In maritime transportation, the engine department or engineering department is an organizational unit aboard a ship that is responsible for the operating the propulsion systems and the support systems for crew, passengers and cargo.[1] This work is carried out by marine engineering officers who, in the United States usually train via cadet ships sponsored by a variety of maritime organizations. Marine engineering cadets from most countries are sponsored during training by a shipping company, serving their time on board ships owned by that company. Many go on to work as Engineering Officers with their sponsoring company once training is complete.
Marine engineering officers are responsible for propulsion and other systems such as: electrical power generation plant; lighting; fuel oil; lubrication; water distillation and separation; air conditioning; refrigeration; and water systems on board the vessel. They require knowledge and hands-on experience with electrical power, electronics, pneumatics, hydraulics, chemistry, steam generation, gas turbines and even nuclear technology on certain military and civilian vessels.
Marine engineer officers emerged with the arrival of marine engines for propulsion, largely during the latter half of the 19th century. It is only during the twentieth century that they have gained recognition as highly trained and responsible individuals. Nowadays, engineering officers are regarded as the equals of their counterparts on deck.
Engine Department Ranks (typical for a British Merchant Vessel - US equivalents in italics):
The oldest surviving marine engine was designed by William Symington in 1788. The ship 'Turbinia' first demonstrated the superiority of the steam-turbine engine, which is still used for marine propulsion today in some niche applications. In America, the University of Michigan's Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering can be tracked to an 1879 act of Congress, which authorized the U.S. Navy to assign a few officers to engineering training establishments around the country. Mortimer E. Cooley was the first lecturer in the department.[2]