water exhaust on the side of the ships ?

Boats · 01-07-08, 04:58 PM

Actually most of the water shown being pumped overboard is cooling water from machinery spaces. Seawater is pumped in through seachests (a through hull fitting running to a strainer to keep the sea critters out of the engines) and used in a heat exchanger to cool the anti-freeze type fluid that runs in a closed circuit through the ship's engines and generators. Once the seawater ran through the heat exchangers it was pumped overboard. As long as an egine was running the pumps were at work. We called it overboard discharge and was vital in keeping all the machinery running properly.

Bilge water is pumped only a couple of times a day, the pumps are shut down afterwards. A ship doesn't take on that much bilge water to warrant the pumps running constantly. Unless she's damaged of course.
If a ship is damaged her bilge pumps might be as well. I think that battleship in the above photo is being pumped out with a portable pump. Her machinery spaces were probably inoperable due to the attack. Without the generators or main engines the ship's other machinery ceases to function.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Switch to Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Threaded Mode

01-07-08, 04:58 PM	#20
Boats Loader Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: ME Posts: 84 Downloads: 74 Uploads: 0	Actually most of the water shown being pumped overboard is cooling water from machinery spaces. Seawater is pumped in through seachests (a through hull fitting running to a strainer to keep the sea critters out of the engines) and used in a heat exchanger to cool the anti-freeze type fluid that runs in a closed circuit through the ship's engines and generators. Once the seawater ran through the heat exchangers it was pumped overboard. As long as an egine was running the pumps were at work. We called it overboard discharge and was vital in keeping all the machinery running properly. Bilge water is pumped only a couple of times a day, the pumps are shut down afterwards. A ship doesn't take on that much bilge water to warrant the pumps running constantly. Unless she's damaged of course. If a ship is damaged her bilge pumps might be as well. I think that battleship in the above photo is being pumped out with a portable pump. Her machinery spaces were probably inoperable due to the attack. Without the generators or main engines the ship's other machinery ceases to function.