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Old 11-24-2015, 08:58 AM   #75
Ski in NC
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City: Wilmington, NC
Vessel Name: Louisa
Vessel Model: Custom Built 38
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 6,194
Just a tidbit regarding "day" tanks: I worked on a power plant that had four Nordberg 4000kW gensets, each engine had a day tank. It was sized so it could run the engine 24hrs at full power. All fuel entering from the bulk tanks on site had to go through a good filter rig, and day tank was sumped on each shift. It was set up so only one shift had to transfer or otherwise manage fuel. Day tank was in the basement under the engines.

A smaller "saddle" tank of say 1000? gal was mounted right next to engine, it was supplied from day tank with a electric drive vane or gear pump that ran constantly. An overflow from the saddle tank drained back to the day via gravity, so it always kept the same about 3/4 full level. Level alarms sound if tank overfilled or ran down to half, in either of those cases something was wrong and operator had an hour or two to sort it out.

Engine driven gear pump sucked from saddle tank, through a duplex "last chance" filter, then to the fuel rails. The last chance filters were not much bigger physically than what we see on trawler Cats. But could flow over 300gph. Full load burn was about 220gph, about 22hp/gph, with about 60gph of return flow.

Neat old engines: V16, 13" bore, 16" stroke, 4900hp @ 514rpm. Had variable valve timing, too.

Too cold to work outside. So killing some time...
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