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CaptBones · 08-10-20, 11:54 AM

Just for reference to the "real world"...this is something that has always bothered me about the warships in these SIMs...too many smoke and too much smoke!

Warships tried strenuously (still do, I'd surmise) to avoid smoking from propulsion plants. A useful measure of propulsion plant efficiency was "economy haze" from the funnel(s). Smoke heavier than that indicates poor combustion; black is due to insufficient combustion air, white is due to excess fuel (they're not different expressions of the same problem). The presence of smoke from the funnel(s) would be quickly reported by the Bridge watch to the Main Engineering control station and rapid action would be taken to stop the smoke, or the Chief Engineer would get a call to visit the Captain in his cabin (I've been in each pair of those shoes). Steam plants would perform a boiler cleaning action in the darkness of the early morning hours..."blowing tubes"...to clean off any accumulated soot from the generating tube surfaces and economizer tubes.

As with many other things...that could all be thrown out when the situation called for it. Going into action...especially if unexpected...might require quickly lighting-off additional boilers (or diesel engines) or increasing the firing rate of all boilers on-line (or rpm of all diesels on-line), which could result in plenty of smoke. Smoke screens might also be required in action.

08-10-20, 11:54 AM	#17
CaptBones The Old Man Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Rockton, IL Posts: 274 Downloads: 208 Uploads: 0	A technical note... Just for reference to the "real world"...this is something that has always bothered me about the warships in these SIMs...too many smoke and too much smoke! Warships tried strenuously (still do, I'd surmise) to avoid smoking from propulsion plants. A useful measure of propulsion plant efficiency was "economy haze" from the funnel(s). Smoke heavier than that indicates poor combustion; black is due to insufficient combustion air, white is due to excess fuel (they're not different expressions of the same problem). The presence of smoke from the funnel(s) would be quickly reported by the Bridge watch to the Main Engineering control station and rapid action would be taken to stop the smoke, or the Chief Engineer would get a call to visit the Captain in his cabin (I've been in each pair of those shoes). Steam plants would perform a boiler cleaning action in the darkness of the early morning hours..."blowing tubes"...to clean off any accumulated soot from the generating tube surfaces and economizer tubes. As with many other things...that could all be thrown out when the situation called for it. Going into action...especially if unexpected...might require quickly lighting-off additional boilers (or diesel engines) or increasing the firing rate of all boilers on-line (or rpm of all diesels on-line), which could result in plenty of smoke. Smoke screens might also be required in action.