REVERSIBLE TURBINES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 278, 17 August 1908, Page 11

REVERSIBLE TURBINES.

A WELLINGTON INVENTION.

' There are several large fortunes awaiting tho lucky men who eolve certain problems cf niomont, arid the inventive- genius of the world is at present busily .engaged in attempting their solution, with varying sue-' cess. We want to fly, a;u! only man's ingenuity will enable'us to do so. We want nonpunoturable- bicyclo tires, and tho man who will ultimately succeed in providing us with-them will be <v Universal benefactor— lie will be very rich, while cyclists will certainly bo less profane.

■ Just now the question of the moment in motivo power is ltow to pioditco a reversible turbine which, from a business point of view, -Will Pfoys a proposition. As most people KhoW, ft turbine-driven steamer -requires two, set?, of. turbines, one for going ahead, and tho other for going astern. Man's ingenuity has.not, so far, succeeded in building a turbine which will drive both ahead and' astern. ; When' it does, the cost of the machinery equipment' o,f a turbjne steamer will be materially lessened. So far, about forty reversible turbines hayo been patented, but they have all more or less failed to comply with tho business condition of all ma-, chinery—namely, that it shall be economical and practicable. ■ ' ■ '. A -Wellington resident has now come forward_ with a reversible turbine, which, if it can - justify all that its inventor claims' for it, will gladden the hearts of ship-owners and others, and enable; the inventor to live in luxury for tho remainder of his days. The inventor, Mr. F. N. Wnrburtqn, formerly of Christehureli, and hot of 'Wellington; gavo a, public test of 'his. reversible turbine at the Power-house on JVi'day aftornoon, in the presence of certain keen-eyed engineering experts, and a handful of interested citizens. :

The turbine-model slipwji was a rough one, and loflked for all, the World like a grindstone on a stand. An odd valve-cock hero and there indicated tho existence, within the interior of the.model, of the concrete embodiment of the mechanical ideas of the inventor. The model was connected with a steam-pipe, aiid, after somo-littlo delay in starting, owing to some of the -steam-packing having been accidentally blown out by tJ|o pressure, the steam,was,gradually turned on-to about 101b.; pressure, arid, with much hissing, and furious little jets of steam; the littlei turbine whirled round at a ' Speed of . about 500' revolutions pfir minute. Then a small lever was turned down, there was a, delay of about 20 seconds, then the .wheel reversed, and was soon going at top,speed-. ■ '■ The Inventor: expressed himself as fcefng quite satisfied with tho test, .which he cpn«idered iyas highly successful, Two pr tjifeo .'private tests have already been givon, jvith good, results, arid Mr, Warburton Jhas great hopes'- for his invention. Tho prinoiplo, of course, is a ; soorotj' but it is claimed that there, is a distinct departure from existing or, attempted ideas. The inventor has been experimenting for; the last tlii'co or four years on his. idea,. Which ho proposes to patent shortly, fie stated that the little model successfully underwent' a 20lb. steam pressure .test, 1 whei] over 1000 revolutions per minute, were attained. ■