[AT] Gas turbines
Herbert Metz
metz-h.b at mindspring.com
Tue May 22 03:56:25 PDT 2007
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
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