270 STANDARD LUBRICATING OIL SYSTEM FOR GEARED TURBINES. 



Another feature which I think is important in reference to oiling systems is the facili- 

 ties for keeping the oil clean and keeping it free from salt water. In connection with the 

 old engine practice, if the engineer discovered he had a hot bearing, the first thing he would 

 do would be to put water on the bearing, and by doing this some water would of- course get 

 into the oiling system. It is undoubtedly true that you can lubricate a bearing with 50 per 

 cent oil and 50 per cent water if you have to, but if you try to feed oil and water to a reduc- 

 tion, gear, you will very quickly run into trouble. The lubrication of reduction gears is the 

 most important detail for proper maintenance of the gear. It is absolutely impossible to op- 

 erate a reduction gear where comparatively high pressure is used except by having the proper 

 facilities for lubrication, and the oil must be free from water, as otherwise you are bound 

 to have difficulties. 



The effect of water on the reduction gear was plainly demonstrated when comparing the 

 appearance of the gears on board two different destroyers made by two different shipyards. 

 The one destroyer went to sea without any facilities for keeping the oil free from salt water, 

 and after two days' service an inspection of the gears showed that the gear surfaces were 

 coated with rust and the oil was found to contain quite a high percentage of salt water. 

 The destroyer built by the other shipyard went to sea with an oil purifier installed for keep- 

 ing the oil in good condition. Upon the return of this destroyer, the inspection of the gears 

 showed no presence whatsoever of rust, and the lubricating oil was entirely free from dirt, 

 sediment or salt water. 



The same thing is true in connection with merchant ships. I have seen vessels come 

 into New York Harbor equipped with geared turbines, the oiling system containing 60 per 

 cent oil and 40 per cent water, and invariably no one considered the trouble on board the ves- 

 sel to be caused by the condition of the oiling system. I am sure that the paper here pre- 

 sented will be of great help to the different shipbuilders and will make them realize that, in 

 order to insure satisfactory operation of geared turbines on board vessels, it is essential 

 that an oiling system is provided that will properly and efficiently lubricate the equipment. 



Mr. Charles P. Wetherbee, Vice-President: — I am only going to say a word. There 

 are two ways to keep^ a rubber ball round — one is to apply pressure uniformly over it, and 

 it is pretty hard work to do that. The other way is to remove all pressure, which is easier. 

 I think the hard way has been tried here. 



This complicated method of supplying lubricating oil to turbines and gears is absolutely 

 unnecessary, and this idea of putting $21,000 worth of equipment into a 3,000-horse-power 

 ship for the lubricating system seems to me to be going pretty strong. It would be a pow- 

 erful argument against the use of geared turbines if such a lubricating system were neces- 

 sary. However, it is not necessary, and the very simplest kind of arrangement for oiling of 

 the turbine system with forced lubrication has given the utmost satisfaction, and the simpler 

 things are the greater the satisfaction. 



As to the question of getting salt water into the lubricating oil, if you keep the oil pres- 

 sure in the system higher than the pressure used for the circulating water of the cooler, you 

 may lose oil, but you will never get salt water into the oil. 



On one installation with which I am familiar, where the power runs from 35,000 to 

 38,000, situated in a very confined space, the lubricating oil system, even for that large instal- 

 lation, did not reach $10,000 in cost. The more complications you put into such a system the 

 more your troubles accumulate, and one thing reacts on the other and makes the whole system 

 less desirable. 



