Technology and Operations
This forum is for discussing technological & operational matters pertaining to U-boats.
Re: U Boat Electro Engine
Posted by:
J.T. McDaniel
()
Date: December 03, 2001 11:55PM
The engine itself seems to be about the right size for a Typ XXI (6 cylinder), but the few pictures I've found show a much deeper pallet for the u-boat engine than on this one. AC wouldn't necessarily rule out submarine use, since alternators are more efficient than DC generators, and you can always convert AC to DC. (That's why cars haven't used DC generator since the 1950s.) I believe the XXIs were set up like American boats, with full-time electric drive and the diesels driving separate generators. (Fleet boats had four motor/generator sets, from one of three manufacturers -- including H.O.R., which was a license built M.A.N. design that was slightly less reliable than a 10-year-old lawnmower -- and four separate motors, two per shaft, along with an auxiliary engine and generator.)
The design drawings I've seen would seem to indicate that the generators were offset from the engines on the XXIs, though. And other boats had more than six cylinders. So railway or auxiliary power does seem the most likely origin. Most likely railway, since you'd expect an emergency generator to have some sort of cover.
J.T. McDaniel
The design drawings I've seen would seem to indicate that the generators were offset from the engines on the XXIs, though. And other boats had more than six cylinders. So railway or auxiliary power does seem the most likely origin. Most likely railway, since you'd expect an emergency generator to have some sort of cover.
J.T. McDaniel
