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Operational Information

The Two Stroke Crosshead Engine


The Crankshaft
The crankshafts on the large modern 2 stroke crosshead
engines can weigh over 300 tonnes.
They are too big to make as a single unit and so are constructed
by joining together individual forgings.
On older engines the so called fully built method was used.
This consisted of forging separate webs, crankpins and main
journals.
The crankpins and journals were machined and matching holes
bored in the webs, which were slightly smaller in diameter.
The webs were heated up and the crankpins and journals
fitted into the holes (which due to the heat had expanded
in size). As the webs cooled down, so the diameter of the
bored holes would try and shrink back to their original
size. In doing so, the crankpins and journals would be
gripped tightly enough to stop them being as well as
shrink fitting, dowel pins were used (mainly because the
tightness of the shrink fit could not be guaranteed). THIS
FITTING OF DOWEL PINS IS NEVER USED IN THE
able to slip when the engine was being operated
normally. This method of construction had its origins in
the days of early reciprocating steam engine crankshaft
manufacture, when CONSTRUCTION OF DIESEL
ENGINE CRANKSHAFTS. It would act as a stress
raising point from which a crack could start
• Today, crankshafts for large 2 stroke crosshead engines
are of the semi built type. In this method of construction
the crankshaft "throws" consisting of two webs and the
crankpin are made from a single forging of a 0.4%
carbon steel. The webs are bored to take the separately
forged and machined main journals which are fitted into
the webs using the shrink fitting method described
above. The shrink fit allowance is between 1/570 and
1/660 of the diameter.
• The advantages of this method of construction is that by
making the two webs and crankpin from a single forging
the grain flow in the steel follows the web round into the
crankpin and back down the other web.
• Because the crankpin and
webs are a single forging, the
webs can be reduced in
thickness and a hole is
sometimes bored through the
crankpin as shown, reducing
the weight without
compromising strength. Note
however, there is a need for a
good deal of material around
the holes bored to take the
main journals. This is because
of the large tensile hoop stress
present in the material after
shrink fitting. This could lead
to a crack in the web if the
thickness here is not adequate
or if the shrink fit is too tight or
if there is a flaw in the
material.
Here you can see individual crankthrows awaiting machining

Heating a crank web using gas flames before inserting the main journal.
Note the thickness of material around the hole for the journal.
A semi built crankshaft in the lathe. The man gives an idea of the size!
A crankshaft being assembled vertically
Lowering a semi built crankshaft into the bedplate The crankshaft in the bedplate.
THE WELDED CRANKSHAFT
• The welded crankshaft was developed in the 1980s. It was
made up of a series of forgings each comprising of half a
main journal, web, crankpin, second web, and half a main
journal. These forgings were then welded together using a
submerged arc welding process to form the crankshaft.
After welding the journals were stress relieved and
machined. As well as having the advantage of continuous
grain flow, the webs could be made thinner (no shrink fit to
accommodate), leading to a lighter shorter crankshaft.
• Why aren't all crankshafts produced by this method? Cost!
It was very expensive and only about twenty crankshafts
were produced by this method. They have performed very
well in service however.

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