GERMAN MOTOR LIVER.

Northern Advocate, 22 September 1910, Page 2

GERMAN MOTOR LIVER.

THE SHIP AND HER ENGINES

The Hamburg-American Company has ordered from Messrs Blohm and Voss, shipbuilders, Hamburg, a 9000----ton Atlantic liner, with motor-engines It is intended that the speed shall tie 12% knots.

From inquiries made by the London "Shipping Gazette," it is understood that the vessel will be fitted with two Diesel engines, each about 1500 h.p.. which will be constructed in Germany. The twin propellors, which will in proportion be smaller than those on a steamer of the same tonnage, will work at about 150 revolutions per minute. In regard to the fuel question, it may be pointed out that the Diese' engine requires of fuel per b.h.p. as compared with about 21b. with the best steam engine. ±a other words, this means that the fuel needed to oe carried is reduced by about 75 per cent.

The fuel used with the Diesel engine is petroleum residue, the cheapest grade of oil to be had. This can be purchased in England at about 40sper ton, the price in Germany beiug possibly slightly higher. As the njw German vessel—we understand she is to be a cargo boat —will be running across the North Atlantic there will be no trouble about the procuring of petroleum residue. A heavy stock is held in Germany, whilst in the States it can always be had.

Engineers have for some time past been interested in the progress made with the marine motor, and they hu\e been looking forward to the adoption of this type of engine on ocean liners. But it was hardly expected that a vessel of 9000 tons would at this period be fitted with motor engines.

As regards the new German linr>r, it will be as well to indicate some of the economies that may be expected. In the first place the bunker capacity will be reduced by about 75 per cent. There will be no boilers to trouble about, and the weight of machinery will be much reduced. The cargo cairying capacity will, therefore, be considerably increased. In the engineroom staff there will be a big reduction in numbers. At the moment it is not possible to say how many engineers and others will be required to work the engines. We imagine, however, that the vessel will work on che three-watch system. Probably, therefore, three engineers and three greasers will be sufficient for the running of the two engines.

The carriage of perroleum residue for such a vessel is quite safe. The residue used has a flash point of abo-it 250deg. Fahrenheit. In all probability the engines will exhaust up tie funnel. Comparing '■he thermal efficiency of the Diesel engines wi~h that of the steam engine, we are informed that the best result obtained from the steam engine is about 15 per cent., as compared with as much as 40 per cent, obtained by the Diesel engine. In other words, in the steam engine, only about 16 per cent, of the • heat value of the fuel is utilised, .is compared with 40 per cent, with the motor. It must not be assumed that the 3000 h.p. engines of the new German boat, the drawings for which h <ye already been prepared, mark anything like finality. Those who are closely associated with this phase of engineering confidently anticipate that the time will come when engires of this type will be used for the propulsion of battleships.