[AT] Gas turbines

[Herbert Metz]

Bill
Thanks for sharing.   Very interesting and informative.
Herb

> [Original Message]
> From: Bill Bruer <bill_bru at bellsouth.net>
> To: Antique tractor email discussion group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Date: 5/21/2007 2:21:24 PM
> Subject: Re: [AT] Gas turbines
>
> I don't know anything about gas turbines or their relative efficiency but
I 
> saw how effective they can be as ships power plants.
>
> I was a Machinist's Mate aboard the USS Wainwright DLG-28.  While some
MM's 
> actually work with machine tools, most are assigned to the engine rooms,
as 
> I was.  Wainwright was state-of-the-art for a light cruiser in the US
Navy 
> in the late 1960's and early 1970's.  She was 547 feet long with a beam
of 
> 55 feet, a draft of 28 feet, and a displacement of 7930 tons.
>
> Typical of our ships, main power was 2 steam turbines running on
superheated 
> steam  - close to 1000 degrees and at 1200 PSI - producing 45,000 HP
each. 
> It took us about 3 hours to get underway from a cold start under normal 
> conditions, though we could get some movement in about an hour and a half
in 
> an all-out emergency.  Most European Navies were already converting to
gas 
> turbines for main propulsion.  I know the British and Canadians could go 
> from cold iron to full fighting power in less than 1/2 hour because I saw 
> them do it.
>
> In early 1973 we were assigned to the Sixth Fleet in the western 
> Mediterranean.  We were always playing games with the Russians.  One
evening 
> I had just gone on duty in the forward engine room - "Main Control" for 
> Engineering - on the 4-to-8 watch when we received engine orders to
increase 
> speed above our usual cruising speed of about 18 knots.  The orders kept 
> coming until we were running at full speed, around 30 knots.  By the time
we 
> were relieved for evening chow at 5:30, we were at flank speed - all she 
> had, full out.  That's a very dangerous condition where major problems
occur 
> very fast with steam engines.  We didn't do it often.  The phone talkers 
> from the bridge were only telling us that it was more games with the 
> Russians but there was a lot of strain in their voices.  Our reliefs just 
> said to go out on the fantail.  As soon as we got out of the hole I
grabbed 
> a sandwich & went on deck.
>
> About a hundred yards off our stern and directly in the center of our
wake 
> was a Russian destroyer.  Looking ahead, there was another one about the 
> same distance off our bow & running directly ahead of us.    Three large 
> warships running *very* close together, nose-to-tail at over 30 knots. 
If 
> the front Russian's engines had hiccupped we would have cut straight into 
> him.  If our engines hiccupped we would have been rammed by the Russian 
> behind us.  Knowing how close our engines were to that hiccup made it
very 
> frightening indeed.
>
> The guys that had been on deck and saw this situation develop said the 
> Russians just came up over the horizon and caught up to us "suddenly". 
The 
> one in front of us was able to get there and maintain his position with 
> enough speed to counter any move we made and even zig-zag a bit.  After I 
> had been on deck about 15 minutes, the Russians decided to call it off. 
> They just cranked those gas turbines up a bit more and were gone over the 
> horizon in front of us in another half-hour.  We figured they had to be 
> doing close to 45 knots.
>
> I loved the steam engines and I know they had a lot of strong points
going 
> for them.  For a warship, though, I also saw those very important
benefits 
> of the gas turbine: they can be almost instantly ready for full service
and 
> they can develop high
> speeds with strong acceleration.
>
> Bill Bruer
> Murfreesboro, TN
> bill_bru at bellsouth.net
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "CEE VILL" <cvee60 at hotmail.com>
> To: <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Sent: Sunday, May 20, 2007 8:59 AM
> Subject: Re: [AT] Gas turbines
>
>
> I do not know anything about gas turbine engines, but the note below
caught
> my eye.  A good friend sent me this link because his nephew will take
> command of this destroyer this summer.
>
> I have to wonder what the gallons per mile rating is.  I guess I am seeing
> this as 25,000 HP per engine. In a tractor, that should haul an implement
> around one mile wide, maybe ??
>
>
> http://www.williams.navy.mil/
> USS JAMES E. WILLIAMS "LEAD FROM THE FRONT"
>
> 4 LM2500 Marine Gas Turbine Engines (100,000 HP)
>
> Charlie V. in WNY
>
>
>
>
> >From: Mike Sloane <mikesloane at verizon.net>
> >Reply-To: Antique tractor email discussion group
> ><at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> >To: Antique tractor email discussion group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> >Subject: Re: [AT] Gas turbines in tractors
> >Date: Sat, 19 May 2007 12:28:07 -0400
> >
> >
> >
> >Here is a very detailed story about them:
> ><http://www.allpar.com/mopar/turbine.html>
> >
> >Mike