New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-04
LINERS WITH TURBINES
THE Ne5c Cuuarders-Erperimenta,
TaHks-UtiIity of Subsidies.
London. March Ok

the most efficient and economical driving now
for merchant ships $40 feet In length ana a.
proportiOnate beam and depth. capable OF NAB
ing a maximum speed Of twenty-five knots a,
hour. IL follows that IL will also be thu ms.
serviceabIe for battleships and armored cr,,.-
ers. Conservative shipbuiders and engin.ar,
before being convinced that revolution in naval
/ construction is impending require more az
haustivs tests than those employed In the trial,
OF two channel steamers Of light tonnage Tn.
committee whose advice the Cunard company
has adopted IS at least an exceptionally strory
and representative body Of experts. Il has IN
Guided Sir William H White. for a long period
director Of naval construction at the AdmiraIty.
Rear Admiral Dram. deputy engineer in chief 0,
the navy; engineering managers or partners n
Browns. az CIydebank the waHsend slipwav
and Denny's. at Dumbarton: the chief engtnee-
Of Lloyd's Register, and the general superin-
tendent Of the Cunard Line. Only one menber
OF the committee had exceptional experiences IN
the application OF turbines TO marine propul.
sioE and his influence was Offset by the natural
/ preference Of several colleagues for reciprocat-
| ing engines: but there was substantial sgree-
nent in the recommendation for the new and
/ experimental form of driving power. Sir Will
lam Whites authority probably determined tina
trend of expert opinion; and while an excssd-
\ ingIy able man. with a great reputation in thu
I
The confidential report has not been published.
but there is an authentic account OF the tests
employed by the committee. One OF thess trisls
was OF little value. since it was conducted On
land at Neptune Bank. reciprocating and tur.
i bine engines being compared when operated a.
+ full power and speed. and the output OF cleo.
I tricfty being accurately measured and recorded
The other test was a practical one between
/ sister ships OF equal dimensions. the Brighton
I having turbines and the Arundel reciprocatns
I engines The two vessels were sent over rom
I Newhaven to Dieppe and back side BY side and
/ their speed. coal consumption and economy psv
unit Of power were scientifically compared IN.
der corresponding conditions OF weather and
tide. There were subsequent tests OF the
Brighton at different speeds in the solent- In
I consequence Of these trials the COMMITTEES has
I agreed that the Cunard company IS justified n
applying and fitting turbines to the leviathans
which IL is 10 build for the Atlantic service; and
Il has also considered the designs and dimensions
OF the vessels. which are expected 70 develop
a maximum speed Of twenty-five knots. Ths
tests were conclusive. perhaps. with references to
/ channel steamers OF moderate dimensions; bus
the general conclusion for very large vessels
must be regarded as conjecturaI since the NOS.
/ powerful turbines now IN use afoat are thoss IN
4 the Queen. plying between Calais and Dover. Ths
/ selection OF turbine engines for tbs Driving
power OF the new Cunarders viii be an expert
ment Of extraordinary risk. since there has not
been any adequate proof that they VIII be su-
perior TO reciprocating engines Sir WfIllau
White and other Admiralty experts would hard
~ have ventured to recommend turbine engines
for battleships on data so insufficient as tbs
evidence available respecting speed coal con-
! sumption and diminution OF vibration FOR tina
largest liners.
| English engineers without doubt havs turned
70 turbines because they have been convinced
that the steam reciprocating engine has been
carried 20 so high a stage OF development that
| they cannot hope 10 improve upon t. When ths
task is set Of building English liners Of superior
speed to the Deutschland. the Kaiser Wilhelm
der Crosse and the Kaiser Wilhelm II. they can
provide larger ships and increased horsepower
/ and for every quarter knot there viii be heavy
! cost in coal consumption. They cannot promise
greater economy in construction OF maintenance
from the improved reciprOcating engine. and the
/ gain in speed will be small and very costly. IN
! these circumstances they are compelled to lock
for some other driving power. and their choice
IS limited 10 the steam turbine and the Internal
/ combustion engine. Oil and gas engines Dis
pense with boilers and much other heavy
| mechanism, and the weights entirely read
|
mend them for a passenger steamship Of the
/ length Of eight hundred feet. although thu
anaIogies drawn from engines Of this class now
! used in torpedo destroyers are direct and rsa-
| sonabe. The steam turbine for big ships Is
! sufficiently revolutionary. and Sir WuLan
| White is not disposed to go further at present.
| especially when the British government IS lend
/ Ing the money on the easiest possible terms lef
the construction Of the new Cunarders.
| At an interesting session OF the Institution or
/ Naval Architects this week much said a0our
the establishment Of an experimental tank fof
research work on ship propulsion and fluid re-
| sistance. The North German Lloyd has con-
/ structed and is maintaining a tank Of tns
kind at Bremerhaven. and it has proved OF ma
| terial assistance in promoting improvements o.
designs and steam engineering IN the Heel
There is also a tank at Washington OF which
Admiral Melville spoke IN terms Of approval
when his opinion was asked by Sir william
White. There is no tank Of this kind IN us
/ United Kingdom. and the Institution OF Naval
| Architects has been Intellectually striving I0r
three or four years to have one constructed n
| connection with the National Physical Labora-
tory in Bushey Park. The shiDbulders haVs
declined to cooperate in raising the moderal'
sum OF $4,000 required for the construction OF
a tank in which models Of their vessels could Do
experimentaly tested. and the shpownsS
whose working expenses can be heavily re-
duced by economies which are scientifically as
certained in this way have been equally SLOW
! in protecting their own interests. The solution
OF the complex problem Of determining the oes-
| form, design and dimensions for the big SHIPS
which are to be operated by turbine engines
would be greatly facilitated if there were a tans
| of this kind in England.