T\VENTIETH CENTURY CLERMONT

THE TWENTIETH CENTURY CLERMONT

LIEUTENANT COMMANDER ROBERT J. KNOX, USN

THE AUTHOR

graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy December 19, 1941. He served as Engineer Officer of the USS MacLeish. (DD220) and the USS Hunt (DD674).; in the latter he also served as Executive Officer. In June 1948 he received his Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the U. S. Naval Postgraduate School. Since that time he has been working with the USS Trimmennun (EDD828) machinery while on duty at the U. S. Naval Boiler and Turbine Laboratory, the Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Bath, Maine and as Engineer Officer of the USS Timmerman (EDD828).

The other night as I was reading to my children about Robert Fulton and the first steamboat, Clermont, I came to a remark about how the people said, “It will never run,” and I added, “Just what they said about the Timmerman.” When I came to the part where Mr. Living- ston, who supported the Fulton project, exclaimed, “Look at the money I’ve spent-if it doesn’t work I’ll be a dis- grace,” I again added, “Just what they said about the Timmerman.”

In the past five years I have watched the men and machinery of the USS Timmerman (EDD828) take shape. I have observed a true marvel of engi- neering. People have damned the equip- ment of the Timmerman as much as they have praised it. Most of the damn- ing came from people who didn’t know the true picture, the true background or the true objective of the Timmerman.

For security reasons very little has been mentioned about her. For other reasons, mostly doubt as to her future, many peo- ple have shunned mentioning her.

Several basic facts have been estab- lished :

First, there has always been progress. From the very first test in a laboratory, through the building program at the Bath Iron Works, during the fitting out period in the Boston Naval Shipyard, and even in Newport when the vessel went dead in the water moored to a buoy in a northeaster (there wasn’t enough power to make a pot of coffee), the vessel has always emerged showing steady progress.

Second, in 95% of the casesi when a short cut was taken to try to save time, the end result was a miscarriage of engineering principles and further de-

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TWENTIETH CENTURY CLERMONT

lay as we proceeded to take the correct, although longer, procedure.

Third, bearings and lubrication turned out to be the almost universal probleni as the result of increased rotating speeds, reduced margins for loading, and increased temperatures.

Fourth, to run an experimental ship requires a highly skilled and trained crew. The date of commissioning found a hand picked engineering nucleus of officers, chief petty officers and several first and second class petty officers who had an average of 2-3 years duty with the engineering equipment. The wisdom of that move virtually meant the suc- cess of the vessel. Casualties, as the result of personnel, were cut to the al- most non-existant point with a resultant maximum operation of all equipment.

Fifth, spare parts and repair parts meant continuous and costly delays. The large variety of equipment meant a large variety of spares. Close design meant many failures which depleted the stock of spares. Since each repair part was special and non-standard, deliveries ran frequently six months to one year. A plot of delays in completion dates for Naval Boiler and Turbine Laboratory tests, delivery of the vessel at Bath Iron Works and fitting out at Boston Naval Shipyard, resulted in an interesting thumb rule. Regardless of how realistic planners tried to be, the Timnierman progress followed a straight line func- tion. For example, on 1 January the date for completion of a particular phase might be estimated as 1 June. By 1 June a new date would have to be set and it would be 1 September. By 1 September another new date would be required and it would be 15 October, etc., until almost the last week.

Sixth, the vendor is your best friend, a fact which many ships should learn. He knows his equipment in most cases better than any other person. He can get replacement parts, information and action from his own company faster

than anyone, and if the equipment is experimental you must and almost in- variably can rely upon him. His advice and assistance can make or break you, so treat him as something other than scurvy or an in-law.

Seventh, an experimental program is at first a novelty. You will find early and eager assistance from nearly every- one. As time goes by the true problems keep repeatedly raising their ugly heads and each day becomes another head- ache, another special procedure, another unknown, another emergency and you will find the many eager assistants look- ing upon you as a leper and kindly wish- ing you would “drop dead,” to put it bluntly.

The problems of the Titnnrerrnan were not merely radical design and new materials, but also new thinking and doubt as to the objective on the part of many. The vessel was designed and built on the premise that if an individual piece of equipment did not fail then that piece of equipment was not designed close enough. If it did not fail then the designer still would not know where or how much excess weight or strength he had built into his machine. Manufac- turers were requested to give only a guarantee of good workmanship, good intensions and their best technical brains so as to produce a product on which they would place their name- plates. In general, the results and co- operation received have been beyond one’s fondest expectations. Experience to date indicates the vessel has been 99% a success because 99% of the equipment has failed in one way or another. The real success is borne out, however, by the fact that upon estab- lishing the cause of a failure, then de- termining the proper remedy and finally making the modification, item by item the machinery has been made into an operating unit.

Under the old bugaboo of time and schedules, the main machinery plant

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TWENTIETH CENTURY CLERMOE-T

received first priority. Now that it is pretty well in line, the auxiliaries such as refrigeration, air conditioning, air compressors, emergency generators, washing machine, etc., are demanding and finally getting attention. In the early days after commissioning it was not unsual to step cautiously into the “head” and wonder whether or not this was the unpredictable hour in which the flushing system would be lacking in pressure; or to go to the wardroom for dinner only to see gold buttoned uniforms face the white linen tablecloth while flashlights in hip pockets clanked against the chairs in anticipation of a power failure.

Many wild tales have no doubt been told about the Timmerman. Many are true but some are so fantastic that they sound purely like tales. Others are not true but merely the subject of rumors and imagination. This condition is readily understandable when you con- sider the “beast” as she really is.

Unlike other previous experimental vessels, the fathers of the Tiinmerman decided to go “all out.” They boosted the steam pressures, temperatures, fre- quency and voltage. That wasn’t enough, so they made one plant over twice the pressure of the other and thereby elimi- nated the possibility of cross connecting the steam plants. One boiler nianufac- turer made the boilers for the after plant, two other manufacturer? each made one boiler for the forward plant. Each of the three boilers was an indi- vidual design. The same general think- ing followed throughout as they picked one vendor for one unit and a competi- tor for the other. If three units were involved then a third vendor was con- tracted. By increasing the frequency they were able to eliminate the need for reduction gears on turbine generators ; the resultant increased speeds reduced motor and pump sizes by up to 75%. Higher temperatures meant new and improved insulation. Higher voltage cut down the space and weight of cable.

Higher pressures cut down the space and weight of steam piping. The net result in the vessel was to cut the ratio of tons of weight per horsepower exactly by one-half from that of a stand- ard destroyer. The present operation of the equipment indicates the general suc- cess of such a bold step.

Radical design was carried into the laundry, galley, living spaces in the form of air conditioning, vent sets the size of flashlights, steering gear, anchor windlass, electronic equipment, interior communication equipment and the gyro. In many respects the vessel already stands as a monument to engineering. Actually, this is only the beginning. Several years will no doubt be required to complete every detail. In some cases there will undoubtedly be details which will be determined to be out of con- sideration for any future use. The foundation has been laid and with con- tinued slow but sure, in some cases al- most plodding progress, there will emerge in the next few years a vessel which will hold engineers spellbound.

Some of the many innovations are as follows :

Steering gear-so small that the space normally provided for the main component is now a living space for six men and the entire steering gear unit is in the ram room.

Automatic combustion control- complete control of the boiler includ- ing cutting burners in and out in sequence so as to virtually give con- trol of the firerooni to the engineroom throttleman.

Shafting-high speed, hollow, seven and one-half inches in diameter and turning in roller bearings ; main strut and stern tube bearings are roller bearings with gravity oil lubrication.

Planetary reduction gear-to per- mit the above high speed shafting.

Forced draft blowers-no blower rooms, blowers are hung from the overhead.

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TWENTIETH CENTURY CLERMONT

Main circulating pumps-no lube oil ; entirely water lubricated.

Auxiliary condenser condensate pumps-so small they look like a bel- lied out flange.

Turbine generators-so small both have had their rotating units re- moved through the main deck hatch.

Emergency generators-one gas turbine drive ; one diesel “pancake” drive.

Boilers-non-controlled superheat ; two boilers are forced circulation with all walls water walls except the boiler front; two are natural circulation.

Anchor windlass-hangs on the overhead out of the way.

Messing facilities-on main deck level with steam tables at galley for direct feeding of crew.

Instrumentation room - facilities for recording a thousand temperatures with fifty-point recorders and jack plug connections.

Entire aluminum supers t ruc ture with various types of junctions in deck house, no expansion joint and a solid aluminum welded gun founda- tion for mount 52.

There has been a steady stream of visitors to the vessel over the past year and their amazement over the new de- signs have been obvious. At times one feels more like a sideshow barker than an engineer.

Good machinery, however, without good men would be a waste of time and money. The best machine in the world is worthless if a man cannot be trained to operate it. Similarly, any plant is practically worthless without properly trained personnel. This is certainly not new; yet many times it is unfortunately overlooked. Conversely, the designer must consider the man who will operate his machine.

Good men were located for “the 828” by a continuous search. When a man

was recommended, he was contacted by mail or in person and requested to give references. His references were checked. If his conduct record was excellent as well as the quality of his work, he was requested for assignment to the unit. If after joining the group he didn’t fit in smoothly, he was dropped ; about 50% were dropped during the period at the Naval Boiler and Turbine Laboratory. The result was a hard, strong, homo- geneous core of well qualified, alert, steady men.

Good conduct is as contagious as bad conduct. The result was a general rapid acceptance by new men of the standards of the “old timers.”

The electrical officer, a lieutenant commander, ex-electrician, was brought in from Alaska. The boiler officer, a lieutenant, exwatertender, was in charge of the Boilerman School in Philadel- phia. The main propulsion officer, a lieutenant junior grade, two years out of the Naval Academy, came from a destroyer minesweeper. The repair of- ficer, a lieutenant, ex-reserve, came from completion of an engineering course in the Naval Postgraduate School. All were qualified chief engi- neers in their own right. A chief nia- chinist mate, still with the ship, was the first enlisted man to join the unit in October 1948. The first chief boilerman to be selected, still with the ship, was an instructor in automatic combustion con- trol at the Boilerman School in Philn- delphia.

In 1950 selections for warrant officer chose five of our initial seven chief petty officers and threw our planning into a tailspin. Seven of our present chief petty officers joined the unit as first class petty officers.

At the Naval Boiler and Turbine Laboratory the men followed the erec- tion of tests, assisted in the preparation of agenda, took data during tests and worked on the equipment when it was under repair. Seminars were conducted

TWENTIETH CENTURY CLERMONT

ir, w1iic:i each man lectured to the rest of the unit about a major piece of ma- chinery. Periodic trips were made to inspect machinery and observe tests at manufacturers’ plants and the Engineer- ing Experiment Station. The unit con- tacted vendors, bureau and laboratory personnel. The object was always to learn every bit of information available about the machinery which these men would some day be called upon to oper- ate and to act as instructors for their subordinates.

At Bath, Maine, a detail of four or five men were assigned daily for over a year to check, and identify spare parts. The other men continued their study, followed installation of equipment in the ship, traced out systems, read the new instruction books as they arrived, held more seminars and prepared the machinery index for the vessel. Ven- dors and designers came to lecture and lead discussion groups on their equip- ment. This concentrated and continuous training although at times reaching the point of boredom, has paid handsome dividends. Let me cite just one example. There are many like it. The credit must go to the man on the floorplates.

One night in June, about 2200, steani- ing along at twenty knots, a faulty regu- lator on the after main feed and booster pump permitted the pump to overspeed and lift the relief valve on the feed discharge line. With feed at a teniper- ature of 250 degrees Fahrenheit, the water upon discharging to^ the atmo- spheric pressure filled the after fireroom with steam. The level in the feed water heating tank went down as if someone

had pulled the plug. The boiler level began to drop. The crew were forced to “wrap up” the fireroom. With steam pressure dropping, the after turbine generator would soon lose the electrical load. The electrician on watch shifted the electrical load to the forward gene- rator ; the throttleman indicated, “Stop,” on his engine order telegraph. When the power transfer took place the con- troller on the main condensate pump arced, kicked out, fed back through the panel and tripped the controller of the main lube oil service pump. (I know it’s impossible ! The impossible happens regularly on the Timmerman) . The re- sultant drop in lube oil pressure set off the lube oil alarm with its siren for sound effects. The output pressure of the other lube oil pump, shaft driven, was not sufficient to provide adequate lubri- cation. The forward plant personnel (main engine control) noted the signal of low lube oil pressure in the after plant: They promptly signaled the bridge to stop all engines and proceeded to stop the ship in the water. With only 300 psig steam at the throttle the after engine was stopped and the shaft locked. Casualties, None. Possible casualties : one melted boiler, one burned out main feed and booster pump, all main engine bearing wiped on the after engine. Within one and one-half hour the vessel was steaming along again at twenty knots.

The sailor is a good man. He proved it during the war and he is proving it now, but he must be trained. If he can’t be trained, then we must start anew to redesign our naval machinery.

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