Engine Specifications as per the "engineering notebook"

[Mike Spooner]

5750 rpm!! My goodness that puts the Olympic class' turbines (195 rpm max) to shame far and wide, jeez. Even the main dynamos (325 rpm regular) never ran that fast!

Hi Gabriel,
The two General Electric turbines made under licence in the UK for Kempton were designed to run at 6,000rpm in 1933. Ideal for American electric at 60 Hz. They were just too fast for the water pumps were a David Brown herringbone reducing gear box was added at 5-1. Which had a reverse fuel consumption of burning over 30% more coal than the triple exspanion engines.
If I only knew how to enclose photos I would send them on.
Mike.

 

[Rob Lawes]

If I only knew how to enclose photos I would send them on.

If the photo's are saved on your computer, simpply use the "upload a file" button on the bottom right of the reply box.

Click on the button. It will open a new box directing you to find your picture file. Once you've found it, click on the name and it will appear in the botttom of the box. Then press return and it should upload to the page.

 

[Steven Christian]

I can assure you if a turbine is correctly assemble which can be a very delicate operation and properly maintained will out last any piston engines by years. One ship that come to mind is the TS King Edward the first commercial turbine ship in the world using Charles Parsons turbines from 1901-1952. The ship has been scrapped but the turbines are in a museum now.
At Kempton Steam Museum were the worlds largest working steam engine triple expansion is housed was in operation for 50 years of service seven days twenty four hour at a steady 20rpm with no major overhaul. As next to the engine is a turbine in service for forty five years of service running at 5,750rpm without any major overhaul!
If your turbines only last for 1-2 years before trouble, there is something serious wrong!

No it was called preventive maintenance. We had a spring outage to help insure reliability for the summer run. 2,200,000 HP machines are different than the toys were talking about here. 5000 psi 1000*F steam is very hard on blades. Its why we had to ensure that our condensate quality was less than 1 part per billion silica. Otherwise the blades would get eaten up. We produced well over 1500 megawatt of power. If we tripped when the grid was maxed out we could cause Los Angeles to go black. I know because we did it one time. There's a huge difference between LP machines and ones that run on super critical steam.

 

[Mike Spooner]

Thanks Rob,
I enclose some photos of Kempton steam turbines. As you see they are not huge engine as in power station. 210psi with 600f super heated dry steam. Some one ask how the fix blades were installed. One photo show the fix blades come in two half. The other thing not be underestimated on a ship is the thrust bearing block which take care of the thrust load through the propeller movement. What was install in Titanic were considerable bigger in size. But reliability was key as the operation to supply London with clean drinking water 24/7. Those who have flown over Heathrow you may of notice large reservoirs. This are the ones supplying water for the pumping stations.

 

[Rob Lawes]

Great pictures.

Definitely now on my list of places to visit. My lad would love it.

 

[A. Gabriel]

Fewer rows of blades than the Olympic-class' turbines, more extreme steam conditions, much much higher RPM. Holy guacamole those things are tremendously formidable, gdang.

 

[Mike Spooner]

Great pictures.

Definitely now on my list of places to visit. My lad would love it.

Hi Rob,
Here is more if can open them? Sorry I had video of the rotation turbine and SS Sheildhall engines in the engine room at Southampton. Will not let me download to you. The photo of the Triple is one steam up with real steam seven times a year. On Sheildhall coming into berth 48. Titanic berth 44 is on the right side of Britannia berth.

 

[A. Gabriel]

Does this particular set of triple expansion engines have a donkey engine to get it started up or could it be cold-started like the ones on the Olympic class?

 

[Mike Spooner]

Yes there are donkey engines know as a barring engine. It take a steam engine to start a steam engine!
Next time down there I will take a photo and forward it on. Cold start a steam engine? It needs to be prewarn beforehand. Put hot steam on cold surface it will drop in temperature too quickly and expand the volume of steam too quickly too. Preheating pipework are spread over the engine and we allow a minimum of 30 hours before trying to start the engine. There is no guarantee it will start the first time in the morning as the lubrication oil is still on the sticky side. The boilers and steam pipework needs to be brought up to temperature as well in ships to! One of the draw backs of using steam engines. Cold start a diesel engines can be troublesome at times. But there are ways around that problems and don't take a day to start!
Mike.

 

[Rancor]

Excellent info but I think in this instance Gabriel is questioning whether the engine can start with the crank in any position. As I understand it some triple expansion engines have to have the HP cylinder at TDC, whilst others can have the crank at any position and still start by means of a bypass valve.

 

[Mike Spooner]

This engines are started from the barring pinion gear is engaged into the flywheel gear. If you can zoom into the heavy flywheel you might see the teeth. The barring engine does the same job as a starting motor on car or truck engines. When picking up speed the pinon gear throughs it self out. In the photo the barring engines are behind the engine. The driver is were you can see two men in white boiler suit on the right. I might be down next Tuesday 10 or Thursday12 and take a photo which will give you much clearer picture. The HP cylinder is the best way to start the engine. In theory you can start the engine on the other cylinders to. But its all to do with timing or position of the cylinder piston.
Mike.

 

[A. Gabriel]

Excellent info but I think in this instance Gabriel is questioning whether the engine can start with the crank in any position. As I understand it some triple expansion engines have to have the HP cylinder at TDC, whilst others can have the crank at any position and still start by means of a bypass valve.

I also asked because of a certain article I found on ET dealing with the topic of cold starts:

Cold-Starting the Titanic

 

[Rancor]

Has to be one of my favourite articles on ET that one!

Mentions that the main engines were fitted with barring engines for allowing them to be turned for lubrication/testing/positioning purposes, but it seems they could start from any position?

 

[Mike Spooner]

The start of a engine by the engine driver which you can have a go at fifty pound for the day. You get five start through the day. The position and timing of the HP piston is critical to prevent a stall. Which I have say happens quite offend on the first one of the day with an in experience driver, as the lubrication is still on the stick side. Great for those visitors at the back of the engine seeing a restart more than once!
Mike.

 

[Mike Spooner]

Seeing bits of the film on TV SOS same time as the British GP. The engine scenes is the one from Kempton. With the 32 tons flywheels turning as Titanic did not have them! I am afraid quite a few other mistakes were made in the film. As launching of the slip way with a propeller? The ship scenes were from the Queen Mary ship. The film company Shepperton Studies is only a few miles away next to Queen Mary reservoir which supplies the water for Kempton pumping station.