THE MAHENO'S TURBINES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16120, 8 July 1914, Page 9

THE MAHENO'S TURBINES

EXTENDED SEA TRIALS. Tlie M-a.hono'.s new gen red turbine engines y<-re pi ven another extended sea. trial yesterdny. The weather conditions were diodedJy unpleasant, owing u> a raw, c-u!d southerly wind and rain, but, forl.unuti ly, tin: sea. wae smooth, and tin* vc: sel's speed trials were carried out under very favourable conditions. Owing to the importance of her trials from a murine engineering rjoint of. view, the result was keenly aiit.it-ipii.ted, and it is pJuauing to add that the trials wort; eminently satisfactory. Captain l>. M'Lwin and Captain W. J. King wore in charge of t,h(! bwlge, Mr \V. Siniarl (superintendent, engineer) was in charge of tiio engine room, and ho was assisted by Mr Duuslord (IVrsons's representative), and Mr Thomas Cardec k (foidinan of the engineering works), the lutter gentleman having .boon entrusted with tho Task of removing the old engines and installing the gisanxt turbines. 'J his important work earned for Mr Cardock some very cordia.l congratulations. Air I) Aikon (genera! manager of the Union Con: liany) and a number of prominent marih., engineers wore present. Tliu Mahono l«ft Port Chalmers about 9.30 .a m., and after clearing TaJaroa Heads she was subjected to a second scries of ■progressive fpeed trials, consisting of four double runs over a measured' mile, caoh double run being taken over the same course forward and b:iek in order that the mean speed of tho vessel could he obtained over a mile course und<r varying engine speeds and steam pressures. TTie results achieved; over these courses were, if anything, slightly hotter than thoso of last Friday, her maximum speed being well over 17 knots At 1.47 p.m. the Ma'heno was headed for Mooraki, and was kept on that coiirso at full speed for one hour, aiter which she was headed back to Taiaroa Heads at full speed. On tho outward course tho speed , attained was 17.3 knots, and on the, return trip the Maheno logged 18 knots for aibout half an hco-r, tho mean average for both runs being 17.65 knots, as compared with 17.09 knots covered by the vessel at, Friday's trials. These distances wore taken from two logs, and were checked by shore observations, reducing the chance of error to practically nothing. Tho coal consumption was carefully cheeked, and it was found that tho amount consumed during the trials averaged 25 per cent, loss than the average consumption with the old turbines driving the vessel at about 13 knots. The Maheno's turbines wore further tested by driving tho vessel astern for a knot, the, apoed averaging 11 knots, which was considered very satisfactory, as the engines were anJy driven astern at two-thirds of their full ma:;imujn. A pleasing fcaturo of the trials throughout was a complete absence of vibration except when the vessel was slowing under a "hard-over holm." The maximum indicated horsepower worked out at about 6500.

The engineers in charge, and also tho visiting members of the profession, wcro highly plensed with the results, and it is anticipated that a still further increase in speed may yot bo looked for when cverythng gets working smoothly, although from a layman's point of view it would be difficult to iinugino such powerful machinery running any smoother than that of t-ho Ma'hcno yesterday.

Tho vessel returned to Port Chalmers at 5.20 p.m. last evening, and will sail this afternoon for Wellington direct in order to enter tho Sydney-New Zealand service.

In view of the extensive alterations and improvements (including tho construction of eight large new state rooms on tho promenado deck), it is safe to , say that the Maheno will quickly become ono of tho most popular uassenger steamers in the Red Funnel fleet.