Steering engine

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Grey's original steering engine design, 1867
Grey's original steering engine design, 1867
Steering engine of RMS Olympic, circa 1913
Steering engine of RMS Olympic, circa 1913

A steering engine is a power steering device for ships.

[edit] History

The first steering engine with feedback was installed on Isambard Kingdom Brunel's Great Eastern in 1866.[1] This was a steam-powered mechanical amplifier used to drive the rudder position to match the wheel position. The size of the Great Eastern, by far the largest ship of its day, made power steering a necessity.

Large steam-powered warships with manual steering needed huge crews to turn the rudder rapidly. The Royal Navy once used 78 men hauling on block and tackle gear to manually turn the rudder on the HMS Minotaur (1863), in a test of manual vs. steam powered steering.[2]

Steam-powered steering engines were employed on large steamships thereafter. The picture at the right shows the steering engine for the RMS Olympic, sister ship to the RMS Titanic.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ [2]
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