Fullagar Engines

1920. Fullagar marine oil engine.

Hugh Francis Fullagar (1872-1917) patented a two-stroke opposed-piston engine which offered the advantages of the Junkers-type engine with less mechanical complexity.

He originally envisaged it as a gas engine, and established the Fullagar Gas Engine Co, based in Gateshead. The first example was constructed for him by W. H. Allen and Co.

Cammell, Laird and Co recognised the engine's potential advantages for marine propulsion, and took out a licence. They introduced their own improvements, and produced the engine as the 'Cammellaird-Fullagar'.

The first installation was in the coaster Fullagar, built by Cammell, Laird and Co in Birkenhead in 1920. This was the first ocean-going ship to be constructed with an all-welded steel hull. A bold venture in its own right, and the stakes were raised with the adoption of an unproven engine, at a time when marine diesel engines in general had a far from enviable reputation. See articles and illustrations of the engine in The Engineer in January and February, 1920

Various other marine engine builders took out licences to build Cammellaird-Fullagar marine engines. See 1931 and 1938 entries below. Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Co and John Brown and Co built some examples, but it is not clear whether any were made by the other marine engine licensees.

Licences to build Cammellaird-Fullagar engines for land use were taken out by the English Electric Co and Carels Freres. English Electric built about 100 examples for power generation. A number of examples are known to have survived.

REPORTS FROM THE PRESS

1920 '"CAMELLAIRD-FULLAGAR" ENGINE. INTERESTING DEVELOPMENT.
It will be remembered that some time ago Messrs. Cammell Laird, of Birkenhead, built a small electrically welded coasting vessel in which they installed the first merchant marine oil engine of the "Cammellaird-Fullagar " type, designed to develop about 500 brake horsepower. In the course of exhaustive trials of both the hull and the machinery the vessel, which is known as the Fullagar, proved very satisfactory, and she was subsequently sold to Messrs. Thos. and Jno. Brocklebank, Ltd., of Liverpool. Since then she has done nearly 10,000 miles in constant service, and the new type of oil engine has proved most satisfactory, giving practically no trouble and developing more horse-power than had been anticipated.
Being thoroughly satisfied with the results of this heavy oil engine, and recognising that it was installed in the vessel in the first place by Messrs. Cammell Laird for experimental purposes, Messrs. Brocklebank have come to the conclusion that the motor is more powerful than is necessary for a coasting vessel of the size of the Fullagar. They have therefore placed an order with Messrs. Cammmell Laird for a similar engine in all respects; and when this is completed the two units — the one at present in the Fullagar and the new one — will be installed in a twin-strew vessel of some 4,000 tons, which is now under construction.
Messrs. Cammell Laird have well in hand twin-screw machinery of the type of about 2,000 brake horse-power to be installed in a ship under construction for the same owners. The "Cammellaird-Fullagar" engine, which has proved so satisfactory in the motorship Fullagar, will be replaced by machinery of much less power, which will meet all her requirements as a coasting vessel.'

1922 'CAMMELLAIRD FULLAGAR ENGINE. EUROPEAN LICENCE GRANTED. [From a Special Correspondent]. It is stated that a licence has been taken out by Messrs. Carels Freres for the manufacture of the Camellaird-Fullagar engine for land purposes. This follows the announcement made last month that the English Electric Company were developing this new type of internal combustion engine as regards the lighter installations required for land sets, driven at higher speed than marine sets and without reversing gear.
This constitutes a triumph for the principle invented by the late Mr. H. F. Fullagar in his opposed piston oil engine, which was first put down by him as a gas engine for power station purposes, and which has since been developed for marine propulsion by Messrs. Cammell Laird at Birkenhead, for Messrs. Carels are the original firm on the Continent selected by Dr. Diesel in 1893 for the manufacture of his new prime mover, now so famous.'

1924 'PALMER-FULLAGAR ENGINE. CONCLUSION OF TRIALS. [FROM OUR JARROW CORRESPONDENT].
The trial runs of the Palmer oil engine, of 3,000 b.h p., constructed on the Cammellaird-Fullagar system, which were witnessed by a large number of prominent shipbuilders, shipowners, and engineers throughout the country, proved highly successful at the Palmer Shipbuilding Co.'s engine works, Jarrow. The engine was described in these columns last week. A commercial consumption test taken by Professor Hawkes, of Armstrong College, Newcastle, with Anglo-Persian Diesel oil, resulted in .... The results of a ten-day endurance test ... 86 rpm ....2,750 b.h.p. ....'

1924 Description of Palmers' Cammellaird-Fullagar piston removal system

1925 Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Co. 'PALMER OIL ENGINE. Our first internal combustion engine (built under Camellaird-Fullagar and Palmer patents) fitted in the 10,000 ton tanker British Aviator, has been in service now for some months. Some comparatively small adjustments have, almost necessarily in an engine of this type, been found desirable as the result of sea experience, and we now have an engine which we know will give satisfaction. Our confidence in it has been justified by the results achieved, the small consumption of fuel being an outstanding feature, which should appeal strongly to our shipowning friends. We have since installed a similar engine into the sister vessel British Chemist.'

1926 'The Ateliers et Chantiers de Bretagne are licensees for Cammellaird-Fullagar engines.'

1930 Description of 2500 bhp English Electric Fullagar engine

1931 Marine Oil Engines: 'CAMMELLAIRD-FULLAGAR. Opposed Piston 2 Cycle Diesel. Cammell Laird and Co., Ltd., Birkenhead; John Brown & Co., Ltd., Clydebank, David Rowan & Co., Ltd., Glasgow; Smith's Dock Co., Ltd., South Shields, Ateliers et Chantiers de Bretagne, Nantes; Kawasaki Dockyard Co., Kobe, Japan.'

1934 'The English Electric Co, Stafford, have received an order from the Delhi Electric Supply and Traction Company, Limited, for a 1,030-kW Fullagar-engined alternator set. The plant will comprise an English-Electric Fullagar opposed-piston, mechanical-injection engine, having a normal full-load output of 1,470 b.h.p. at 300 r.p.m., and will be direct-coupled to a 1,030-kW alternator with overhung exciter, generating power at 6,000/6,600 volts, three-phase, 50 cycles.'

1938 Marine Oil Engines: 'CAMMELLAIRD-FULLAGAR.Opposed Piston 2-Cycle Diesel. Cammell Laird and Co., Ltd., Birkenhead; John Brown & Co., Ltd., Clydebank, David Rowan & Co., Ltd., Glasgow; Smith's Dock Co., Ltd., South Shields, Ateliers et Chantiers de Bretagne, Nantes; Kawasaki Dockyard Co., Kobe, Japan.'

1936 'ENGINEERING TRIUMPH THE BIGGEST OIL ENGINE BUILT IN ENGLAND. A Rugby Product.
EXPERTS WITNESS TEST AT WILLANS.
THE progress made by the English Electric Co. Ltd. in the development of the Fullagar engine was well illustrated to about fifty representatives of the technical Press on Friday, when, by invitation of the directors, they visited Willans Works and inspected what is claimed to be the largest industrial oil engine ever built in this country.
It is a Fullagar engine of the opposed piston two-stroke type, and is fitted with solid injection equipment. Its capacity is 3,500 b.h.p. at 214 r.p.m., it has a cylinder bore of 19 inches and a combined stroke of 44 inches, and it drives an A.C. generator of 2,300 volts with a capacity of 2,600 k.v.a. Some idea of the immensity of the unit may be gauged from the fact that, including the electric generator, it measures 46 ft. 3 ins. by 15 ft. 6 ins., is 23 ft. 6 ins. high, and weighs 195 tons.
The engine, which has given work to a very considerable number of men in Rugby during the past five or six months, has been built for the Bermuda Electric Light, Power and Traction Co. Ltd., and has eight cylinders. In 1930 an identical type of engine of 2,500 b.h.p., having six cylinders, was despatched to Bermuda, where it has been in regular commission since 1931. The present engine, therefore, represents a repeat order and, when installed, will bring the aggregate horse power in the Bermuda Power Station up to 10,000, all units being English Electric Fullagars. Following an official trial of a week’s non stop full load run, the new engine has to be dismantled for shipment, which is expected to be put in hand about the middle of December, and re-erected on arrival at Bermuda.
DOUBLY ECONOMICAL
One of the advantages claimed for the Fullagar unit, named after the inventor, a Cambridge man, is that in addition to being economical in operation it is economical in floor space for a given output. The English Electric Co. have supplied many Fullagar engines to the British Admiralty over an extended period, and, besides the 3,500 b.h.p. unit, visitors saw in course of manufacture two 1,475 b.h.p. engines and alternators for the Surat Electricity Co., one 980 b.h.p. unit for the Sudan Light and Power Co., one 980 b.h.p. unit for the Gold Coast Railways, and others. .....
Mr. W. P. Johnson, representing ‘‘Engineering,” expressing thanks to the English Electric Co. for their hospitality, said the Fullagar engine was of exceptional interest. It was completely British development, and it showed how prejudice could be overcome. When, some six years ago, he came to those Works and saw the largest Fullagar engine the Company had then built, of 2,500 h.p., they had manufactured 36 Fullagar engines. That seemed pretty good, but he understood that since that date the number had been practically doubled. That was good evidence that the engine was a thoroughly sound one, but even better evidence was that the engine they had seen that day was for the same Company as the 2,500 h.p. engine he saw six years ago. It was the best certificate of reliability any firm could have. He congratulated the English Electric Co. on the amount of work they had got in, particularly it was evident that the great majority of that work was not due to the re-armament programme, but represented genuine progress on the part of the firm.'

See here for an excellent review of Fullagar marine engines.

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