Engine room
On a ship, the engine room, or ER, is the propulsion machinery spaces of the vessel. To increase a vessel's safety and chances of surviving damage, the machinery necessary for operations may be segregated into various spaces. The engine room is one of these spaces, and is generally the largest physical compartment of the machinery space. The engine room houses the vessel's prime mover, usually some variations of a heat engine - diesel engine, gas or steam turbine. On some ships, the machinery space may comprise more than one engine room, such as forward and aft, or port or starboard engine rooms, or may be simply numbered.
On a large percentage of vessels, ships and boats, the engine room is located near the bottom, and at the rear, or aft, end of the vessel, and usually comprises few compartments. This design maximizes the cargo carrying capacity of the vessel and situates the prime mover close to the propeller, minimizing equipment cost and problems posed from long shaft lines. The engine room on some ships may be situated mid-ship, especially on vessels built from 1900 to the 1960s. With the increased use of diesel electric propulsion packages, the engine room(s) may be located well forward, low or high on the vessel, depending on the vessel use.
