DISCUSSION ON MAY MEETING PAPERS. 25 



retarded because of the slowness of designers and builders in achieving reliability in opera- 

 tion. The real reason, however, for the abnormal delay in its development is because it is 

 inherently weak on first cost and weight. 



A factor working in favor of the Diesel engine will be found in the uncertainty of 

 obtaining a fuel supply at reasonable prices at all world ports. Because of its fuel economy 

 it has been possible with the motor ship to make a complete round trip of almost any dura- 

 tion with one bunkering, and bunkering could be done at the port of call where fuel prices 

 were lowest. 



Economic conditions may bring about a reduction in the cost of coal and the wages of 

 firemen without a corresponding decrease in the price of Diesel fuel oil, in which case it is 

 not only conceivable but probable that an application of the same method of analysis, which 

 today indicates the wisdom of selecting Diesel propelling machinery, will tomorrow give its 

 verdict for reciprocating engines and coal-fired boilers. 



Perfection of the electric drive, including electric auxiliaries, by whatever type of prime 

 mover operated, may reduce the necessity for labor to a point where a modification of the 

 navigation laws may be secured and the use of this type of equipment justified by the reduc- 

 tion in operating labor costs in spite of its higher fuel cost. Another point to be consid- 

 ered is that progress has been made not only in improving reduction gears, but the highly 

 efficient Ljungstrom type turbine which has already been applied to the electric propulsion of 

 ships has recently been applied by the Stal Works of Sweden to a special reduction gear so 

 that its economy is now available for gear drives. 



In November, 1919, we investigated for a foreign client the Diesel-engine situation as 

 existing at that time and reported the following conclusions : 



1. The Diesel motor ship has demonstrated its reliability, high fuel economy and the 

 advantage of its use on long trade routes, especially in the Far East where suitable cheap 

 crude oil is obtainable and the long cruising radius makes it independent of coaling stations. 



2. The designs of Diesel engines are still in the formative stage, and developments may 

 be expected within a short time that will greatly increase the brake horse-power per cylin- 

 der with no serious sacrifice of efficiency and with a marked decrease in weight, cost and 

 space occupied. 



3. The 4-cycle Diesel engine at the present time (this was at the date I mentioned, in 

 1919) has more fully demonstrated its reliability than any other type of marine internal- 

 combustion motor. 



As a part of the same investigation a complete operating analysis was made for the pur- 

 pose of determining the best type of propelling machinery for a standardized 8,800-ton 

 vessel for the run between San Francisco and Tokyo, and the operating balance sheet showed 

 an advantage in net annual operating surplus of 10 per cent for geared turbines over recipro- 

 cating engines and 9 per cent over Diesel engines. The investigation was completed in 

 about three weeks. We did not have available detail figures for costs of construction and 

 operation such as would be available in a conference between a shipyard and an operating 

 line, and many of our figures were necessarily estimated. The figures for crew wages and 

 maintenance, cost of vessel, cargo rates, etc., were furnished by the superintending engineer 

 of our client. Certain other items included in the balance sheet of Mr. Metten and Mr. 

 Shaw were omitted from our report, some through oversight and some through intention, 

 because our client preferred adjusting the figures later from his own records rather than 

 to delay the report. 



