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An engine department or engineering department is an organizational unit aboard a 
Typically, a ship's engine department is run by the engine officers but staffed with other occupational specialties of the seafarer's trade like:
*Machinist/Fitter: A rating (or petty officer) who is specialized in fabrication, welding, etc.
*Motorman: A, not always, qualified engine rating who stands a watch with the engine officer, as well as performing routine tasks and assisting engine officers during maintenance.
* Oiler: A rating who is responsible for ensuring that machinery is adequately lubricated. Performs menial tasks such as cleaning, sounding tanks etc.
* Wiper: The lowest rating in the engine room and is tasked with keeping the machinery spaces clean and tidy. Wipers usually go on to become oilers once they are familiar with engine room machinery and specific routines.
In order to be a watch officer and have the license for it, there are 3 basic requirements and they are age, seagoing service, and education/training on stcw's. Some basic USCG stcw requirements go further into seagoing service, approved trainings such as; engine resource management, gas/steam turbine plants, control systems, etc., and finally the competencies which include "Evidence of Standard of competence".
Defunct positions within the engine department include the fireman, who was a rating responsible for shoveling coal into the boiler furnaces of
An engine department or engineering department is an organizational unit aboard a ship
A ship is a large watercraft that travels the world's oceans and other sufficiently deep waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research, and fishing. Ships are generally distinguishe ...
that is responsible for the operation, maintenance, and repair of the propulsion
Propulsion is the generation of force by any combination of pushing or pulling to modify the translational motion of an object, which is typically a rigid body (or an articulated rigid body) but may also concern a fluid. The term is derived from ...
systems and the support systems for crew, passengers, and cargo.
These include the ship engine, fuel oil
Fuel oil is any of various fractions obtained from the distillation of petroleum (crude oil). Such oils include distillates (the lighter fractions) and residues (the heavier fractions). Fuel oils include heavy fuel oil, marine fuel oil (MFO), bu ...
, lubrication, water
Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as ...
distillation
Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the he ...
, separation process, lighting
Lighting or illumination is the deliberate use of light to achieve practical or aesthetic effects. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources like lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing dayli ...
, air conditioning
Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C or AC, is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment (sometimes referred to as 'comfort cooling') and in some cases also strictly controlling ...
, and refrigeration
The term refrigeration refers to the process of removing heat from an enclosed space or substance for the purpose of lowering the temperature.International Dictionary of Refrigeration, http://dictionary.iifiir.org/search.phpASHRAE Terminology, ht ...
.
The engine department emerged with the arrival of marine engines for propulsion, largely during the later half of the 19th century. Due to advances in marine technology during the 20th century, the engine department aboard merchant ship
A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which ar ...
s is considered equally important as the deck department, since trained engine officers are required to handle the machinery on a ship.
The engine department takes care of the engine room aboard a ship. Rotations various depending on the vessel or company. Whoever is on a rotation has to stand watch to look over the engine room and its components. There are different crew members for watch rotation.
Typically, a ship's engine department is run by the engine officers but staffed with other occupational specialties of the seafarer's trade like:
*Machinist/Fitter: A rating (or petty officer) who is specialized in fabrication, welding, etc.
*Motorman: A, not always, qualified engine rating who stands a watch with the engine officer, as well as performing routine tasks and assisting engine officers during maintenance.
* Oiler: A rating who is responsible for ensuring that machinery is adequately lubricated. Performs menial tasks such as cleaning, sounding tanks etc.
* Wiper: The lowest rating in the engine room and is tasked with keeping the machinery spaces clean and tidy. Wipers usually go on to become oilers once they are familiar with engine room machinery and specific routines.
In order to be a watch officer and have the license for it, there are 3 basic requirements and they are age, seagoing service, and education/training on stcw's. Some basic USCG stcw requirements go further into seagoing service, approved trainings such as; engine resource management, gas/steam turbine plants, control systems, etc., and finally the competencies which include "Evidence of Standard of competence".
Defunct positions within the engine department include the fireman, who was a rating responsible for shoveling coal into the boiler furnaces of steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a cylinder. This pushing force can be ...
s, and the coal trimmer, a rating that loaded coal in the bunkers and transported the coal from the bunkers to the firemen.
Nowadays due to the increase in automation
Automation describes a wide range of technologies that reduce human intervention in processes, namely by predetermining decision criteria, subprocess relationships, and related actions, as well as embodying those predeterminations in machines ...
on merchant vessels and the increase in the unattended machinery spaces (UMS) aboard them, the number of seafaring engine officers has decreased drastically on board merchant ships. Today, the engine department usually consists of the following number of engine officers and ratings:
* (1) Chief engineer
* (1) Second engineer
* (1) Third engineer
A third engineer or second assistant engineer is a rank of engine officer who is part of the engine department on a ship.
The third engineer is usually in charge of boilers, auxiliary engines, condensate and feed systems, record keeping of che ...
* (1-2) Fourth engineer
* (0-1) Engine Cadet
* (2-4) Motorman
* (0-2) Oiler
* (0-1) Wiper
Additionally, many vessels also carry a specific type of engine officer known as an electro-technical officer.
See also
* Engine officer *Engine room
On a ship, the engine room (ER) is the compartment where the machinery for marine propulsion is located. To increase a vessel's safety and chances of surviving damage, the machinery necessary for the ship's operation may be segregated into va ...
* List of maritime colleges
This is a list of maritime colleges, grouped by geographical region and country.
Africa
Americas
Asia
Europe
Oceania
See also
*Marine propulsion
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maritime Colleges
Lists of universities and colleges
*
Col ...
* Marine fuel management
* Seafarer's professions and ranks
* Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Engine department Marine occupations Merchant navy Maritime safety