The Washington times., 1913-04-06
ELECTRICITY USED
TO DRIVE COLLIER
Greater Efficiency Gained by
Storage Of Excess Power of
Steam Turbines.

Using an old principle in a new ap.
plication. the Navy Department i.
equiping its new collier Jupiter with
electric propulsion. Turbine steam
! engines. driving dynamos, furnish the
electrical power. Heretofore. steam
engines have supplied the power for
all naval vessels. With the introduc-
ton of this turbine-electricaI system,
The Navy Department is expecting q
great saving. inasmuch as the new en-
gine will develop 1870 horsepower at
far lower cost than previously.
Efficiency In the keynote of the new
equipment II 1t works as CAPTAIN
Holmes, of the Steam Engineering Bu-
reau, and other officials anticipate, Il
will be installed in warships and other
vessels of the Navy Department.
Heretofore steam engines or turbines
have been found to consume too much
coal. They operate rapidly, too rapidly
IN fact. for economical use with gear
propulsion. There was no way in which
the speed of the turbine engine propul-
sion could be cut down with a co-ordin-
ate reduction Of the cost Of operation
The principle Of the new electric ap-
paratus is this:
Stores Energy.
The steam turbine furnishes the power
for generating electricity. This Juice.
is then stored up so to speak. Then
1t is Transferred to motors, which in
turn furnish power as required. There
Is no overspeeding. The rate can be
as high or as low as is desired. In
this way all the power generated il
utilized.
The cost is kept down. None Of the
power Soes to waste. The Navy De-
partment officials assert this new sys-
tenn has the maximum Of efficiency at
the lowest possible cost.
The Jupiter. to which this new sys-
TEN is applied, Is under construction at
the Mare Island. Cal, Navy Yard. as
a sister ship to the Neptune and
Cyclops. All these ships have a dis
placement of about 20 900 tons, and carr,
something like Zoo tons cargo. They
are designed to operate at fourteen
knots. With the new equipment for
the Jupiter this speed. it is estimated,
can be maintained, increased. or de-
creased without the usual waste incl
dent to navigation with a steam turbine
The electric power device permits Of
propulsion In either direction. A sys,
tenn of switchboards Is provided. so that
the ship can be directed readily by a
single operator, and destructive trouble
through wrong connections Is impos-
sible because Of the ingenious arrange
ment OF the switches.
Navy Mans Idea.
The application of electrical driving
ta l.
Of ". l.. r. Emmett, a Naval Academy
graduate. long interested in naval mat
ters. He Is now employed by the Gen.
eral Electric Company Of Schenectady, |
n. Y, which has the contract for in
stalling the Emmett machinery at the
Mare Island yard.
For many years, naval engineers have |
been seeking to apply the steam, tur- |
bine and electrical principle to propul- |
,ion of big boats. 1t remained for Mr.. |
Emmett to provide a satisfactory solu- |
lion for the problem. While his appara- |
tus Is more or less in the experimental |
stage, tests made at Schenectady. n. |
T., indicate that 1t will do all that It's |
inventor claims for 1t.
Elready the General Electric Com |
,any is planning to enter the electrical !
equipment field in the matter Of big |
The company declares that |
Mr.. Emmett's device can be applied |
With success to the heaviest vessels in |
he navy. as well as TO colliers which, |
while larger In bulk sometimes than
are not as heavy.
II is said that the new system can |
develop 1900 horsepower successfully |
without any Of the waste previously
experienced.
So sure is the company of the success
ul operation of the new apparatus on
he JUyiter that has given the Gov
'rnment a guarantee to cover coal loss.
" In case of failure, to remove the
equipment and substitute the usual type
" mower manufacture