Engine Room temperature

[zigzag930]

I'm wondering what others are seeing as temperature in their engine rooms. I will measure mine next trip out.

The reason I'm asking is that I am getting a "thermal warning" on my Victron Multiplus inverter, usually after shutting down the engines (after running for a few hours). The engine room on my 58LRC is pretty large and while it's definitely pretty hot in there, I can work in the engine room without passing out. I am guessing the temperatures are around 120 degrees.

Also, I have been considering replacing my house LA batteries with Lifepo4. I'm concerned about the temperature causing the batteries to shut down based on temperature.

I have 32v blowers (in and out) and 110v blowers, but I do not run them when the engines are off. My generator sound shields do get almost too hot to touch when the generators are under load, but they do not overheat.

Thanks guys.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

I don't run blowers underway because the sheer volume of air that the engines are pumping keeps it from getting too hot. But as soon as I shut down, the temp goes up. So, I run the blowers for a while after shutdown.

 

[Pascal]

Underway the engines pull in a lot of air so temps should be ok. It s after you shut down that you need to run the blowers to cool things down. Because of their mass, diesels take a while to cool down and without blowers you will easily hit 120 degrees.

That s why I don’t like have battery chargers in the Er... yes they are supposed to be ok but cooler is better.

On my 53, with the C series the ERs remain reasonably cool after shut down compared to The DDs. The genny room can get a little warm? I need to put blowers in there although ideally 120v not tiny DC blowers.

Bigger boats typically run high volume 240v blowers to keep ER cool after shutdown. Usually they are installed to blow air into the ER

 

[madhatter1]

Unrelated to ER blowers and such but I will wind down off plane a bit early to let the water cool the unloaded engines down quite a bit. While you won't really see temp gauges move much a lot of internal heat (from the thermal mass of the engine) is being removed at low speed.

 

[zigzag930]

"Off Plane", I wish. The LRC's will never get there, LOL.

These DD's run at 1300-1400 RPMs most of the time. No turbos, just normally aspirated 4-71's.

In Florida, they are still warm 2 days after shutting them down. Hugh hunks of iron.

I guess I need to experiment with running the blowers and see how long I need to run them in order to keep the temps < 120

Just concerned that if can't keep the temperatures down, I may have issues with the LifePo4 batteries. I believe 120 is the max operating temp specified by Victron. Not sure if they shut down at that temp but will need to find out.

 

[madhatter1]

Still the same. at 1300-1400 you are using HP (making heat) even at your lower speeds. 10 Minutes of idle approach removes a great deal of heat as you pump raw water through the system while making very little heat. Don't know if that solves your issue but what I state is a real factor. My 34 with marginal original insulation and only 1 16 BTU AC gets hot real quick in the summer. For a long time I have dropped off power and idled the last bit of the run. Makes a big difference.

 

[Captain Ralph]

Our ole Bertie has a thermal switch on two of the over head ER blowers. Somewhere around 130 they come on till the ER cools off a few hours later. The fire control system will turn them off if ever needed.
They never come on while operating, usually just after we anchor and go on inverters. I don't recall them coming on while on either gen-set.

Blowing in / Blowing out..
Only Linda knows for sure,,
Open that ER and the warm air goes into the cool living spaces. I do prefer for that hot air to be drawn out.

Our batteries (lots of them) are down low. I feel the cooler hull keeps them from getting to hot. The inverter in our ER has temp senders internal and on the AGM Telco batteries. The ole Raritan chargers Have nothing but after 20 years plus, keep going strong.

If you read back, I have never been a fan of these fancy batteries. After the environmental destruction mining the materials, they have always been a fire hazard, even with these fancy piggy back mini controllers.

Euroferry Olympia and Felicity Ace, abandoned ships are still currently drifting free with electric car fires on board.

Please be extra careful if you have any of these batteries on board, big or small.

 

[SEVEN]

I know some will disagree with this but I’ll tell you what a 50 year DD mechanic told me. Remove the blower hoses. They are picking up the coolest air on the floor while the hot rises to the top. By removing the hoses you will suck out the hot air in a 3rd of the time. I did it and added a lower blower for any fumes.

 

[Captain Ralph]

I know some will disagree with this but I’ll tell you what a 50 year DD mechanic told me. Remove the blower hoses. They are picking up the coolest air on the floor while the hot rises to the top. By removing the hoses you will suck out the hot air in a 3rd of the time. I did it and added a lower blower for any fumes.

Complete agreement. We do have blowers that also draw from the lowers but they do nothing in removing heat.

 

[jim rosenthal]

I have a 120vac blower in the engine room on a timer which will run it for an hour. It pulls air from higher up in the engine area as noted above. I usually have to cycle it 2-3 times after shutting down, because of all the heat trapped in all that metal. My starting batteries are in the engine room, but the house batteries and charger are elsewhere, in cooler areas.

 

[piripucha]

Engine heat is great to dry towels and swimsuits in my neck of the woods, since we do not have a dryer/washing combo ! They come out dry, warm and with a nice engine minty aroma !

 

[zigzag930]

I like that idea of removing those "duct" hoses. Makes perfect sense to pull the hot air from the top of the ER.

Thanks

 

[brettportzer]

Fan upgrade is on the list.

I only have 1-3" Jabsco DC outward blowing fan, which has its pickup down low.

There are however, a few more bigger hoses, and I assume those are for air intake.

There are two that go aft to the fuel tank area, 6" or 8" hoses, same as these general air intake hoses.

None with fans, I guess just pathways to fresh air?

 

[JuiceClark]

I like that idea of removing those "duct" hoses. Makes perfect sense to pull the hot air from the top of the ER.

Thanks

I have 4 blowers. I took the ducts off the blowing-outers and put new, white ones on the sucking-inners. The suckers take air in to right under the engines.

It made sense to me and the place looked better without two ducts.

 

[JD5652]

I like that idea of removing those "duct" hoses. Makes perfect sense to pull the hot air from the top of the ER.

Thanks

There are no hoses on any of my four blowers in the ER.... more correctly... there are two that draw air in and two exhaust blowers.

As an operating note... I run my blowers while underway of it's "hot" in the engine room. I've always done that on my 58LRC and my previous sportfish.

 

[Bob Bradley]

There are no hoses on any of my four blowers in the ER.... more correctly... there are two that draw air in and two exhaust blowers.

As an operating note... I run my blowers while underway of it's "hot" in the engine room. I've always done that on my 58LRC and my previous sportfish.

And you know hot engine rooms! ;>)