The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-07-19
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I ftruction and the problem Of converting all
OF the heat energy into mechanical energy.
and the thermodynamic conversion Of en-
ergy. as the engineer terms It, in tho re-
ctprocating engine is not much nearer solu-
ton to-day than when Watt perfected the
engine; In other words. the reciprocating
engine is very wasteful Of energy.
PRESENT FORMS PERFECTED.
The conversion of heat energy into me-
chanical energy in the Watt engine Is &C.
complished by permitting the steam to ex-
pend behind the piston, and. while not uti.iz-
ing Its kinetic energy-:he energy OF mo-
don-subjects 1t to q resistance correspond
Ing with pressure
Builders of steam engines have long since
recognized and understood the defects and
the improbability Of further improvement
In the reciprocating steam engine since i'm
provements during the last two hundred
years have been mechanical, and although
these have. Of course. added nightly to
the effectiveness of the engine as a heat
motor. 1t is far from ideal.
Realizing these deficiencies and difficulties,
inventors have wrestled with the problem Of
utilizing directly the heat energy which
would approach more closely to the ideal,
and in this they found large field Of prom
tse in the fundamental principles of Hero
and Branca relating to turbines.
Although work along this line has been
In progress for some years past. the first
turbine to be built and commercially operat-
ed as a competitor Of the recprocatinG en-
CINE was that of De Laval, who made and
operated small steam turbine in 1888 after
the plans of Hero's reaction engine
This he connected to the shaft of cream
separator. a mechanism requiring high
speed.
Parsons. of England, brought out in 1884
The first multiple expansion turbine and
formed combination of the reaction and
the impulse type of turbines
Parsons's turbine revoved 1900 per min.
trio light dynamo used for lighting the
Earl Percy, a steamer on the Tyne.
While these turbines are characterized BY
simplicity OF construction, directness Of en-
orgy conversion and producing complete ex-
pansion. conditions which have never ana
can never DO obtained in the reciprocatinx
engine the gigantic difficulty in the way to
the commercial utilization Of the turbine
is principally due to its enormously high
speed. since the periphery. or rim Of tho
wheel sometimes attains a velocity as hiKh
as 1.S50 feet per second.
Since the practical test Of tho Parsons tur.
bine in 1884 the manufacture Of steam tur.
bines has been on the upgrade and ever In
creasing in number.
An immense impetus was gfven to the IN
dustry. when. in 1894. the 1900 horse power
yacht Turbnia showed in its trial heats its
marvellous power, and this was followed in
1888 by the phenomenal record run of the
Viper. British destroyer. equipped with
turbine engines amounting to over 1900
horse power. and which obtained the pho
nomenal speed of forty-three statute miles
per hour.
The turbine drove eight propellers and the
Whole equipment was contained in a vessel
measuring only 2l0 feet long and q feet
beam.
OTHER TURBINE FORMS.
Tho Cobra. another turbine DESTROYER built
on the same general lines as the Viper was
successfully operated, but owing to the fral-
lily OF the craft they were unable to with
stand the tremendous strain and were final
ly lost.
The Parsons marine turbine has provsd
one OF the most practical forms Of the steam
turbine. combining as 1t does the reaction
and the Impulse types Of rotating elements.
In this country the rights Of the Parsons
turbines have been acquired by the West
inghouse Company.
Tho Westinghouse Air Brake Company.
at Wilmering. Pa. put into service the first |
turbine equipment in America, and In con-
psction with their electrical power distribu- |
ton system replaced entirely the original |
reiprocatins engine plant Of the works.
Recently turbine equipment has been m
stalled at Hartford. Conn.,, and has caused |
much comment on account Of its enormous
size and the satisfactory results secured.
This turbine is Of 1000 horse power, and IN |
the largest in operation at tho present time |
In America.
The next greatest argument in favor OF |
the steam turbine to simplicity IL that Of |
floor economy. |
The amount Of room required by the FUR
bine engine is only two-thirds that Of ths
vertical engine and about two-hfths that Of |
the horizontal Corliss engine, assuming the |
capacity of the different types to be equal
1t has been shown that for powerhouss
where an equipment Of LOCO horse power II |
required. the cost Of the engine-room, m |
Guiding real estate and buildings, Is for q |
turbine outfit less than half as much AZ for |
a horizontal Corliss and two-thirds a. much
as for q vertical engine.
Tho compactness OF the steam turbine u