[AT] Gas turbines in tractors

Sat May 19 08:46:54 PDT 2007

Allis Chalmers tried a Boeing turbine engine in a HD-21 size crawler tractor 
in the early fifties, called it the P-91. After much experimentation the 
thing was cancelled. It was fast, thirsty, and noisy, and finally blew up in 
operation. Imagine the transmission needed to reduce 20,000 plus rpm's to 
something useable at the ground, and the air filtration needed for dozer 
operation at ground level. Problems would/could be insurmountable, they were 
with
Allis,
and apparently everyone else.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Guy Fay" <fayguyma at execpc.com>
To: "'Antique tractor email discussion group'" 
<at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Friday, May 18, 2007 8:56 PM
Subject: Re: [AT] Gas turbines in tractors


> The problem with gas turbines as used in the IH tractor in the early 1960s
> was partial load fuel consumption, noise, and heat dispersal. Diesel 
> engines
> are excellent for proportioning fuel consumption with load, while gas
> turbines tend to use quite a bit of fuel at low horsepower loads. If a
> tractor were to be at full load constantly, it might be doable fuel wise,
> but then you get back to noise and heat.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
> [mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of Dean Vinson
> Sent: Friday, May 18, 2007 8:18 PM
> To: 'Antique tractor email discussion group'
> Subject: Re: [AT] Gas turbines in tractors
>
> Hi Ken--I hadn't thought of those helicopters and tanks, but heck yes, 
> talk
> about a dusty environment.  I don't know how they handle it.  Maintenance
> must be deadly serious business, in the most literal sense.
>
> Dean Vinson
> Dayton, Ohio
> www.vinsonfarm.net
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
> [mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of Ken Knierim
> Sent: Friday, May 18, 2007 4:32 PM
> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
> Subject: Re: [AT] Gas turbines in tractors
>
> Gas turbines were used in the IH experimental tractor, more than one Indy
> car, and some railroad locomotives. They're used in propelling some ships
> too. As far as dust, can you imagine a more dusty environment than the
> helicopters and tanks encounter in the desert of Iraq? They have turbines
> and seem to get along fine. They've come a long way from the disaster that
> happened in Iran (where I think the military helicopters used in the 
> failed
> attempt to rescue the embassy hostages were overcome by dust).
>
>
> Just my observations.
>
> Ken in AZ
>
> (AZ is where they tested tank engines during WWII so they could make a
> better air filter to survive North Africa)
>
> On 5/18/07, Dean Vinson <dean at vinsonfarm.net> wrote:
>> I think International Harvester experimented with that for a while in
>> the 70s, but don't know what all the results were.
>>
>> The Air Force for a while had some gas turbine powered 750 kilowatt
>> generators in their "bare base" inventory, the stuff they use when
>> they need to operate from some austere airfield somewhere.  I had a
>> little bit of experience with those units.  I suspect they were
>> probably very good machines, but it's mighty hard to keep compressor
>> blades clean when you're operating at ground level all the time in a
>> dusty environment.  I suspect that same fact would bedevil attempts to 
>> use
> turbines in farm tractors.
>>
>> Dean Vinson
>> Dayton, Ohio
>> www.vinsonfarm.net
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
>> [mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of
>> Claudeprintequip at aol.com
>> Sent: Friday, May 18, 2007 3:19 PM
>> To: at at lists.antique-tractor.com
>> Subject: [AT] lots of cheap gas in Brazil !@#$%
>>
>> In a message dated 5/18/2007 11:08:00 A.M. Central Daylight Time,
>> at-request at lists.antique-tractor.com writes:
>>
>> Want  cheaper gas to keep the old iron running?
>> Short of moving to Brazil there are still alternatives.
>>
>> Why wouldn't gas turbine engines work well in tractors or other
>> equipment using fixed governed speed?
>> Military aircraft boneyards are filled with lots of good old abandoned
>> turbojets. The overall economy might not be too good but fuel cost
>> would go down for the occasional use  of the old Allis B with a good
>> gas turbine engine replacement. I've heard  a gas  turbine will run on
>> anythin g just slightly more volatile than asphalt.  Allis Chalmers
>> developed a fuel cell powered tractor but I don't recall any  tractor
> manufacturer working on
>> the gas turbine idea.   Don't remember  Chrysler making any tractors.
>>
>> The link below shows a little history and development of gas  turbine
>> engines in the auto industry.
>>
>> Where is  really good mad scientest when you need one.   Tesla, Edison,
>> Einstein or one of
>> their ilk could take and Idea like this and run with it.
>>
>> Claude
>> Tontitown, Arkansas
>>
>>
>> _http://aolsearch.aol.com/aol/redir?src=websearch&requestId=4adfe5e03e
>> 688bd5
>> &c
>> lickedItemRank=6&userQuery=chrysler+turbojet&clickedItemURN=http%3A%2F
>> %2Fwww
>> .t
>> urbinecar.com%2Fsia%2Fsia127.htm&title=Driving+Chrysler%26%2339%3Bs+Br
>> onze+B
>> lo
>> wtourch&moduleId=matchingsites.jsp.M&clickedItemPageRanking=6&clickedI
>> temPag
>> e=
>> 1&clickedItemDescription=WebResults_
>> (http://aolsearch.aol.com/aol/redir?src=websearch&requestId=4adfe5e03e
>> 688bd5 &clickedItemRank=6&userQuery=chrysler+turbo
>> jet&clickedItemURN=http://www.turbinecar.com/sia/sia127.htm&title=Driv
>> ing+Ch
>> ry
>> sler's+Bronze+Blowtourch&moduleId=matchingsites.jsp.M&clickedItemP
>> ageRan
>> ki
>> ng=6&clickedItemPage=1&clickedItemDescription=WebResults)
>>
>>
>>
>> ************************************** See what's free at
>> http://www.aol.com.
>>
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