The R.J. Pfeiffer is the flagship of the Matson Lines container ships, named after the late president of the company. It is powered by a giant MAN 8L80MC diesel engine putting out over 33,000 horsepower. Kelsey Barrion is a marine engineer who repairs these engines when they are in port, and monitors and maintains the engines at sea. She got started in this field over a decade ago when she attended the US Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) and completed a four-year degree in Marine Engineering and Shipyard Management that included one year at sea as a cadet on US-flagged merchant vessels. She was kind enough to donate one of the R.J. Pfeiffer’s big cast iron piston rings so visitors can compare it to the tiny ones that are made for the engines in the Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum. The giant piston ring was taken from a MAN 8L80MC engine. A single piston weighs almost as much as a car.
Large Diesel Piston Ring
