Skinner Uniflow Reciprocating Engines

[dwelsh46]

During WWII shortages in reduction gear cutting capacity restricted the use
of turbine propulsion in smaller naval vessels. One of the propulsion plants
that was substituted was the Skinner Uniflow vertical reciprocating engine,
a very compact design that somewhat resembled a large marine diesel. Their
best known application was as the propulsion plant for the 50 ship
Casablanca Class escort carriers.

The Uniflow steam engine was an innovative design that had been used on a
number of Great Lakes merchant vessels before the war, for example the City
of Midland Lake Michigan car ferry.

I am seeking information on the Skinner type reciprocating engines installed
in the Casablancas and their service performance, in particular details of
problems experienced with piston rings and with the condensate filtration
system. I am also very much in need of photographs of these engines and of
Casablanca Class engineering spaces.

Dave Welsh
***@cox.net

[Peter Skelton]

Post by dwelsh46
During WWII shortages in reduction gear cutting capacity restricted the use
of turbine propulsion in smaller naval vessels. One of the propulsion plants
that was substituted was the Skinner Uniflow vertical reciprocating engine,
a very compact design that somewhat resembled a large marine diesel. Their
best known application was as the propulsion plant for the 50 ship
Casablanca Class escort carriers.
The Uniflow steam engine was an innovative design that had been used on a
number of Great Lakes merchant vessels before the war, for example the City
of Midland Lake Michigan car ferry.
I am seeking information on the Skinner type reciprocating engines installed
in the Casablancas and their service performance, in particular details of
problems experienced with piston rings and with the condensate filtration
system. I am also very much in need of photographs of these engines and of
Casablanca Class engineering spaces.
Dave Welsh

The engine is callled "Skinner Unaflow." It's easy to come up
with pictures, drawings etc. but I don't know of one of the
installation you're interested in.

Peter Skelton

[dwelsh46]

Post by Peter Skelton

Post by dwelsh46
During WWII shortages in reduction gear cutting capacity restricted the use
of turbine propulsion in smaller naval vessels. One of the propulsion plants
that was substituted was the Skinner Uniflow vertical reciprocating engine,
a very compact design that somewhat resembled a large marine diesel. Their
best known application was as the propulsion plant for the 50 ship
Casablanca Class escort carriers.
The Uniflow steam engine was an innovative design that had been used on a
number of Great Lakes merchant vessels before the war, for example the City
of Midland Lake Michigan car ferry.
I am seeking information on the Skinner type reciprocating engines installed
in the Casablancas and their service performance, in particular details of
problems experienced with piston rings and with the condensate filtration
system. I am also very much in need of photographs of these engines and of
Casablanca Class engineering spaces.
Dave Welsh

The engine is callled "Skinner Unaflow." It's easy to come up
with pictures, drawings etc. but I don't know of one of the
installation you're interested in.

Actually I have found publications with both versions of the spelling:
"Unaflow" and "Uniflow." The US Navy tended to use "Uniflow."

Dave Welsh
***@cox.net

[Peter Skelton]

Post by dwelsh46

Post by Peter Skelton

Post by dwelsh46
During WWII shortages in reduction gear cutting capacity restricted the

use

Post by Peter Skelton

Post by dwelsh46
of turbine propulsion in smaller naval vessels. One of the propulsion

plants

Post by Peter Skelton

Post by dwelsh46
that was substituted was the Skinner Uniflow vertical reciprocating

engine,

Post by Peter Skelton

Post by dwelsh46
a very compact design that somewhat resembled a large marine diesel.

Their

Post by Peter Skelton

Post by dwelsh46
best known application was as the propulsion plant for the 50 ship
Casablanca Class escort carriers.
The Uniflow steam engine was an innovative design that had been used on a
number of Great Lakes merchant vessels before the war, for example the

City

Post by Peter Skelton

Post by dwelsh46
of Midland Lake Michigan car ferry.
I am seeking information on the Skinner type reciprocating engines

installed

Post by Peter Skelton

Post by dwelsh46
in the Casablancas and their service performance, in particular details

of

Post by Peter Skelton

Post by dwelsh46
problems experienced with piston rings and with the condensate filtration
system. I am also very much in need of photographs of these engines and

of

Post by Peter Skelton

Post by dwelsh46
Casablanca Class engineering spaces.
Dave Welsh

The engine is callled "Skinner Unaflow." It's easy to come up
with pictures, drawings etc. but I don't know of one of the
installation you're interested in.

"Unaflow" and "Uniflow." The US Navy tended to use "Uniflow."
Dave Welsh

The patent is for Unaflow, the Skinnner Engineering Company of
Erie Pa. called then Skinner Compund Unaflow. If you're searching
for catalogues, cutaways, engineering drawings and the like
(www.carferries.com) has examples, "Unaflow" works better.

Peter Skelton

[dwelsh46]

...

Post by Peter Skelton

Post by dwelsh46

Post by Peter Skelton
The engine is callled "Skinner Unaflow." It's easy to come up
with pictures, drawings etc. but I don't know of one of the
installation you're interested in.

"Unaflow" and "Uniflow." The US Navy tended to use "Uniflow."
Dave Welsh

The patent is for Unaflow, the Skinnner Engineering Company of
Erie Pa. called then Skinner Compund Unaflow. If you're searching
for catalogues, cutaways, engineering drawings and the like
(www.carferries.com) has examples, "Unaflow" works better.

Yes, you are correct in that the Skinner manufactured engines were
officially described by Skinner as "Unaflow." However, the US Navy referred
to these as "Uniflow" engines. For one example of this in a Navy publication
see
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6132309047&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOAB:US:6

I recall having read that the 5 cylinder engines used in the Casablancas,
and other Skinner type engines that powered a variety of auxiliary ships,
LSDs etc., were not actually manufactured by Skinner but were built
elsewhere under license. Before the war the Skinner company had built a
relatively small number of Unaflow engines per year, and no doubt lacked the
capacity to manufacture many hundreds of engines in one year as demanded for
emergency war production. I have found references indicating that at least
some of these engines were built by Nordberg.

Furthermore it should be noted that the "Uniflow" engine concept actually
dates from 1787 and that the "Unaflow" designation was Skinner's patented
version. There were other manufacturers of "Uniflow" engines contemporary
with Skinner, including Nordberg. It may be possible that the Navy
deliberately used the term "Uniflow" because "Unaflow" was a term that only
Skinner had the right to use (ie engines manufactured by anyone other than
Skinner could not be described as "Unaflow"). I know that similar
considerations applied regarding other products made under wartime license,
e.g. Cannon type electrical connectors.

I am not sure whether the Uniflow/Unaflow engines on the Casablancas were a
compound design. The Ludington carferries installations are a later model
and I believe that the compound feature may have been a postwar development.
I know that Skinner Unaflow engines manufactured before WWII, at least those
examples I have been able to track down, were not compound.

Dave Welsh
***@cox.net

[RENABORNEY]

Post by dwelsh46
I am not sure whether the Uniflow/Unaflow engines on the Casablancas were a
compound design. The Ludington carferries installations are a later model
and I believe that the compound feature may have been a postwar development.
I know that Skinner Unaflow engines manufactured before WWII, at least those
examples I have been able to track down, were not compound.
Dave Welsh

SNIP

From an Amazon.com reader review of "Last Stand of the Tin-Can Sailors"

"It is a shame Hornfischer knew so little about the hardware. The most glaring
error is references to the Skinner Uniflow turbines powering the Kaiser
carriers. First, they were double-expansion reciprocating piston engines and
the manufacturer labeled them Skinner Compound Unaflow marine engines, so he
even misspelled the name. These were probably the only steam powered US
warships built in the 40's without turbines. Not enough machine tools to cut
the gears needed for so many ships (50) so fast (12 months)."

[dwelsh46]

Post by RENABORNEY

Post by dwelsh46
I am not sure whether the Uniflow/Unaflow engines on the Casablancas were a
compound design. The Ludington carferries installations are a later model
and I believe that the compound feature may have been a postwar development.
I know that Skinner Unaflow engines manufactured before WWII, at least those
examples I have been able to track down, were not compound.
Dave Welsh

SNIP
From an Amazon.com reader review of "Last Stand of the Tin-Can Sailors"
"It is a shame Hornfischer knew so little about the hardware. The most glaring
error is references to the Skinner Uniflow turbines powering the Kaiser
carriers. First, they were double-expansion reciprocating piston engines and
the manufacturer labeled them Skinner Compound Unaflow marine engines, so he
even misspelled the name. These were probably the only steam powered US
warships built in the 40's without turbines. Not enough machine tools to cut
the gears needed for so many ships (50) so fast (12 months)."

What confirming authorities are there for this statement?

As its author pointed out there are reasons to take comments like this one
with a grain or two of salt until confirmation is available.

Dave Welsh
***@cox.net

[RENABORNEY]

Post by dwelsh46
What confirming authorities are there for this statement?
As its author pointed out there are reasons to take comments like this one
with a grain or two of salt until confirmation is available.

SNIP

I agree, but it may be a worthwhile item for the questioner to investigate

[Dennis]

Post by dwelsh46
One of the propulsion plants
that was substituted was the Skinner Uniflow vertical reciprocating engine,
a very compact design that somewhat resembled a large marine diesel.
The Uniflow steam engine was an innovative design that had been used on a
number of Great Lakes merchant vessels before the war, for example the City
of Midland Lake Michigan car ferry.

The "uniflow" engine was, IIRC, a general term for a type of
reciprocating steam engine. I don't think it was just one company that
made it. I believe that it had the steam inlet and exhaust ports on
opposite ends of the cylinder, so that the heating and cooling of the
cylinder during the cycle was not as marked, and there wasn't as much
heat loss from the cylinder. I also believe that it did away with the
exhaust valve on the cylinder. But you probably already know that.

Dennis