Behind every main engine and propeller lies a network of auxiliary systems that keeps a ship running: cooling water, lubricating oil, fuel treatment, hydraulics, compressed air, bilge and ballast, fire-fighting, fresh water and waste water. This course is an engineering-focused introduction to the design of those systems. It shows how a ship’s mission translates into functions, systems, subsystems and components, how redundancy and energy distribution architectures are chosen, and how core components such as pumps, valves, compressors and heat exchangers are selected. It then works through the major onboard systems, grouped into propulsion support, survival, hotel and general support systems, and closes with the fluid mechanics of pump-system behaviour: Bernoulli’s equation, losses, system head, operating point and series and parallel pump operation.
Course at a glance: Duration 20 hours · Self-paced online · 13 sections, 61 lessons, a 238-page downloadable course book
What you will learn
- Explain how ship missions translate into functions, systems, subsystems and components.
- Compare functional and spatial redundancy strategies and energy distribution structures, from radial to ring systems.
- Select pump, valve, compressor and heat-exchanger types for marine duties.
- Describe the layout of cooling water, lubricating oil, fuel and hydraulic systems, including controllable-pitch propeller hydraulics.
- Explain the design of survival systems such as bilge, ballast and fire-fighting.
- Outline hotel and support systems, including fresh water production, waste water, thermal oil and compressed air.
- Calculate system head and pump operating points, including series and parallel operation.
Inside the course: a high-level summary, section by section.
From mission to systems
The course begins by showing how a ship’s mission is decomposed into functions, and those functions into systems, subsystems and components. A short physics refresher covers the fluid, thermal and electrical fundamentals used throughout. Redundancy principles then explain how designers protect essential functions. Functional redundancy provides more than one way to deliver a function; spatial redundancy places duplicate systems in separate locations so a single event, such as fire or flooding, is less likely to remove all capability. The course compares arrangements in which two systems share the load and each is partly loaded, with those in which either system alone can provide full capability after the other fails.
Energy distribution
Energy distribution describes how power, fluids or signals flow from sources to consumers. Radial and tree networks are simple and economical but vulnerable, because a single failure can isolate downstream consumers. Double supply arrangements give essential consumers two independent feeds, and ring systems allow supply from either direction. These structures are common in hydraulic and electrical systems, and the design goal is not only continuity of service but the ability to reconfigure the system so operators can keep vital equipment running after damage.
Pumps, valves, compressors and heat exchangers
Core components are treated in practical terms. Pump families are divided into centrifugal and displacement types. Centrifugal pumps suit continuous, high-flow duties, but they are generally not self-priming, so suction arrangements must allow the casing and line to be filled before start-up. Displacement pumps, such as gear, screw and piston types, deliver nearly constant flow regardless of pressure and handle viscous fluids well. Selection depends on flow, head, fluid properties and duty. Valves and actuators control and isolate flow.
Compressors are divided into flow types, such as centrifugal and axial, and displacement types, such as reciprocating and screw compressors, each suited to different pressure ratios and capacities. Heat exchangers include shell-and-tube and plate designs; plate exchangers offer a compact footprint and easy servicing, but plate pattern and pass arrangement must match operating pressure and maintenance needs. Flow arrangements, such as counter-flow and parallel flow, affect effectiveness.
Propulsion support systems
Cooling water systems are designed as complete circuits in which pressure, temperature, circulation, de-aeration and maintenance all work together. The course explains high-temperature circuits for engine jackets, low-temperature circuits for coolers and auxiliary equipment, central cooling arrangements and variants. Lubrication systems are covered from their functions, including reducing friction, removing heat and keeping surfaces clean, to engine and gearbox lubrication, oil transport and cleaning with separators and filters. Fuel supply systems and fuel cleaning and treatment explain how fuel is stored, transferred, heated, purified and delivered to engines at the correct pressure and viscosity.
Hydraulic oil systems are then explained, with a focus on controllable-pitch propeller hydraulics and the mechanical and electrical feedback arrangements that confirm the blade pitch matches the command.
Survival and hotel systems
Survival systems protect the ship and its crew. Bilge systems remove water from compartments and are designed with suction arrangements, pump capacity and redundancy that let any compartment be drained. Ballast systems control trim, draught and stability, and fire-fighting systems provide water and other media to protect every space. Hotel systems provide comfort and hygiene: fresh water production by evaporators or reverse osmosis, fresh water distribution, and treatment of grey and black water in line with discharge regulations.
Support systems
General support systems include thermal oil heating, waste heat recovery and steam, compressed air for starting, control and service use, and the systems used to load and transfer fuel and oil. Each is presented in terms of its function, layout and safety considerations.
Pump-system behaviour
The final technical section provides the fluid mechanics needed to design and troubleshoot these systems. Bernoulli’s equation links pressure, velocity and elevation; friction and fitting losses reduce available head; and the system head curve shows how much head is needed to deliver each flow. The operating point is where the pump curve and system curve intersect. Pumps in series add head and pumps in parallel add flow, but the actual result depends on the shape of the system curve. A worked system exercise and a pump operating point example consolidate the method.
Key takeaways
You leave able to translate ship missions into auxiliary system architectures, choose redundancy and distribution strategies, select core components, describe the major propulsion support, survival, hotel and support systems and calculate pump operating points.
How you study
The course is delivered fully online and is self-paced, so you can fit roughly 20 hours of study around professional commitments. Lessons combine clear explanation with examples, diagrams and short interactive checks, and the main sections end with graded quizzes (12 in total) so you can confirm you can apply each method before moving on. A 238-page course book can be downloaded and printed for offline reading and later reference.
Course contents
- Distribution System Architecture: Energy Distribution Basics; Sources, Consumers, and Structure; Radial and Tree Networks; Double Supply and Ring Systems
- Systems Engineering Foundations: From Mission to Systems; Basic Physics Refresher; Redundancy Principles; Functional and Spatial Redundancy
- Pumps and System Components: Pump Families; Centrifugal Pumps; Displacement Pumps; Selecting Pump Types; Valves and Actuators
- Compressors and Heat Exchangers: Compressor Types; Compressor Applications; Heat Exchanger Types; Flow Arrangements and Comparison
- Design Principles and Cooling Systems: General Layout Principles; Cooling Water System Overview; HT Cooling Design; LT Cooling Variants
- Lubrication and Fuel Systems: Lubrication Functions; Engine and Gearbox Lubrication; Oil Transport and Cleaning; Fuel Supply Systems; Fuel Cleaning and Treatment
- Hydraulic and CPP Systems: Hydraulic Oil Systems; CPP Hydraulic Layout; Mechanical and Electrical Feedback
- Survival Systems: Survival System Scope; Bilge and Ballast Principles; Bilge System Design; Ballast and Fire-Fighting Systems
- Hotel Systems: Hotel System Functions; Fresh Water Production; Fresh Water Distribution; Waste Water Systems
- Support Systems and Thermal Services: Support System Overview; Thermal Oil Systems; Waste Heat and Steam Context; Compressed Air and Storage Services; Fuel and Oil Loading Transport
- Pump and System Characteristics: Pressure and Bernoulli; Losses, Pump Head, and System Head; Operating Point; Series and Parallel Operation; Worked System Exercise
- Summary: Key Takeaways
Who this course is for
This course is for engineering graduates and practising engineers in marine engineering, ship design, shipyard engineering and ship management who design, specify or maintain ship auxiliary systems. It also suits mechanical and building-services engineers moving into marine work. A basic understanding of fluid mechanics and heat transfer is helpful.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Design of Auxiliary Systems take?
The course is designed for about 20 hours of study. It is self-paced and fully online, so you can spread it over a few weeks or complete it more quickly.
What is covered?
The course is organised into 13 sections with 61 lessons, moving from foundations to applied methods, as summarised above.
Is there material to keep after the course?
Yes. A downloadable 238-page course book accompanies the lessons for offline reading and later reference.
How is progress checked?
Each main section closes with a graded quiz (12 in total). The quizzes test understanding of the concepts and methods explained in the lessons rather than memorisation, and you can review the relevant lessons before attempting them.
Can I record this study for my own professional development?
Yes. The course notebook includes a self-assessment of the course objectives before and after study, a reflection page and a learning log, which you can use to keep your own record of professional development.
Duration: 20 hours
Related courses: B04 – Marine Propulsion Systems and Thruster Design; B01 – Introduction to Marine Engineering & Naval Architecture; B05 – Piping Systems: Stress Analysis, Support and Expansion Design; B09 – Design of Auxiliary Systems (Extended Edition)
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Study at your own pace and work through the full course material, worked examples and section quizzes. Enrol in B08 – Design of Auxiliary Systems →
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