A Place For Fun With Old Engines
This subject is from the 1940s...
PRESENTING THE
Cooper Bessemer was one of the major US based builders
of large marine diesel engines for several decades. The company,
based in Mount Vernon, Ohio, dated back to the 1830s and was a
major builder of steam engines for industrial and agricultural
applications, with the Cooper Bessemer Corporation name dating
to the late 1920s. After 1965 the company was known as Cooper
Industries. It is now a component of Cameron Corporation.
The Cooper Bessemer Type LS was a large direct reversing
four stroke cycle marine engine with 15-1/2 inch bore and 22 inch
stroke, built in six, seven, and eight cylinder configurations,
and in naturally aspriated and turbocharged versions. Power ratings
of up to 1400 horsepower at 400 RPM were available from the eight
cylinder naturally aspriated unit, and outputs up to 2100 horsepower
at 400 RPM could be achieved by the turbocharged eight cylinder
engine. For marine applications, the engines were equipped with
an internal Kingsbury type thrust bearing housed in an extension
of the engine frame and lubricated by the engine main lubricating
oil system.
The very heavily constructed Cooper Bessemer Type
LS engine incorporated some novel construction features, including
a cylinder block built in sections, that was bolted to a full
length engine base that supported the crankshaft, main bearings,
and bearing caps. The design of the engine reciprocating components
was unusual, with five compression rings and three oil scraper
rings all mounted on the piston above the bossing of the piston
pin. The liners were wet type, with rubber seals at the top and
bottom. Other design features were in common with typical large
marine and stationary engines of the period, including the mounting
of the intake, exhaust, and air starting valves in removable valve
cages. The injection valves controlling admission of fuel to the
cylinders were mounted in clusters on the "operating"
side of the engine (where the controls are located) and cylinders
could be cut out individually if needed.
The Type LS engine was developed in the late 1930s
and was widely used through the 1940s and into the 1950s, its
applications included military vessels such as Army LT tugs as
well as commercial tugs, passenger and cargo vessels.
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Above: This is a view of the exhaust and intake
side of the six cylinder version of the Cooper Bessemer Type LS
diesel engine. This version of the engine typically was rated
at 1000 horsepower at 400 RPM.
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Above: This is the "operating" side
of the six cylinder Type LS marine engine showing the gauge panel,
the governor in the center of the engine, the single lever operating
control for both speed and reversing, and the connecting rack
linkage between the governor and the two blocks of fuel injection
control valves.
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Above: Cooper Bessemer was one of the earliest
US users of turbocharging, which typically increased engine output
from 30% to 50%. This would allow the large eight cylinder version
of the Type LS engine to produce as much as 2100 horsepower at
400 revolutions per minute operating speed.
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Above: This view shows the intake and exhaust
side of the eight cylinder turbocharged version of the Cooper
bessemer Type LS marine engine. The exhaust manifold leading to
the turbocharger is fitted with a heat shield, and the intake
manifold is much larger diameter than on the naturally aspirated
engine. There appears to be no aftercooler for the turbocharger.
The engine driven air compressor for starting and control functions
is mounted in the middle of the side of the engine.
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