So this has to be one of the last remaining quad-expansion engines in existence. I know there's a handfull of triples around this size left, and even fewer triple 4 cylinder designs. From my understanding, quadruple-stage engines never really caught on as there wasn't much efficiency gained from a 4th expansion. Either way, this is a beautiful piece of engineering history that should be preserved forever. Thanks for showing us what they look and sound like!
Duncan MacLean yes, 2 of them! The Delphine being one of, if not the last sailing vessel equipped with such magnificent machines. If she ever finds herself into a museum, I'll have to see them in person in my lifetime. You're lucky to have had the opportunity to work on her. I'll bet there was hardly any vibration while under steam.
Such a beautiful engine. Great to hear you speaking over it. Can you talk with others easily when it is operating at high power. How much full per hour at 2x 1500hp?
Quad expansion (always was very rare) or the once common triple expansion with 2 low pressure cylinders, which fit in a narrower space than one single low pressure cylinder? A heavy thud from a worn bearing is heard in this video. Some glands are leaking too.
Fully quad. 4 different admission pressures across the 4 cylinders. The knock you hear is one of the condenser cooling pumps. She was still warming up after a long time cold hence the leaks being left unaddressed as of this video. Hopefully I'll get a chance to go aboard her again in future.
Interesting fact, these engines were designed by the Dodge Brothers and the whole Yacht comissioned by the Dodge Brothers. The same people behind you a company you might have heard of. The Dodge Car Company which is still in business as a brand of FCA Today,.
@@TheMrLebaron LOL, Scotty Kilmer says FCA today is all junk. My late father worked at a local Chrysler Engine Plant, still running at full production capacity!
@@DuncanMacLean Interesting Recips then,the 4 cylinder engines I have seen had two L.P. Cylinders which I understand allowed the use of higher pressure steam without having an overly large single L. P. Cylinder. The last ship I did some maintenance on with four Cylinders triple expansion engines in 1975 was the Royal Australian Navies H.M.A.S. Diamantina a WW 2 River Class Frigate and payed off in 1980. She is preserved in the Queensland Maritime Museum.
@@steamdaysstoker From the drive end: IP1 21"; IP2 31"; LP 45"; HP 15". I don't have a note of the steam pressures at each stage but it was roughly HP 18 bar; IP1 9 bar; IP2 4.5bar; LP 2 bar exhausting to condenser at vacuum. The harder she ran the lower you could pull the vacuum. Steam from the HP cylinder goes to IP1 via a receiver pipe external to the cylinder castings. Steam then goes to IP2 and LP through spaces in the cylinder castings. One of these years I want to build a scale model of these engines; whether that's this decade or next remains to be seen!
@@DuncanMacLean HMAS Diamantina's cylinder diameters in inches are HP-16.5, IP - 31, 2 x LP- 38.5, stroke 30 inches, RPM 185, 2750 Indicated Horsepower per engine. During WW 2 Cockatoo Island dockyard built the prototype Bathurst Class Corvettes or Australian Mine Sweepers. 60 of the design were built in many shipyards around Australia. Interestingly the cylinders were designed so that they could be cast in Railway Workshop Foundaries. I guess I was lucky enough to do my practical core Engineering training on HMAS Castlemaine one of these Corvettes.
Anything is possible, but it's not likely unless there's a keen billionaire around. Any new steam engine would have to be custom built, even if it was based on an existing one. Lots of regulatory stuff would come into it too, not only for building it but for crewing and operating too.
@@DuncanMacLean I used to work for Lykes Brothers Deep Sea and Oglebay Norton on the Great Lakes. These type of plants all burned heavy fuel oil.Oil so heavy it had to be preheated to burn
@@qmed Ah ok, some of your responses sounded like you had more recent experience of her. Fortunately her modern refitted boilers burn regular marine diesel, not heavy fuel. I've sailed with heavy fuel before and don't miss it in the slightest. Horrible stuff.
This is why Delphine is the coolest (power) yacht I've ever seen!
As an ex-stoker on a couple of DDE's that are long since scrap, this brought a joyous tear or two to my eye. Thank you.
So this has to be one of the last remaining quad-expansion engines in existence. I know there's a handfull of triples around this size left, and even fewer triple 4 cylinder designs. From my understanding, quadruple-stage engines never really caught on as there wasn't much efficiency gained from a 4th expansion. Either way, this is a beautiful piece of engineering history that should be preserved forever. Thanks for showing us what they look and sound like!
*Two of. :)
I'm no longer working on her but I hear she is still sailing. Wonderful old girl!
Duncan MacLean yes, 2 of them! The Delphine being one of, if not the last sailing vessel equipped with such magnificent machines. If she ever finds herself into a museum, I'll have to see them in person in my lifetime. You're lucky to have had the opportunity to work on her. I'll bet there was hardly any vibration while under steam.
There are a couple of quad expansion ships left on the great lakes. The great lakes also has the SS Badger which is even more rare, Skinner Unaflows
First time i see a vid of Delphine's engines running..... way cool !
Thank you for posting this engine room shot! I've been looking for years for video of her engines! Are you one of the crew on the Delphine?
I was for a while, no longer though.
Beautiful engine!
Such a beautiful engine. Great to hear you speaking over it. Can you talk with others easily when it is operating at high power.
How much full per hour at 2x 1500hp?
Quad expansion (always was very rare) or the once common triple expansion with 2 low pressure cylinders, which fit in a narrower space than one single low pressure cylinder?
A heavy thud from a worn bearing is heard in this video. Some glands are leaking too.
Fully quad. 4 different admission pressures across the 4 cylinders.
The knock you hear is one of the condenser cooling pumps.
She was still warming up after a long time cold hence the leaks being left unaddressed as of this video. Hopefully I'll get a chance to go aboard her again in future.
AUGH AUGH AUGH! That is kick-ass torque! Girl gearhead likes! 😍
Interesting fact, these engines were designed by the Dodge Brothers and the whole Yacht comissioned by the Dodge Brothers. The same people behind you a company you might have heard of. The Dodge Car Company which is still in business as a brand of FCA Today,.
@@TheMrLebaron LOL, Scotty Kilmer says FCA today is all junk. My late father worked at a local Chrysler Engine Plant, still running at full production capacity!
Excellent
Awesome !
A question, are there two cylinders of the four which are of equal size?
No. She is truly quad expansion with four different size cylinders.
I don't have the cylinder sizes to hand but can look them up later if I remember.
@@DuncanMacLean Interesting Recips then,the 4 cylinder engines I have seen had two L.P. Cylinders which I understand allowed the use of higher pressure steam without having an overly large single L. P. Cylinder. The last ship I did some maintenance on with four Cylinders triple expansion engines in 1975 was the Royal Australian Navies H.M.A.S. Diamantina a WW 2 River Class Frigate and payed off in 1980. She is preserved in the Queensland Maritime Museum.
@@steamdaysstoker From the drive end: IP1 21"; IP2 31"; LP 45"; HP 15".
I don't have a note of the steam pressures at each stage but it was roughly HP 18 bar; IP1 9 bar; IP2 4.5bar; LP 2 bar exhausting to condenser at vacuum. The harder she ran the lower you could pull the vacuum.
Steam from the HP cylinder goes to IP1 via a receiver pipe external to the cylinder castings. Steam then goes to IP2 and LP through spaces in the cylinder castings.
One of these years I want to build a scale model of these engines; whether that's this decade or next remains to be seen!
@@DuncanMacLean HMAS Diamantina's cylinder diameters in inches are HP-16.5, IP - 31, 2 x LP- 38.5, stroke 30 inches, RPM 185, 2750 Indicated Horsepower per engine.
During WW 2 Cockatoo Island dockyard built the prototype Bathurst Class Corvettes or Australian Mine Sweepers. 60 of the design were built in many shipyards around Australia. Interestingly the cylinders were designed so that they could be cast in Railway Workshop Foundaries. I guess I was lucky enough to do my practical core Engineering training on HMAS Castlemaine one of these Corvettes.
Would you be able to build a brand-new steam powered yacht like this today or is that no longer allowed? This is just so beautiful
Anything is possible, but it's not likely unless there's a keen billionaire around.
Any new steam engine would have to be custom built, even if it was based on an existing one. Lots of regulatory stuff would come into it too, not only for building it but for crewing and operating too.
Amazing engines! Were these the original steam engines that were built on her or were they changed or added different steam engines later on?
These are the original engines, manufactured in 1920 or 1921!
these are the original engines. the boilers have been replaced though
@@qmed The engines were designed by the Dodge Brothers, who also built this thing. And yep, I do mean the guys who founded the Dodge Car company,
What do they burn for fuel in the boilers? Fuel oil?
Just normal diesel.
Yes
@@qmed Are you sailing on Delphine now?
@@DuncanMacLean I used to work for Lykes Brothers Deep Sea and Oglebay Norton on the Great Lakes. These type of plants all burned heavy fuel oil.Oil so heavy it had to be preheated to burn
@@qmed Ah ok, some of your responses sounded like you had more recent experience of her.
Fortunately her modern refitted boilers burn regular marine diesel, not heavy fuel.
I've sailed with heavy fuel before and don't miss it in the slightest. Horrible stuff.