Mains supply on board

[ivorthediver]

Forgive my ignorance but the electrical power on board Navy ships post war came from what ?

Was it from a generator attached to the main engines or was it always a separate generator please

[NSR]

In steam day’s power was generated by Turbo-generators (TGs) at sea and diesel generators (DGs) when the boilers were shut down in harbour. The number of units in each ship depended on its size. For example, HMS Pincher (Algerine Class Minesweeper) had a self contained TG in the engine room and a DG in a small compartment on the port side just forward of amidships. There were also two DGs in an after compartment for the electric sweep but these were not part of the main power supply. In contrast, and I am working from memory here, HMS Howe had eight TGs located in small compartments scattered about the ship.

TGs came in two main types. The majority were self-contained, that is they received steam from the auxiliary steam range and discharged into an underslung condenser. They also had cooling water circulating pumps and extraction pumps driven off the main shaft to condense the exhaust and return it to the distilled feed water tanks. Some small ships had ‘pass out’ turbines where the exhaust was taken to the exhaust range and taken to the main condensers below the main engines.

DG numbers depended on the demand for power in harbour. HMS Contest had three Paxman in-line eight DGs, one in each boiler room and one in the gear room. With the increase in electrical demand for modern equipment, the two in-line eights in the boiler rooms were replaced by Vee-twelves (Paxman 12 RPH units) in about 1955.

I am not sure of the systems used in modern gas-turbine ships but perhaps one of our younger members can cover that.

Ken

[ivorthediver]

Thanks Ken , that helps me understand a bit better

Re" D.G's" was their emissions ducted way some where or just vented to the nearest porthole ?

Regards Ivor

[davep]

on sandown class we have 3 rolls royce diesel generators, when we are running normally we will have just one on ships load, when mine hunting we have one running to carry the ships load and one running to power the electric propulsion we use to reduce our noise signature and the third is on standby in case of emergency.
As for the exhaust each generator has its own exhaust and silencer system that are routed up the funnel the same as the main engine exhausts.
like sandowns i believe that type 23's also have there generators positioned above the waterline to help reduce their noise signature.

[NSR]

As davep said, they had their own exhaust trunking led near the funnel.

Ken

[ivorthediver]

As davep said, they had their own exhaust trunking led near the funnel.

Ken

Thank you Davep and NSR , I hoped they might do but having never seen one of the Navy types I was not sure .

I used to fire up a GPU [ Ground Power Unit] at Duxford sometimes when working on aircraft also a Rolls Royce jobby [had a cable as thick as a mans wrist on it] but not sure what it used to run on 25years ago now

Regards Ivor