The Napier Deltic Triangle Engine

The Napier Deltic is an infamously complex two-stroke diesel engine developed by Britain in the 1940s. It is a triangle engine, containing 36 pistons in 18 cylinders, for an output of well over 2,000 hp. Despite its complexity, the Deltic served brilliantly for over six decades.

 

Background

At the start of the 1930s, German aircraft manufacturer Junkers introduced a new engine that was meant to be as efficient and compact as possible, the two-stroke diesel Jumo 204. This was an unusual type of engine that used the “opposed-piston” design.

Opposed engines have two pistons per cylinder that move towards each other, compressing the air-fuel mixture between them. The pistons connect to two crankshafts, one at each end of the engine. In comparison, a standard internal combustion engine has one crankshaft, and piston per cylinder, with a head covering the cylinder. The head contains the air inlet, the exhaust outlet, and the accompanying valvetrain.

An opposed Jumo engine. Note the height of the engine – this is because the cylinders are vertical and contain two pistons. Image by Duch CC BY-SA 4.0.

Opposed engines do not require a head, as the fuel-air mixture is compressed between the two pistons. In this type of engine, air inlets and exhaust outlets are provided through ports in the cylinder walls, with the pistons controlling the flow of gasses. This arrangement results in a more compact and lightweight engine configuration. It is also inherently balanced, as the pistons’ opposite direction of travel cancel each other out.

The general idea of the opposed engine was not new when Junkers introduced the Jumo 204, but it was the first successful implementation of this design. In total, the engine displaced 1,740 cu in (28.5 L), had six cylinders, 12 pistons, and produced over 700 hp. For its day, it had a very high power-to-weight ratio.

It did have its limitations though. Opposed piston engines have trouble clearing the cylinder of exhaust gasses ready for the next cycle as both exhaust and intake ports are open at the same time, due to the identical movements of the pistons.

An intake port inside a Jumo engine cylinder, opened and closed by the piston. Image by Rios CC BY-SA 4.0.

Junkers solved this by slightly offsetting the pistons’ timing so the exhaust port opened earlier, clearing the cylinder of combustion gasses. While this made the engine much more efficient, it made it unbalanced too. Having two crankshafts was also a very inefficient use of weight.

A few years later, in 1943, the British Admiralty was looking for a new engine to power motor torpedo boats. It needed to be diesel to reduce fire risks and had to have a high power-to-weight ratio. A team of experts was assembled to investigate the matter, and they recommended an opposed piston design.

Conveniently, British engineering firm Napier already had experience with such a design, as they had obtained a license to build the Jumo 204 in the 1930s. However, their version of the engine, named the Culverin, was no way near powerful enough for the Admiralty’s needs.

The Napier Deltic engine.

Napier got to work and drew up a mind-boggling solution: a triangular engine, essentially comprised of three Culverins connected together. Both Napier and Junkers had realized the drawback of two crankshafts and understood that a triangle engine would eliminate this problem.

In 1946 the Admiralty contracted Napier to design such an engine, so their engineers got to work. Unlike Junkers, Napier was able to solve how to time the 36 cylinders inside this beast.

First came a small, three-cylinder proof-of-concept. This worked, so efforts were focused on an 18-cylinder version, named the Deltic.

A Deltic museum exhibit. Image by Rept0n1x CC BY-SA 3.0.

A Triangle Engine

The heart of this design is its triangular configuration, which involves three banks of cylinders arranged in an equilateral triangle. This layout is not just visually distinctive but also functionally advantageous, allowing the engine to be both compact and powerful.

Each of the three banks in the Deltic engine contains three cylinders, and each cylinder houses two pistons that face each other, for a total of 36 pistons in 18 cylinders. Unlike traditional engines, which typically have one piston per cylinder moving up and down or in a V or inline formation, the Deltic’s opposed pistons move horizontally towards and away from each other.

This movement compresses the air-fuel mixture between the pistons from both sides, leading to a more efficient and thorough combustion process.

Cutaway drawing of the Deltic showing the internal layout of the pistons and cylinders.

A key feature of the Deltic engine’s physical design is its elimination of cylinder heads. Traditional engines have cylinder heads that house the valves and other components necessary for the intake and exhaust of gases. By contrast, the Deltic engine’s opposed-piston layout removed the need for these components, reducing the engine’s height, weight, and complexity.

The two-stroke cycle of the Deltic engine is also important. In a two-stroke engine, every crankshaft revolution results in a power stroke, unlike a four-stroke engine which requires two revolutions for a power stroke. This means the Deltic engine can produce more power from a given engine size compared to four-stroke engines.

Moreover, the triangular arrangement of the cylinder banks means that the engine is naturally balanced. The forces generated by the pistons moving in opposite directions counteract each other, which reduces vibration and contributes to smoother operation. This balance is crucial for applications requiring reliable and consistent performance, such as in naval vessels and high-speed trains.

Animation that helps to show how the components inside the Deltic function. Animation by MigMigXII CC BY-SA 3.0.

The Deltic engine’s design also includes sophisticated systems for fuel injection, lubrication, and cooling. The fuel injection system is designed to deliver precise amounts of fuel to each cylinder, ensuring efficient combustion and optimal performance.

The lubrication system is tailored to handle the specific needs of the opposed-piston layout, providing adequate lubrication to all moving parts and reducing wear and tear. The cooling system combines water and oil cooling to manage the engine’s thermal loads effectively, ensuring even heat distribution and preventing overheating.

The Deltic’s large gearbox at the front of the engine combined the three crankshafts into a single output.

The Deltic’s Impressive Specs

Such an unusual engine is, of course, going to come with an impressive set of specifications.

One of the most notable aspects of the Deltic engine is its compactness, achieved through its unique triangular configuration. The Deltic engine measures 11 feet in length, 6 ft in width, and 7 feet in height. It displaced 5,384 cu in (88.3 litres). This compact size is particularly advantageous in applications where space is limited, such as in locomotive engine compartments and naval vessels.

Despite its relatively small footprint, the Deltic engine was a powerhouse. The engine weighed 8,725 lbs (3,950 kg). This relatively lightweight design, combined with its compact dimensions, contributed significantly to the engine’s high power-to-weight ratio.

Descriptions of each gear in the Deltic’s gearbox,

The 18-cylinder version could produce up to 2,700 horsepower for short durations, which is a remarkable output for an engine of its size and weight.

The Deltic engine has a compression ratio of around 15:1. This high compression ratio is made possible by the opposed-piston design, where each pair of pistons compresses the air-fuel mixture between them from both sides, leading to efficient and thorough combustion.

However, for all of its impressive numbers, the Deltics were finicky engines to operate and maintain. They needed very careful maintenance, and overhauls were critical to keep them running right.

The opposing pistons inside the Deltic engine. Image by cooldudeandy01 CC BY 2.0.

Naval Usage

In the naval sector, the Napier Deltic engine found extensive use, particularly in fast patrol boats and minesweepers. The Royal Navy, during the Cold War period, required vessels that could achieve high speeds, offer rapid acceleration, and maintain reliability under demanding conditions. These requirements were crucial for effective patrolling, coastal defense, and mine clearance operations. The Deltic engine’s high power-to-weight ratio and compact size made it well-suited for these roles.

The first proper use of the Deltic at sea was inside, of all things, a captured German Schnellboot. These are extremely impressive machines in their own right, measuring over 100 feet in length and powered by 8,200 cu in (134 litre) MB 501 diesel engines.

Two of the three engines were replaced by Deltics, which were 35% smaller in terms of displacement, yet had a significantly higher power output.

An MB 501 Schnellboot engine.

One of the notable applications of the Deltic engine was in the Hunt-class and Ton-class minesweepers. These classes of vessels played a critical role in ensuring safe naval operations by detecting and neutralizing naval mines, which posed significant threats to both military and commercial shipping.

The compact design of the Deltic engine allowed it to fit into the limited engine room space of these smaller vessels without sacrificing power or performance. The engines’ ability to deliver high speeds enabled the minesweepers to cover large areas quickly and efficiently, an essential capability for maintaining open and secure sea lanes. The Deltics were also very useful here as their smooth running was much less intrusive to delicate mine-sweeping operations than typical diesel engines.

Fast patrol boats equipped with Deltic engines were another significant application. These vessels were designed for rapid response and high-speed interception missions. The high power output of the Deltic engine allowed these boats to achieve speeds in excess of 30 knots, which was vital for intercepting potential threats, conducting surveillance, and performing search and rescue operations. The engine’s smooth and balanced operation, thanks to its opposed-piston design, provided the reliability needed for sustained high-speed operations in various sea conditions.

A marine Deltic. Image by KaiBorgeest CC BY-SA 4.0.

The reliability and durability of the Deltic engines under harsh maritime conditions contributed significantly to their widespread adoption by the Royal Navy. Naval operations often involve long periods at sea, during which maintenance opportunities are limited. The robust design of the Deltic engine, with fewer moving parts and enhanced thermal efficiency due to the absence of cylinder heads, meant that these engines could operate for extended periods between overhauls.

One Deltic engineer mentions a time between overhauls of 5,000 hours. This reliability was crucial for the operational readiness of patrol boats and minesweepers, ensuring they could be deployed at a moment’s notice and perform their missions effectively.

Moreover, the versatility of the Deltic engine allowed it to be used in a variety of naval vessels beyond minesweepers and patrol boats. Its compact size and high power output made it suitable for use in other specialized naval craft, including fast attack boats and coastal defense ships. This versatility extended the engine’s applicability and demonstrated its adaptability to different naval requirements.

HMS Ledbury, a Hunt-class vessel. Today, it is powered by a CAT diesel engine.

On British Railways

The Deltic not only served at sea, but on land too, inside British locomotives. The most famous of these is British Rail’s Class 55 locomotives, commonly known as “Deltics.” Introduced in the early 1960s, these locomotives revolutionized rail travel on the East Coast Main Line, one of the UK’s most important rail routes, which connects London to Edinburgh. The Deltic engines’ combination of high power, efficiency, and reliability made them a game-changer in railway transportation.

The Class 55 locomotives were designed to replace older steam engines and provide a modern, efficient solution for high-speed passenger and freight services. The Deltic engine, with its compact size and high power output, was ideally suited for this.

Each Class 55 locomotive was equipped with two Napier Deltic D18-25 engines, each capable of producing 1,650 horsepower, giving the locomotives a total power output of 3,300 horsepower. This substantial power allowed the Deltics to haul heavy trains at sustained high speeds, a key requirement for the busy East Coast Main Line.

Two Napier Deltics inside the engine room of a prototype Class 55 locomotive. Image by Geof Sheppard CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of the most significant advantages of the Deltic-powered locomotives was their ability to achieve and maintain high speeds. The Class 55 Deltics could reach speeds of up to 100 miles per hour (160 kilometers per hour), which made them the fastest single-unit diesel locomotives in the world at the time. In some instances, Deltics were known to exceed 120 mph.

This capability significantly reduced travel times between major cities, making rail travel more competitive with road and air transportation.

As with their service in the Navy, the reliability and performance of the Deltic engines were crucial factors in their success on railways. The smooth, opposed-piston design and two-stroke cycle of the Deltic engines led to less wear and tear on the locomotives.

A Class 55 “Deltic” locomotive near Kings Cross station in London. Image by Barry Lewis CC BY 2.0.

The Deltics also ensured that the locomotives could operate reliably in various conditions, from the cold winters of northern England to the relatively milder climates of the south.

The operational life of the Class 55 Deltics spanned from the early 1960s until their retirement from regular service in the early 1980s. Although the Deltic engines were reliable, they required careful maintenance, and overhauls were costly. Also, people living nearby were disturbed by the distinct song of a combined 10,800 cu in of Deltic engine under load as trains arrived and departed from residential areas.

However, during their two decades of service, the Deltics became iconic symbols of British railway innovation and performance. Today, many look back nostalgically on the memories of these loud, powerful, machines that they once loathed.

A row of retired Class 55 “Deltics”.

They are now favorites among railway enthusiasts and the general public. Even after their retirement, several Deltic locomotives have been preserved and continue to operate on heritage railways and special excursion services. This continued use and preservation reflect the lasting impact and historical significance of the Deltic engines.