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OO Oe SN EO Mea eR tO Gas Power Aboard Ship. The progress of the internal combus- tion marine engine as applied to commer- cial and naval uses is beset with enough real difficulties without the citation of imaginary ones by those who ought to be its friends and supporters, and whom the general public and even a large number of the marine and general engineering fraternity would naturally assume to speak with authority. The problems in- volved are being conscientiously attacked and considered in all the phases which present knowledge can suggest and one by one either solved or terms of relative simplicity for which the solution and formulae await actual trial. must needs The paper on "Gas vs. Steam for Ma- rine Motive Power," by Capt. A. B. Willits, U. S. navy, in the December proceedings of the U. S. naval institute, does not contribtftte any help to either the question itself or to engineering knowledge in general, and, if read in - parallel with the paper by the same au- thor on "Explosive Mixture Motors" in the November, 1906, Journal of the So- ciety of Naval Engineers, can only re- sult in leaving the reader hopelessly lost in amazement at the facility with which the author shifts his ground and won- der at why the established facts of 1906 are become matters of doubt and experi- ment two years later. A wise man may change his mind in the light of additional knowledge, but the paper in question contains nothing to show that such is at hand. It does, however, con- tain a number of statements which are put forward as flat-footed facts, and with some of these we take issue. Obviously we cannot quote either paper at length, nor can we take up and discuss them in detail, but must be content with noting the leading points. The author compares the weights of a 600-brake horsepower _ single cylinder, single acting, horizontal en-. gine, designed for blast furnace gas, with those of a 10,000-brake horse- power turbine torpedo destroyer. It is difficult to admit the exercise of impartial engineering judgment in such a comparison. It would be even fairer to compare the weights of the simple condensing engine of the early steamships with the turbine than to ' contrast those of this gas engine with reduced to- "THE MarRINE. REVIEW BY HENRY PENTON. approved and_ successful double-act- ing practice, even in stationary work, where the design is influenced, if not controlled, by factors wholly absent in marine work. The point is not apparent, especially in view of the statement in the same paper that a 500-brake horsepower vertical, double acting, marine engine can be built on a weight basis of 30 pounds per brake horsepower, as compared with steam practice. Before leaving this question of engine weights we wish to add that if any turbine ship has been built or is building with 10,000 brake horsepower and the total en- gine room weights of 250,000 pounds, or 25 pounds per brake horsepower, the fact is not generally known and we have failed to obtain any such - figures from turbine builders, The statement is made unequivocal- gombined Vp 0. a ey, : 2G, 'Ss; Gombineg ae an Combined Mom nt, Steam. OR ee See Naas Gh Oa Ses ~ ase Don P i \ i , UNEN eam: | Sole : 620;000-- a I ooo $2, # 1,608,000 L.P. Steam © LEA a Te COMPARATIVE TWISTING MOMENTS, STEAM & GAS ENGINES, 2000 I.H.P, 465 pounds in the gas engine cited. Moreover, the builders of the same marine engine just referred to, state that they are prepared to build a vertical, double acting marine engine to develop 1,000 brake horsepower at 90 revolutions per minute, with pro- ducer gas, on a weight basis of less than 75 pounds per brake horsepower including all engine room weights. Even if this figure were substantial- ly increased it would still be well within the figures of commercial {-P--Stroke-407 F Steam Eng. Triple, 23 - 37 os 42" C i Ve ay 3 Gas Eng. 4-Oyl., D'ble. Acting, 30'x 40" Steam Pressure li5™ 7 Explosion Pressure, Producer Gas - 2887 - bt . 'brake on that the down-draft producer us- MARINE REVIEW ly that there have been no engines -- built as large as 1,000 brake horse- power for producer gas. This state- ment is not founded on fact. The most casual inquiry among builders of large gas engines would have elicit- ed information of scores of installa- tions running into the thousands in horsepower. This is on_all- fours with the statements made later ing bituminous coal is not in success- ful use up to the present time, and nh ' : s-