LAND AND WATER 
April 10, 1915 
THE HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE 
STEAM TURBINE IN WARSHIPS 
{concluded) 
By "A.M.I.CE." 
After a long series of exhaustive trials it was found that 
the Topaz obtained a speed of 22-1 knots when developing 
9.933 indicated horse power, while the Amethyst steamed 
23-63 knots and developed 14,200 horse-power, notwith- 
standing the same boiler power was installed in both ships. 
The economy in steam consumption especially at higli speeds 
was considerable. At the same time, the manoeuvring 
capabilities of the turbine cruiser proved to be quite satis- 
factory. These trials definitely proved that the steam 
turbine was superior from every point of view to the old type 
of engine, and it was decided to install them in future in all 
torpedo boats. 
In 1905 a committee was appointed to consider the 
question of the design of armoured ships, and the adoption 
of steam turbines was recommended for all such ships. The 
Dreadnought was the first battleship in the world to be fitted 
with steam turbines. It must be mentioned, however, that 
at this stage the Admiralty was probably largely influenced 
by the Cunard Committee, who at the end of 1904 had decided 
to install steam turbines in the Lusitania and Mauretania. 
An official statement was issued by the First Lord of the 
Admiralty in 1906 regarding the adoption of turbines in the 
Dreadnought, in which it was stated that although the steam 
turbine system of propulsion has some disadvantages, it was 
adopted because of the saving in weight, reduction in working 
parts, reduced liability to breakdown, and its smooth working, 
ease of manipulation, saving in coal consumption at high 
powers, and hence boiler-room space and saving in engine- 
room complement ; also because of the increased protection 
due to the engines being placed lower in the ship. 
The usual arrangement in battleships and battle cruisers 
is to fit a high-pressure turbine on the outer shaft and a low- 
pressure turbine on the inner shaft on each side of the ship, 
so that there are four shafts, each carrying propellers, in each 
ship. The two inner shafts carry each the cruising and low- 
pressure ahead and astern turbines. In later types of ships 
the cruiser turbines have been done away with because the 
weight and space saved have been utilised to increase the 
efficiency of the main turbines when running at half power. 
The three battle cruisers of the Invincible class are equipped 
with turbines developing about 42,000 horse power, while in 
the Lion class they develop about 75,000 horse power. Such 
ships could never have been built with reciprocating engines, 
as, owing to the superior economy of modern turbine instal- 
lations, at least 30 per cent, less boiler capacity is required. 
The first foreign warship to be fitted up with steam 
turbines was the French torpedo destroyer No. 293 in 1902. 
The steam turbines were imported from the Parsons Marine 
Company. Although France led the way on the Continent, 
nothing further was done until the 1906 programme, when 
another torpedo boat was equipped with turbines, while at 
the end of 1906 it was decided to fit the battleships Voltaire, 
Danton, Vergniaud, Condorcet, Diderot, and Mirabeau with 
turbines. Each vessel has a displacement of 18,374 tons, a 
speed of 19 knots, and a turbine horse-power capacity of 
22,500. These battleships are fitted with Parsons turbines, 
and the arrangement is practically the same as in the 
Dreadnought. In 1908 the French Navy decided that in 
future all warships should be fitted with turbines. 
In Germany the marine steam turbine was adopted late 
in 1902, and a small turbine destroyer was put in hand. The 
vessel Si 25 has a length of 215 feet and a tonnage of about 
410, and was equipped with Parsons turbines similar to the 
British destroyer Eden already mentioned. In 1903 the small 
cruiser Liibeck, having a displacement of 3,150 tons, was 
equipped with Parsons turbines, and tests were carried out 
between this boat and the Hamburg — a similar cruiser, 
equipped with reciprocating engines. The trials were again 
entirely in favour of the turbine-driven ship. The first large 
armoured vessel built in Germany with turbines was the 
\ battle cruiser Von der Tann, which has a length of 561 feet 
and a displacement of 19,000 tons. This vessel proved 
thoroughly satisfactory, and attained a speed of 27 knots 
when developing about 70,000 horse power. The earliest 
Qlerman boats employed turbines made in England, but the 
later ones were constructed in Germany. 
A steam turbine is essentially a high-speed machine and 
should be run at a fairly high speed in order to get the 
maximum steam economy. On land steam turbines for 
generating electric power are run at speeds, varying from 
1,000 to 3,000 revolutions per minute, but in ships this is 
not possible, as the screw propeller must be run at a fairly 
low speed. In order to get the maximum efficiency out 
of a turbine on board a ship it is necessary to run the 
turbipe at a high and the propeller at a low speed. At present 
both are connected rigidly, and therefore it is necessary to 
compromise on the speed question, the result being that the 
turbine is run at too low and the propeller at too high 
speed. 
At the end of the year 1913 Parsons turbines were 
installed in the following number of ships : — 
Country. 
Warships. 
Mercantii.e Ships. . 
Number. 
Total 
horse-power 
cajjacity. 
Nunil)er. 
Total 
horse-power 
capacity. 
Great Britain . 
Germany 
Krance 
U.S.A 
226 
3S 
34 
37 
4,339.300 
1,508,600 
6ot,8oo 
SS3.300 
98 
5 
12 
8 
928,790 
191,000 
164,500 
86,000 
There are great possibilities in the interposition of a 
reduction gear between the high-speed turbine and low-speed 
propeller so that each may work at its highest efficiency. 
The application of meclianical gearing to destroyers was 
preceded by extensive researches. The Parsons Marine 
Company carried out a . series of experiments with the 
Vespasian — a cargo boat of 4,350 tons displacement. There 
are two turbines, which are connected by means of 
mechanical gearing to the propelling shaft. The steam tur- 
bine runs at about 1,250 and the propeller at 63 revolutions 
per minute. The results have confirmed the theoretical 
considerations as regards economy obtainable by this new 
application and shown great reliability in running. The 
loss of power in the gears is small, amounting only to 
some 2 per cent. 
There are at present a few destroyers in the Navy fitted 
with geared turbines, while the application to larger warships 
is under consideration. The geared turbine has already been 
installed in several Channel steamers, and excellent results 
have been obtained. 
Several other methods of power transmission between 
the propeller and turbines have been proposed, the most 
important being the hydraulic and electrical transmission. 
The hydraulic system has been developed in Germany by 
Dr. Fottinger, of Dantzig. In this system the steam turbine 
drives a centrifugal pump which delivers water to a hydraulic 
turbine, which is connected directly to the propeller shaft. 
This system was employed in the Kimigin Luise, of the 
Hamburg- Amerika line, which had a displacement of 1,800 ■ 
tons. The steam turbines ran at 1,825 and the pro- 
pellers at 453 revolutions per minute. It will be 
remembered that this vessel was fitted out as a mine-layer 
and was sunk by the Amphion on August 5 near Aldeburgh. 
The system gave complete satisfaction, and it was understood 
that the German Admiralty were considering its application 
to a very large warship. 
In the electrical transmission system, which has been 
successfully developed in America, high-speed turbines are 
coupled to electric generators, which in turn drive slow-speed 
motors, the latter being coupled to the propeller shaft. The 
U.S.A. collier Jupiter was fitted up with the electric trans- 
mission gear, and exhaustive trials were carried out. A few 
weeks ago it was announced that it had been decided to fit 
the latest American super-dreadnought, the California, with 
the electric transmission gear. The California will have a 
displacement of 32,000 tons, a speed of 21 knots, and will 
carry more weight of armour than any previously built 
battleship. The great steam economy thus obtained has 
resulted in a considerable reduction in boiler and con- 
denser-room space. The decision of the American naval 
authorities is of great importance, and the performances of 
the California will be watched with interest. An advantage 
of the electric and hydraulic system is that the astern turbine 
is not required, while a further advantage of the electric 
system is that aU speed control and manoeuvring can be done 
directly from the bridge without signalling to the engine- 
room staff, owing to the flexibility of electric power. 
The possibilities of the various systems of " speed 
reduction " in warships are very great. Owing to the higher 
over-all efficiency of the low-speed propellers and high-speed 
turbine greater steam economy, with a consequent reduction 
in weight and space, is obtained. 
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