BETA
Titanic Engines: Powering the World's Largest Moving Object
The ship required 29 boilers burning 650 tons of coal daily to power its two reciprocating engines and one turbine. This massive propulsion system produced 46,000 horsepower, driving the ship to a top speed of 23 knots. The central propeller alone spanned over 16 feet in diameter.
Chapter 1
Engineering a steel giant
Chapter 2
A floating society of contrasts
Chapter 3
The collision and the cold night
Chapter 4
Rescue and the aftermath
Chapter 5
How the night changed the ocean
Ch 1 · Engineering a steel giant
artiteacher Build the Titanic's watertight bulkheads to discover how engineering flaws doomed the unsinkable ship.
artiteacher To move its massive 46,000-ton frame, the Titanic relied on giant coal-burning engines and three enormous bronze propellers.
Fun Fact
Titanic's massive anchor: The main anchor weighed 15.5 tons and required a team of 20 horses to pull it through Belfast.
artiteacher Titanic's advanced design featured sixteen compartments that could be sealed off, leading many to believe it was unsinkable.
Glossary
keel (noun)
The longitudinal structure along the centerline at the bottom of a vessel's hull, on which the rest of the frame is built. Construction of the Titanic began in Belfast on March 31, 1909, when this backbone was laid.
The longitudinal structure along the centerline at the bottom of a vessel's hull, on which the rest of the frame is built. Construction of the Titanic began in Belfast on March 31, 1909, when this backbone was laid.
Quiz
What material flaw in the Titanic's bow rivets made them fragile in cold water?
Quiz
What was the name of the Titanic's sister ship that also entered service in 1911?