there are grooves through
which oil passes to cool the piston.
Small end bearing -The small (top) end bearing is a bush
having an interference fit in the eye bored in the rod. The
bushing may be of bronze or other hard bearing metal or
it can be a composite structure of steel with a bearing
metal lining. The shank of the rod usually has a bore
throughout its length which conducts oil from the large
end to the small end for lubrication and to the inside of
the piston for cooling.
Definition-A running component connecting the crankshaft
to the piston ( in trunk piston engines ) or to the crosshead
( in crosshead engines )It has both linear ( reciprocating,
up-and-down ) & rotational ( rotary ) motion.
Primary function: to transmit the push ( pressure, thrust )
of the piston to the crankshaft, either directly or
indirectlySecondary function: ( in most designs ) to
convey cooling oil to the pistons which demands for a
quite a large diameter passage