[rollei_list] Re: OT - Turbines generating electricity
- From: Ardeshir Mehta <ardeshir@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2005 01:32:54 -0500
On Wednesday, January 26, 2005, at 05:23 PM, David Seifert wrote:
> So called "turbo-electric" (steam turbines driving generators which
> supply electricity to electric motors turning the shafts) systems were
> used to quite good effect by the French Line in the development of SS
> Normandie. Indeed, a Blue Riband holder. If I recall correctly the
> great P&O ship Canberra had a similar power plant. Normandie, of
> course, burned and sank in the dock while moored in New York during
> WWII and Canberra was retired in the 90's after a long career in
> cruise, emigrant (US to Australia) and trooping (Falklands) service.
> These days, there are at least four commercial installations of a gas
> turbine/electric generator power plant. The ones I know of for sure
> are the Millennium class ships operated by Celebrity Cruises. They
> each have a GE90 based gas turbine driving generators with the
> propellers housed in fully azmuthing podded propulsion units. An
> interesting note is that these four ships, all built in the 1998-2003
> time frame were built in the same yard as Normandie (Chantier
> d'Atlantique in St. Nazaire). These are Panamax hulls with GRTs in
> excess of 80,000 tons. Large commercial vessels, indeed.
>
> Best Regards,
> David Seifert
Quite right, David. The trend in ships is away from diesel engines and
towards gas turbines generating electricity - for many reasons, among
them: (1) a turbine of the same weight as a reciprocating engine
generates far more power, or alternatively, having the same power
output weighs far less, and (2) electricity driving the propellers
enables azipods to propel the ship in any direction one chooses,
thereby reducing or even eliminating the need for tugs.
Now, reason (1) would be an advantage in automobiles too, and reason
(2) would enable the elimination of gears, and the ability to have
full-time all-wheel-drive without any transmission connecting the
engine to the wheels.
Not to mention enabling regenerative braking, which would definitely
save fuel.
Cheers!
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