Page 6 - Introduction to Marine Engineering

Preface to second edition

Progress has been made in many areas of marine engineering since the
first edition of this book was published. A greater emphasis is now being
placed on the cost-effective operation of ships. This has meant more
fuel-efficient engines, less time in port and the need for greater
equipment reliability, fewer engineers and more use of automatically
operated machinery.
The marine engineer is still, however, required to understand the
working principles, construction and operation of all the machinery
items in a ship. The need for correct and safe operating procedures is as
great as ever. There is considerably more legislation which must be
understood and complied with, for example in relation to the
discharging of oil, sewage and even black smoke from the funnel.
Engineers must now be more environmentally aware of the results of their
activities and new material is included in this revised edition dealing with
exhaust emissions, environmentally friendly refrigerants and fire
extinguishants.
The aim of this book is to simply explain the operation of all the ship's
machinery to an Engineer Cadet or Junior Engineer who is embarking
on a career at sea. The emphasis is always upon correct, safe operating
procedures and practices at all times.
The content has been maintained at a level to cover the syllabuses of
the Class 4 and Class 3 Engineer's Certificates of Competency and the
first two years of the Engineer Cadet Training Scheme. Additional
material is included to cover the Engineering knowledge syllabus of the
Master's Certificate.
Anyone with an interest in ships' machinery or a professional
involvement in the shipping business should find this book informative
and useful.
D.A. Taylor