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Marine Engineering

Marine Engineering

Introduction -

Marine Engineering is that branch of engineering which is concerned with the sea. It is the engineering of the vehicles take the sea route to reach a destination for e.g. ships, submarines, motor boats etc. Marine Engineering is related to the design, construction, installation, operation and support of the systems and equipments which manage and give impetus to these vehicles. Marine engineering is also responsible for systems which make the vehicle habitable for the crew, cargo and passengers.

We know three fourth of the earth’s surface is covered with water. Hence Marine Engineering gains more importance as a disciple of engineering. Though sea or waterways is not a common medium for traveling but 80% of the goods transportation happens via sea route. Many countries use ships and other types of water vessels for exports and imports of freights. Marine Engineering is also important for navigation as many ships have wrecked or lost their direction because of defect in navigation control system like the famous Titanic. Today Electronic Navigation has widened the scope of Marine Engineering. Marine Engineers are also needed for exploration, to find lost ships and treasures, new species of underwater animals and discovery of oceans and sea.

One of the main concerns is security of the borders of the ocean surrounding a country. Marine Engineers design machines and systems to take care of this department. Marine Engineering is also needed to determine the climate of the sea so that they can inform the fishermen of the dangerous behavior of the sea beforehand. The people living in the coastal area also need all precautions against dangerous climatic changes of the sea like the thunderstorm, high tides, tsunami etc. The marine engineers also measure depth of ocean and speed of the cyclones, ocean currents the velocity of the winds. Marine Engineers have made this possible by conceptualizing, constructing, maintaining and repairing the machines and systems which help in this effect. They have overall responsibility of a ship’s technical management. They are members of the crew on a ship and manage the marine technicians. Marine Engineers also select the apt machinery for a ship like gas and steam turbines. Their job includes the designing of electrical, mechanical fluid and control systems of a water vessel. The construction, operation and maintenance and supervision of the Engine Room of a ship are also the responsibilities of Marine Engineers.

Marine engineering is a very exciting field therefore a person who wishes to join it must enjoy the sea environment. He must be ready for new challenges and have an adventurous mindset. But one thing essential is physical fitness for the work involves long duration habitation on the ship. A person having these qualities can expect for a glorious career in Marine Engineering.

Educational Requirement :- The basic qualification for becoming a Marine Engineer is B.E. in Marine Engineering or P.G. Diploma in Marine Engineering. The eligibility criteria for B.E. / B. Tech is high percentage marks in Class 12th Board Examination in science stream with Physics, Chemistry and Maths as compulsory subjects. A bachelor’s degree in Marine Engineering is required if you want to do an advanced course which is M.E. and PhD.

Physical Fitness :– Marine Engineering is connected to the sea and oceans. It is about surviving the sea climate. Therefore in addition to the educational requirements one must also pass on the physical fitness scale. There are medical norms like 150cms should be the minimum height with correlated weight and proportionate chest with minimum 5cm expansion. The person should pass a medical fitness test for sea service under standard norms. The eyesight of a person should be 6/6 without any color blindness.

Selection: - The admission to the marine engineering course is very competitive. You have to pass the entrance test – JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) which is organized every year by IIT. After applying for JEE the candidates should submit a separate application to the Directorate General of Shipping, Jahaaz Bhawan, W.H. Marg, Mumbai – 400001. Selection is done on the basis of marks obtained in board examinations i.e. 10+2 and the marks obtained in Entrance Test. The Chennai School of Ship Management which is established by the International Maritime Organization organizes Alternative Training Scheme (ATS) a training program available for those candidates who are short by just one percent of marks to qualify for JEE.

Duration: - The B.E /B.Tech is a 4 year course and when you have the bachelor’s degree in Marine Engineering in your hand, you can proceed further for an M.E./M.Tech course which is of 2 years. The Alternative Training Scheme (ATS) is a 3 year course.

Marine Engineering

Different Branches :-

There are varied branches of Marine Engineering which cover different disciplines of engineering like naval engineering, ocean engineering and mechanical engineering. However if a person is really interested the sub-disciplines of Marine Engineering can make life truly exciting. The various disciplines of Marine Engineering are -

1. Naval Architecture – Naval Architecture deals with the design, construction and repair of marine vehicles. Naval Engineers also carry out research and perform various calculations of all the phases of a vehicle. They also design calculations for the conversion, rebuilding, modernization and repair of a vessel. Naval Engineers formulate safety and damage control rules and approval and certification of a ship. 2. Oceanographic Engineering – Oceanographic Engineering can also be referred as offshore engineering. The Oceanographic Engineers are concerned with the technical aspect of offshore marine structures. This includes offshore oil and gas and the renewable energy of the ocean. It is also concerned with the sub-sea mining and aquaculture.

3. Computational Mechanics – Computational Mechanics is concerned with the use of computational methods to study the mechanical aspect of a water vessel. The computational engineers work on fluid mechanics, biomechanics, free surface, aerodynamics, fracture mechanics, transport phenomena and heat transfer etc.

4. Environmental Science and Technology –Environmental Science and Technology which combines with physical and biological science to study the environment of the earth. Marine Engineers have to work with the environment, they job is to determine the climate, the occurring of the Tsunami and cyclones etc. This makes Environmental Science and Technology becomes a very important part of Marine Engineering. Environmental Scientists work on understanding the processes of the earth, evaluating alternative energy systems, natural resource management and the effects of global climate change. It enables Environmental Scientists to spatial and temporal relationships as well as quantitative analysis.

Career options for Marine Engineers :-

Marine Engineering is highly popular in India today and there is a great demand for Marine Engineers in the ports, shipping industries, Directorate General of Shipping and for teaching in educational institutions. The Marine Engineers work on a myriad projects in marine engineering. The designing and construction of ships, construction of ports and waterfront cargo facilities and the operation of ships and support vessels need the expertise of Marine Engineers. The public shipping industries are as enthusiastic to hire Marine Engineers as private shipping industries. The navy, engine production firms, designing firms, ship building firms and research bodies always have vacancies for Marine Engineers. They are also required for designing and building pipelines and moving natural gas from ports to pipeline.

In the government sector a Marine Engineer has to pass Class IV Part A examination to start off as a Junior Engineer. Then he has to succeed in Class IV Part B examination and he becomes a qualified sailor and achieves the position of a Watch Keeping Engineer. After gaining enough experience combined with performance and ability, a Marine Engineer is promoted to the highest post in Marine Engineering which is Chief Engineer. The Chief Engineer supervises the safe running of Engines, machinery and equipments. The second engineer looks after the daily proceeding of the engine room. The third engineer takes cares of the engine and the fourth engineer is responsible for small pumps and generators. The junior engineers are trainees. And the engineers who do not have a license are called engineering cadets.

Marine Engineers can also take up jobs in shipping companies as Consultants or even open their own Marine Consultancy firm. They can so become research scholars and teachers in Marine Engineering institutes. Marine Engineers are also in great demand in UK and USA. The American Bureau of Shipping, an internationally recognized organization keeps looking for fresh Marine Engineers.

Salary :– Marine Engineers are in great demand therefore are entitled to very good remuneration. A Marine Engineer may be a fresher but he is not paid like a fresher like in the other professional fields. A fresher gets anything from Rs.25, 000 to Rs.30, 000 in India and in other countries his pay package may go up to Rs.74, 000. A Chief Engineer may get a salary of Rs.1, 85,000 per month. In USA, a junior Marine Engineer can get $2000 to $3000 per month and a chief engineer can take home a sum of $5000 per month. This is not all. A Marine Engineer is entitled to many additional benefits like a paid holiday for around six months. And it is a matter of only imagination that what a mind blowing experience it could be. Another benefit is that if a Marine Engineer travels on a ship for more than six moths he would be given an NRI status and his salary would be exempted of any tax.
As a Marine Engineer one can not only find a dignified career but also enjoy his life to the hilt, truly Amazing.

The Best Marine Engineering Colleges in India are: -

1.      Training Ship Chanakya,Navi Mumbai

2.      Marine Engineering Research Institute, Kolkata

3.      Andhra University, Hyderabad

4.      Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

5.      Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

6.      Maharashtra Academy of Naval Education & Training, Mumbai

7.      Institute of Maritime Studies, Vasco Da Gama, Goa

8.      Vels Academy of Maritime Education & Training, Chennai

9.      Park College of Engineering & Technology, Coimbatore

10. Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering

The Best Colleges in the USA for Marine Engineering are -

1.      Florida Institute of Technology

2.      Massachusetts Maritime Academy

3.      Texas A&M University

4.      University of New Orleans

5.      University of Michigan

6.      United States Coast Guard Academy

7.      United States of Naval Academy

8.      U.S. Merchant Marine Academy

9.      Florida Atlantic University

10. Tulane University

Top Indian Firms for Marine Engineering :-

1.      Shipping Corporation of India LTD.

2.      Mercator Lines Limited

3.      Varun Shipping Company Ltd.

4.      Jindal Waterways Ltd.

5.      Essar Shipping Ports & Logistics

6.      The Great Eastern Shipping Co Ltd

Top Global Firms for Marine Engineering :-

1.      MAERSK LINE

2.      Hapag-Lloyd

3.      American President Lines Ltd.

4.      Evergreen-Marine Corporation

5.      Crowley Maritime

6.      Bollinger Shipyard