# Boilers of SS Algol class ships



## TurbinesFTW (Nov 11, 2019)

As far as I understand, these eight former Sea-Land container ships were powered by two Foster Wheeler boilers that produced 875psi each. Was there a specific model name of those boilers? I have tried to search for a model name all over the internet, however an answer is yet to turn up. Anyone out there happen to know what model these monstrous boilers are? Any other details about those particular boilers is also appreciated, thanks.


----------



## Engine Serang (Oct 15, 2012)

Must have been ESD 3's

In the early 1970's the choice of marine boilers for propulsion was Foster Wheeler ESD III, Babcock Marine Radiant or Combustion Engineering V2M9.


----------



## TurbinesFTW (Nov 11, 2019)

Engine Serang said:


> Must have been ESD 3's
> 
> In the early 1970's the choice of marine boilers for propulsion was Foster Wheeler ESD III, Babcock Marine Radiant or Combustion Engineering V2M9.


Would never have guessed that any of these three boilers could produce this much power, thanks for the input.


----------



## Engine Serang (Oct 15, 2012)

The single V2M9, tangentially fired boiler on the Texaco Denmark (255,000 dwt) powered a 32000 shp turbine and drove the ship at 15 kts.
The 2 Foster Wheeler boliers on the ss Algol powered a 120,000 shp turbine so on a very simplistic scale she would require 3.7 boilers. The steam capacity must have been much more, in other words she had 2 big boilers.
Full speed and steaming heavy would keep this Serang working as far away from the Boiler Room as possible.


----------



## Engine Serang (Oct 15, 2012)

Have a look at thread,

Most Powerful Cargo Ships

about April 2009. 

All will be revealed.


----------



## OilJiver (Jun 30, 2014)

Engine Serang said:


> ...(255,000 dwt) powered a 32000 shp turbine and drove the ship at 15 kts....


Bunker barge in tow?


----------



## makko (Jul 20, 2006)

Agree with ES, Foster Wheeler ESD III's.
Rgds.
Dave


----------



## Engine Serang (Oct 15, 2012)

OilJiver said:


> Bunker barge in tow?


I don't think she was anymore frugal than ships of her generation but I was just a cadet and could only count up to five .
I have a vague recollection she had bunker tanks 5000 m3 Port and Stbd and a 1000m3 Settling Tank.


----------



## TurbinesFTW (Nov 11, 2019)

Engine Serang said:


> Have a look at thread,
> 
> Most Powerful Cargo Ships
> 
> ...


I have taken a look at it, however there still isn't a specific model designation for the boiler.


----------



## Burntisland Ship Yard (Aug 2, 2008)

The V2M9 boiler as Engine Serang stated was the main boiler for the Danish Class. However lets not forget the V2M8 which was the so called "baby boiler" on the Danish class. If memory serves me correctly, we could still steam at 4 to 6 knots, powerful baby!


----------



## Engine Serang (Oct 15, 2012)

I well remember the Half boiler. The V2M8 was the first time anyone had come across a roof fired boiler and the word on the street was that the burners would leak, fill the furnace with oil and upon ignition, blow up and kill everyone in the boiler room.
Well we're all here but we didn't dilly-dally around the burners when flashing up. And as I said before I was the cadet and was expendable, no paperwork for burning the cadet. Life in a boiler suit. Chief was Yogi Harpur, Second Mike Rushbrook, learned a lot on that ship.


----------



## DaveM399 (Jun 7, 2009)

My first trip as a cadet was on a VLCC with two V2M8s. She was 215,000 tdw and 30,000shp.. At her service speed of 15 knots she burnt 150 tonnes per day. We slow steamed quite a bit and could manage 11 knots on one boiler.


----------



## Ian860B (Dec 17, 2015)

I sailed with all of these boilers, the auxiliary equipment they came with made all the difference, I liked the Babcock the best as it had 2 x 100% electric FD fans and a good igniter system, the C.E. s were older but ran well, the header doors were a bit leaky on cold startup, the "bullseye" gauge glasses were bad news when I joined both boilers had their gauge glasses shut off the engineers were totally dependent on the non compensated DP level readouts. The ESD111 was a nightmare, not a bad boiler but with a single steam FD fan and a very poor igniter and boiler management system still makes me shudder thinking about it 30 years on.
Jock


----------



## Andrew147 (Mar 23, 2009)

OilJiver said:


> Bunker barge in tow?


BPs R boats had 11000 tonne bunkers, basically gulf/europe return with some spare. Cheap bunkers in the gulf but watch out for water in them!
They also had 2 x V2M8 boilers for 30000 shp. They were the best boilers I sailed with by some measure.


----------



## Tim Gibbs (Apr 4, 2012)

*Not so good memories*

I was on a cargo vessel, "City of Oxford", in 1970 when an Esso tanker ( Esso Ulidia on maiden voyage from H&W?) has a boiler explosion off the West African coast. We went to her aid with medical supplies for those injured. Has anyone any further knowledge of this incident.


----------



## OilJiver (Jun 30, 2014)

Andrew147 said:


> BPs R boats had 11000 tonne bunkers....


Wow. Thanks Andrew, just seen that. (About 2 x loaded disp many ships I’ve been in).


----------

