This extended edition takes the design of ship auxiliary systems well beyond an introduction. It explores the underlying physics, network design, pump and system behaviour, shipboard support services and major auxiliary equipment in substantially greater depth than the standard course. It begins with systems engineering and functional decomposition, then builds a rigorous foundation in thermodynamic balances, entropy, phase change and humid air, fluid flow and pressure loss, heat transfer, vibration and materials. It analyses redundancy strategies and distribution network topologies, including zonal reconfiguration, and develops pump head, system impedance, suction limits and NPSH in detail. The second half reviews the full range of shipboard support systems and then treats pumps, compressors and heat exchangers as engineering components, with selection criteria, compression cycles, effectiveness methods and off-design behaviour.
Course at a glance: Duration 20 hours · Self-paced online · 10 sections, 50 lessons, a 222-page downloadable course book
What you will learn
- Explain auxiliary systems design using systems engineering, functional decomposition and core design constraints.
- Apply thermodynamic balances, entropy, phase-change and humid-air relations to auxiliary system behaviour.
- Calculate pressure losses in compact marine pipework and apply heat-transfer, vibration and materials principles.
- Analyse redundancy strategies, network topologies and zonal reconfiguration for essential services.
- Calculate pump head, system impedance, suction limits and NPSH, and interpret cavitation risk.
- Evaluate cooling, lubrication, fuel, air, hydraulic, survival, hotel and utility systems.
- Select and analyse pumps, compressors and heat exchangers, including multi-stage compression and effectiveness methods.
Inside the course: a high-level summary, section by section.
Systems engineering foundations
The course opens with the scope of marine engineering and the discipline of functional decomposition. A ship’s mission, whether carrying cargo, bringing fighting power to sea, fishing or supporting offshore exploration, defines operational functions, which are broken down into sub-functions, systems and components. Components such as pumps, compressors, heat exchangers, motors, fans and tanks are often analysed as black boxes, focusing on function, behaviour, interactions and control. Design principles then set out the constraints that shape every auxiliary system, including safety, reliability, space, weight, cost, maintainability and regulation.
Physics for auxiliary systems
The extended edition devotes a full section to the physics behind auxiliary systems. Thermodynamic balances apply the first law to closed systems and to control volumes, and the course explains why engineers simplify the full equation for turbines, pumps, compressors, heat exchangers, nozzles and throttling devices. For reversible flow processes, work is linked to the integral of volume with respect to pressure, a different expression from the closed-system work integral; this distinction matters because marine machinery is usually analysed as a control volume.
Entropy and ideal models introduce reversible and irreversible processes and their efficiencies. Phase change and humid air are treated through steam properties and psychrometrics, with enthalpy expressed per kilogram of dry air and the psychrometric chart used to visualise air-conditioning processes. Fluid flow covers laminar and turbulent regimes, the Moody diagram and Colebrook correlation for friction, and the practical observation that in compact marine pipe runs full of fittings, appendage losses are often the main design driver. Heat transfer modes, namely conduction, convection and radiation, are developed with the dimensionless numbers used in correlations, and a final lesson covers vibration and materials considerations, including corrosion and material selection for sea water service.
Redundancy and network design
Redundancy goals are defined in terms of keeping essential and mission-critical services available after failure or damage. Functional redundancy provides alternative means of delivering a function; spatial redundancy separates duplicate equipment physically. Network topologies, from radial and tree structures to double supply, ring and meshed networks, are compared for reliability, cost and complexity. Zonal reconfiguration shows how a ship divided into zones can isolate damaged sections and reroute supply so that vital consumers remain served, a concept increasingly applied in naval and complex commercial ships.
Pump and system behaviour
This section develops pump-system theory in depth. Pump head is derived from the energy equation, and system impedance cases show how static head, friction and fittings combine into the system curve. Suction head limits explain why the pressure at the pump inlet must remain above the vapour pressure of the liquid. Net positive suction head is the central concept: the head available at the pump suction must exceed the head the pump requires, or cavitation will occur, with noise, vibration, loss of performance and erosion damage. Hot liquids, high suction lifts and long suction lines all reduce available NPSH.
Pump curves and the operating point, series and parallel operation and flow control by throttling, bypass or speed variation are then compared, highlighting the energy efficiency advantages of variable-speed control. A pump system worked example brings these ideas together.
Shipboard support systems
The fifth section surveys the systems that auxiliary equipment serves. Cooling and lubrication systems, fuel treatment and supply, compressed air, hydraulics and resilient mounting of machinery are explained in terms of layout, operating logic and safety. Survival support systems, including bilge, ballast and fire-fighting, and hotel services, including fresh water, sanitation, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, are reviewed, along with general support utilities.
Pumps in depth
Pumps are classified into dynamic types, such as centrifugal, mixed-flow and axial pumps, and positive-displacement types, such as gear, screw, vane and piston pumps. The course explains the operating principles and characteristic curves of each, and sets out selection criteria based on flow, head, viscosity, suction conditions, solids content, efficiency, controllability and maintenance.
Compressors
Compressor types are compared, and the ideal compression cycle is used to show how isothermal and adiabatic compression differ in work demand. Multi-stage compression with intercooling brings the process closer to isothermal, reducing work and discharge temperature, which is why starting-air compressors on ships are typically multi-stage. A worked compressor example applies these principles.
Heat exchangers
The final technical section covers heat exchanger roles on board, types and configurations such as shell-and-tube and plate exchangers, and the working principle of heat transfer across a wall with fouling resistances. The effectiveness and log-mean temperature difference methods are used for design and rating, and off-design examples show how performance changes with flow, temperature and fouling.
Key takeaways
You leave with an in-depth, physics-based understanding of ship auxiliary systems: how they are decomposed and made redundant, how fluids, heat and pressure behave within them, how pumps operate safely without cavitation and how pumps, compressors and heat exchangers are selected and analysed.
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 (8 in total) so you can confirm you can apply each method before moving on. A 222-page course book can be downloaded and printed for offline reading and later reference.
Course contents
- Marine Engineering Systems: Marine Engineering Scope; Functional Decomposition; Systems and Components; Design Principles
- Physical Principles: Thermodynamic Balances; Entropy and Ideal Models; Phase and Humid Air; Fluids and Pressure Loss; Heat Transfer Modes; Vibration and Materials
- Distribution Networks: Redundancy Goals; Functional Redundancy; Spatial Redundancy; Network Topologies; Zonal Reconfiguration
- Pipe Flow and Pumps: Pump Head Basics; System Impedance Cases; Suction Head Limits; NPSH and Cavitation; Curves and Operating Point; Series, Parallel and Control
- Shipboard Support Systems: Cooling and Lubrication; Fuel Treatment and Supply; Air, Hydraulics and Mounting; Survival Support Systems; Hotel Services; General Support Utilities
- Pump Types and Selection: Pump Taxonomy; Dynamic Pump Types; Positive-Displacement Pumps; Pump Selection Criteria
- Compressors: Compressor Types; Ideal Compression Cycle; Multi-stage Compression; Worked Compressor Example
- Heat Exchangers: Heat Exchanger Roles; Types and Configurations; Working Principle; Effectiveness and Design; Off-Design and Examples
- Summary: Key Takeaways
Who this course is for
This extended course suits engineering graduates and practising engineers who need a rigorous treatment of auxiliary systems, including marine engineers, system designers in shipyards and design offices, naval engineers and engineers responsible for specifying or troubleshooting machinery systems. A background in thermodynamics and fluid mechanics is assumed.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Design of Auxiliary Systems (Extended Edition) 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 10 sections with 50 lessons, moving from foundations to applied methods, as summarised above.
Is there material to keep after the course?
Yes. A downloadable 222-page course book accompanies the lessons for offline reading and later reference.
How is progress checked?
Each main section closes with a graded quiz (8 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: B08 – Design of Auxiliary Systems; B05 – Piping Systems: Stress Analysis, Support and Expansion Design; B04 – Marine Propulsion Systems and Thruster Design; B13 – Marine Engineering — Propulsion, Auxiliary Systems & Control Engineering
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Study at your own pace and work through the full course material, worked examples and section quizzes. Enrol in B09 – Design of Auxiliary Systems (Extended Edition) →
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