Cylinder covers

Cylinder heads are exposed to maximum gas pressures and temperatures. They must therefore have
adequate strength and cooling. This results in complex structures of strengthening ribs and cooling water
passages. The design of heads is further complicated by the need to house various valves, fuel, air start,
relief etc.
Where exhaust valves are situated in the head the structure design has to take into account
the relatively high local temperatures around the valve which can cause thermal stressing. The
combustion chamber may be formed by either shaping the cylinder cover or the piston crown. A flat piston
crown is usually used with a shaped cover further complicating design and construction.
As the head runs at a fairly high temperature the cooling water must also be at a reasonably
high temperature. This further thermal stressing. t is therefore usual to have the cooling water for the
head in series with the !acket. The covers are attached to the cylinder block by means of large diameter
bolts. The gas loads acting on the head are thus transferred to the cylinder block from which the tie bolts
transfer it to the bedplate and then to the hull of the ship.
The original "ul#er engines employed single piece cylinder covers, but thermal stress cracks
developed in relatively uncooled section were the conical part of the combustion chamber changed to the
flat top.
n order to avoid this problem some allowance was required for thermal expansion, and this
was provided by having a two part cover with an inner and outer section.
The inner section was of cast iron due to the complicated shape and the outer section cast
steel for strength, a soft iron ring provided the !oint between inner and outer sections. When the two
parts are bolted together the head may be treated as a single unit.
$or recent engines the single piece bore cooled steel cylinder cover has been developed and
presents no particular problems.
Sulzer RD cylinder cover
B & W cylinder safety valve
This type of valve is suitable for use with the special long studs used in modern engines. The safety valve
is small an indicates the onset of over load. To release excessive pressure from the cylinder the cover is
able to stretch the studs release the pressure and reseat. %opefully cleanly.& class '(noindent()