SHIP’S SYSTEMS

Introduction: A set or group of components interconnected to

ensure efficient working of equipment is called a system.

Purpose:

(a) To increase the operational efficiency of machinery and ship.

(b) To save manpower and time.
(c) To save wastage of material.
(d) To save Duplication of Equipment.

Various systems fitted onboard ships are:

(a) Salt water system

(b) Fresh water system
(c) Compressed air system
(d) Fuel filling and transfer system
(e) Lub oil filling and transfer system.

Salt Water System: This system is meant for supplying sea water
throughout the ship for various requirements. The salt water
systems onboard include:

(a) Fire Main System: It is meant for supplying sea water to the
fire hydrants for fighting the fire onboard ship. It also supplies sea
water to the prewetting system, sanitary system, bilges pumping
out system, magazine spraying system, ballasting and deballasting
system and for anchor washing. Fireman system is fitted with two
or more pumps to maintain the sea water pressure throughout the
ship.

(b) Cooling Water System: It is meant for supplying sea water to

cool down the main engine lubricating oil and machinery. It is fitted
with two or more cooling water pumps to maintain the sea water
pressure in the cooling main.

(c) Sanitary System: It is meant for supplying sea water to the

crew’s sanitary spaces and bathrooms for sanitation.

(d) Prewetting System: This system sprinkles the sea water with
the use of sprinklers on the weather deck to provide a cover for the
ship when the ship is passing through a nuclear fall out area.
(e) Bilges Pumping Out System: It is meant for pumping out the
bilges with the use of eductors which were operated by the sea
water under pressure.

(f) Magazine Spraying and Flooding System: This system is

used to keep the temperature of magazines within limits to avoid
any explosion which can cause heavy damage to ship. This
system is normally operated remotely by a pneumatic control
system. Some magazines can also be flooded directly from the
sea through sea chest valves.

(g) Ballasting System: This system is meant for filling sea water
by flooding directly through sea cock or through main suction line
into empty fuel tanks or ballasting tank to maintain ship’s stability.

(h) Deballasting System: This system is meant for emptying the

sea water from filled fuel tanks or deballasting tanks by pumping
out through main suction line or by portable or submersible pumps
to sea.

Fresh Water System: This system is meant for receiving fresh

water from another ship or ashore and storing it in storage tanks
and also for distributing water from storage tanks to various
consumers. It can also pump water to other ships or overboard
from storage tanks. This system is provided with calorifiers for
mixing chlorine with the fresh water.

This system may be of any of the following types:

(a)Gravity fresh water system
(b)Pressurised fresh water system
(c)Direct pumping system

Compressed Air System: It supplies H.P and L.P air through

the ship for the following purposes:

(a)Main engine and diesel generator starting system

(b)Gas turbine starting system
(c)Liquid fire fighting system
(d)Engine room major fire fighting system
(e)Torpedo /Gun control system
(f)Testing of water tight compartments
(g)Pneumatic controls and tools
This system is provided with isolating valves and relief valves for
the safety of bottles/equipments/personnel.

Fuel Filling and Transferring System: This system is meant for

receiving fuel to fill storage tanks and to transfer fuel from tanks to
the places required within the ship.

Lubricating Oil Filling and Transfer System: This system is

meant for receiving lubricating oil in storage tanks and supplying
oil from storage tanks to the places of actual use within the ship.