Bismarck Speed

Discussions about the history of the ship, technical details, etc.

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alecsandros
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Re: Bismarck Speed

Post by alecsandros »

Thank you Thorsten,
Most kind, as always
Thorsten Wahl
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Re: Bismarck Speed

Post by Thorsten Wahl »

comment on the 30.1 kn figure

this speed was achieved at about 270 rpm

According to steam consumption figures of Bismarcks machinery, the ship requires about 480 t/h steam to achieve this RPM
rated steam capacity of the boilers was 600 t/h at nominal pressure 65 atm

so there were about twenty percent of steam capacity that nominally were not used, additionally not considering overloading.
-nominal pressure 65 atm <-> proof peak pressure 100 atm.
Meine Herren, es kann ein siebenjähriger, es kann ein dreißigjähriger Krieg werden – und wehe dem, der zuerst die Lunte in das Pulverfaß schleudert!
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Antonio Bonomi
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Re: Bismarck Speed

Post by Antonio Bonomi »

Hello Thorsten,

many thanks for your additional data on the Bismarck machinery and speed.

Those are most useful for me and does confirm what I always believed : Bismarck was well capable of 30+ Knots when she needed.

This of course does not surprise me, especially when someone thinks about the Vittorio Veneto machinery performances when needed after Gaudo, when she used a lot her machinery overloading performances in order to come back in Taranto harbor.

Ltnt Cdr ( Maggiore ) Ruggero Vio promoted to Commander ( Tenente Colonnello ) for having managed starboard turbines at 120 % of their nominal power for 21 hours continuously.

Changing subject ...

Have you read my post's about Bismarck firing methodology in the Tirpitz thread ?

Are you able to provide some value add and additional information ?

Thanks in advance in any case.

Bye Antonio :D
In order to honor a soldier, we have to tell the truth about what happened over there. The whole, hard, cold truth. And until we do that, we dishonor her and every soldier who died, who gave their life for their country. ( Courage Under Fire )
Thorsten Wahl
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Re: Bismarck Speed

Post by Thorsten Wahl »

Have you read my post's about Bismarck firing methodology in the Tirpitz thread ?
link?
Meine Herren, es kann ein siebenjähriger, es kann ein dreißigjähriger Krieg werden – und wehe dem, der zuerst die Lunte in das Pulverfaß schleudert!
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Antonio Bonomi
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Re: Bismarck Speed

Post by Antonio Bonomi »

Hello everybody,

@ Thorsten Wahl,

here it is, ... is just one page back compared to where we are currently.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=6811&start=420

Let me know if it is better to open a dedicated thread about Bismarck firing salvos at Denmark Strait, as I do not like to confuse arguments.

I think we should move the discussion here in maybe :

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=5752&start=15

I think we can correlate now Bismarck firing salvos, ... after the salvo that sunk the Hood, ... with existing photos and film sequence and realize a good enough re-construction of the events ... much more precise and aligned with all other battle timing events ... if compared to my 2005 work.

I am interested a lot now on the real firing procedures of Bismarck and Prinz Eugen ... assuming they were the same ... with Vollsalve, the 4 hm Gabelgruppe, the Rapid fire ... etc etc ...

It will be another interesting voyage of discovery ... I hope ... :wink:

Bye Antonio :D
In order to honor a soldier, we have to tell the truth about what happened over there. The whole, hard, cold truth. And until we do that, we dishonor her and every soldier who died, who gave their life for their country. ( Courage Under Fire )
Steve Crandell
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Re: Bismarck Speed

Post by Steve Crandell »

Thorsten Wahl wrote:comment on the 30.1 kn figure

this speed was achieved at about 270 rpm

According to steam consumption figures of Bismarcks machinery, the ship requires about 480 t/h steam to achieve this RPM
rated steam capacity of the boilers was 600 t/h at nominal pressure 65 atm

so there were about twenty percent of steam capacity that nominally were not used, additionally not considering overloading.
-nominal pressure 65 atm <-> proof peak pressure 100 atm.
How much of that steam was required for auxiliary load ... steam turbine generators?

How much steam could actually be sent to the engines through the valve openings, pipe size, etc.

Also, people seem to imply in these posts that the engines were capable of unlimited power if there were only enough boilers to provide more steam. The implications are that one could just put very small engines in the ship and take up all the space with steam generation and go much faster. This confuses me. I believe Bismarck was designed with more steam power than could be used by the engines.
Thorsten Wahl
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Re: Bismarck Speed

Post by Thorsten Wahl »

Also, people seem to imply in these posts that the engines were capable of unlimited power if there were only enough boilers to provide more steam. The implications are that one could just put very small engines in the ship and take up all the space with steam generation and go much faster. This confuses me. I believe Bismarck was designed with more steam power than could be used by the engines.
its true what you say.
You cannot "overclock" any technical system without impairing operational safety.
But you can run almost any technical system for a probably short unknown time overclocked.
Meine Herren, es kann ein siebenjähriger, es kann ein dreißigjähriger Krieg werden – und wehe dem, der zuerst die Lunte in das Pulverfaß schleudert!
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Re: Bismarck Speed

Post by alecsandros »

... Back at 30.6kts figure,
Is that at counstruction displacement and at 155.000 shp ? [around 47500 long tons ?]
Thorsten Wahl
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Re: Bismarck Speed

Post by Thorsten Wahl »

displacement was not mentioned in the documents available to me
Meine Herren, es kann ein siebenjähriger, es kann ein dreißigjähriger Krieg werden – und wehe dem, der zuerst die Lunte in das Pulverfaß schleudert!
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Re: Bismarck Speed

Post by dunmunro »

Some years ago, I calculated that Bismarck's maximum SHP was about 150K based upon the maximum fuel flow to the boilers and her specific fuel consumption.
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