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A sea chest is a rectangular recess near
the bottom of a vessel
from which piping systems draw raw water for cooling or other uses. A
sea chest
acts in much the same way as distilling basis or distilling well,
offsetting the affects of vessel speed and providing an intake
reservoir. Sea chests are
protected by grates and can contain baffle plates to further dampen the
effects of vessel
speed. The size of sea chests can vary from 1.5 sq ft for a
small inland tug
up to several square feet for a larger vessel
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The intake shown at left was clogged by
the zebra mussel and affected individual water intakes within the
sea chest.
If such an infestation occurs without detection, the flow of water will
be
stopped with resulting damage to engines or other components that need
cooling.
Infestations of the valves would be dangerous if they could not be
closed to
prevent flooding.
There are several sea chests found on tankers. Plans available show one at frame 110 for discharge of waste and one at frame 112 intake. |
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More than likely the sea chest
in the picture of was cooling water for the forward diesel generator or
supply water for the forward diesel fire pump. Aft in the engine room
there were two large sea chests that provided cooling water for the
main condensors. The main condensors cooled the steam after it exited
the turbines. As this steam cool a vacuum was produced. This vacuum
causes the steam to move across the turbine blades (high pressure to
low pressure). The sea water side of the condensors are paradises for
the marine life you discussed and the condensors as well as sea chests
have to be kept clean. There is normally a valve that is used to
isolate the sea chest from the system it supplies with sea water..................................................................Andy Bullions, ENS 68-72 (Ret. CMDR)
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