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We in this article will discuss the very vital concept of what is an inboard engine. We hope t hat this article will help you to understand the concept better. Inboard engine is used for propulsion in the marine world. However, the concept of inboard engine is applicable only to small boats. It cannot be used for ships and large boats. You can also check out this post for details on outboard engines.
Basics of Inboard Boat Engine
An inboard engine is a marine propulsion system. We have already discussed the outward engine in our previous article. The inboard engine is quite opposite of that. The inboard engine as the name suggests is placed within the hull of the boat. The inboard engine is connected to the propulsion screw by a driveshaft.
First Inboard Engine
The first inboard engine was a steam engine. This was developed in 1805. In the 1880 the naphtha engines came up. They were a little dangerous and also difficult to run. This is exactly why these inboard engines were also discontinued. The next that evolved in the inboard engine was petrol run inboard engine. In 1893 the inboard engine became commercially a viable idea. The inboard engines were basically aircraft engines that were later used in boats. This was a little bit about the history of the inboard engines.
By now you must have got a rough idea of what inboard engines are and how exactly they operate. We will now move on to some more interesting details about the inboard engine. There are various types of inboard engine. The types mostly depend on the size of the inboard engine. As per the size of the inboard engine it is decided if the inboard engine is suitable for a small boat or a large boat. The type of inboard engines used in a boat is also decided by the purpose. Some boats will use the inboard engine for racing and some will use it for trolling.
If the boat is a pleasure craft and does not need a lot of speed. The inboard engine that is recommended for these boats is diesel as well as petrol. Some of the inboard engines are derivatives of automobile engines. This is exactly why they are called marine automobile engines. With the development of the stern drive propulsion leg the design of the inboard engine has been improved. With these improved designs of the inboard engines the boats can be propelled even more easily. In case of a large craft like that of a ship the outward engine is not advised at all. However, in some cases the large ships do use t he inboard engine system for propulsion. These are not used any more. You can see the use of inboard engine in the old ships where steam and coal engines were used.
The inboard engines need a good cooling system. Some of the inboard engines use fresh water cooling system. Some of the inboard engines need raw water cooling. The water that is pumped into the engine can be lake, river or sea water that can easily cool the engines. Sea water is not advisable to use for cooling in inboard engine because it is corrosive and can destroy the inboard engine. As technology is improving advanced heat exchanging systems are used to cool down the inboard engines. Some other engines that are quite small do use sea water for cooling. The inboard engine use zinc sacrificial anodes to protect the internal metal casting of the boat.
The inboard engine cannot be removed easily. This is mainly because they are fixed to the hull. They are also a little bigger than the outward engines. They need more complex technology to run. This is exactly why the maintenance of the inboard engine is more complex compared to the outward engines. The inboard engine can be both diesel as well as petrol. However, nowadays mostly diesel run inboard engines are found. Inboard engines are not as portable as the outward engines. However, the inboard engines have their own sets of examples. This is exactly why they are still used in many small boats across the world. The inboard engine will continued to be used even in the future. The inboard engines are mostly used in pleasure crafts and small boats that come in the more expensive side. This is mainly because the inboard engines are more effective and efficient in these types of boats.
Whenever you go for a boat ride you can easily spot an inboard engine. Perhaps you did not know the name of these engines. After reading this article you will get a better idea about these engines. We have also attached a picture of the same so that you have a better idea about the same. They are quite common in normal speed boats too.
We hope that this small article on what is an inboard engine was informative. Inboard engines are very common in the marine world. The small ships that you see around are highly depended on the inboard engine. We hope that next time you see or hear about an inboard engine you will have a better idea about the same.
What Is An inboard Engine?,
