An investigation of a proposed plan for conversion of liberty ships

The object of this thesis is to present a conversion plan for the existing Liberty Ships involving least cost to increase their potential as a national defense investment by increasing their speed to 15 knots. Approximately 1500 Liberty Ships are now in the reserve fleet, costing originally upwards of Six Billion Dollars. They are regarded as obsolete and a questionable defense potential because of speed limitations .This proposal is based on the following: Scrap one ship and save propulsion machinery; modernize one ship by using the additional propulsion machinery obtained to double the power, and lengthen the bow 24 feet to improve resistance . Details of machinery changes : Move forward engine room bulkhead forward 17' 6" to make room for the two additional boilers; mount two main engines each 6' 6" from the centerline of the ship in the same longitudinal location with the starboard engine HP cylinder placed aft so that the engine driven auxiliaries and main condenser retain the same position relative to this main engine; install single reduction gears for engine speed of 76 RPM to 85 RPM of propeller; use new line and tail shafting, new stern tube, and new 18' propeller; necessary auxiliaries duplicated using those from scrapped ship. The new bow is faired into existing Station No. 3 at approximately frame 30 and has the following characteristics: Cut -up starting at 53' 7" from new forward perpendicular, 20° raked stem, and 16° half angle of entrance. Final characteristics of conversion: Length between perpendiculars = 440 ' IHP = 5000 horsepower Beam, molded = 56 .9' Speed = 15 knots Draft - 27.15' Range - 17,500 miles Displacement 14,175 tons Deadweight - 10,300 tons The conversion is considered feasible in spite of excessive fuel consumption, and would cost approximately One ana One Half to Two Million Dollars per ship. Recommendations for making this proposal an actuality: Self propulsion model test; necessary detail designs for contract plans.
http://archive.org/details/aninvestigationo1094514342
U.S. Coast Guard (U.S.C.G.) authors.