A marine steam engine is a steam engine that is used to power a ship or boat. The first commercially successful steam engine was developed by Thomas Newcomen in 1712. The steam engine improvements brought forth by James Watt in the later half of the 18th century greatly improved steam engine efficiency. The first steamship to make regular transatlantic crossings was the sidewheel steamer Great Western in 1838. As the 19th century progressed marine steam engine and steamship technology developed alongside it. Paddle propulsion gradually gave way to the screw propeller and the introduction of iron and later steel hulls to replace the traditional wooden hull allowed ships to grow ever larger necessitating steam power plants that were increasingly complex and powerful.
This book deals mainly with marine steam engines of the reciprocating type which were in use from the inception of the steamboat in the early 19th century to their last years of large-scale manufacture during World War II. Reciprocating steam engines were progressively replaced in marine applications during the 20th century by steam turbines and diesel engines. After studying this book you should be able to know steam generator steam turbine and describe cooling towers and condensers.
