The Gas Turbine in Railway Traction

NOTES AND REFERENCES

• A. Meyer, 'The combustion gas turbine: its history, development and prospects', (Proc. Inst. Mech. Engrs., Vol. CXLI, (1939), pp. 197–222. Compares steam, steam-motor, steam-electric and gas-turbine designs pp. 206–207. A general history of the gas-turbine locomotive, with a lengthy classified bibliog-raphy of technical papers and reports is by W. Stoffels, 30 Jahre Gasturbinenlokomotive: Eine Ubersicht der Gasturbinentraktion von 1933 bis 1962, ( Hermann Frey, Ulm-Donau, Germany, 1964). A most valuable source book.
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• Basic principles of the gas-turbine and a review of major variants as judged in the 1940s and 1950s is given by E. H. Lewitt Thermodynamics applied to heat engines, esp. Ch. XXIII 'Gas turbines and jet propulsion', (Pitman, 1959, 1933, pp. 672–735).
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• Brief popular review of gas-turbine types set in context of world energy use is found in H. Thining, Energy for Man: From windmills to nuclear power, (Harper Torchbooks, Harper & Row, NY, 1958, pp. 93–112). First published as Power production, (Harrap, London, 1956).
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• Marine propulsion, including a review of diesel engines, with a discussion of the fuel issue, is given in A. C. Hardy Modern marine engineering, Vol. 1 & 2, (Caxton, London, 1948), esp. vol. 2, pp. 1–32.
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• Railway traction and the fuel question is discussed in J. S. Tritton, 'Presidential address: the challenge to steam', J. Inst. Loco. Eng., Dec. 1947, pp. 462–497; H. R. Cox, 'Some fuel and power projects', Proc. Instn. Mech. Engrs., Vol. 164, 1961, pp. 407–424; D. L. Mordell, 'An experimental coal-burning gas-turbine', Proc. Instn. Mech. Engrs., Vol. 169, No. 7, 1954, pp. 163–180; J. C. Wisdom, et al., 'The coal-burning gas-turbine in Australia', Elec. & Mech. Eng. Trans, May 1961, pp. 29–42.
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• M. Hughes, The world high speed train race, (David & Charles, 1988); H. Williams, APT—A promise unfulfilled, (Ian Allan, 1985).
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• D. W. Rudorff, Steam generators, (Griffin & Co., 1938), pp. 135–152. Describes Vorkauf and Huettner units.
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• F. Schmidt, The internal combustion engine, (Chapman & Hall, 1965), English trans. of German 1951 review of theory and practice before and during the 1940s.
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• D. W. Rudorff, Op. cit., ref. 13, pp. 48–71. G. Pio-Ulsky, 'Velox steam generators and their signifi-cance for power plants', Waerme, Vol. 58, 1935, pp. 249–251, in German. W. G. Noack, 'Three years' experience with the Velox steam generator', 1 d. Oesterr. Ing. and Archit. Ver., Vol. 88, 1936, pp. 37–41.
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• Compound diesel engines are described by Duffy, Dunlop, Hobson, Lomonossoff & Fell, Op cit, re f. 5.
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• D. W. Rudorff, Op cit, ref. 13. H. W. Dickinson, A short history of the steam engine, ( Babcock & Wilcox, Cambridge U.P., 1938).
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• D. W. Rudorff, Op cit, ref. 13, pp. 40–47; M. C. Duffy, 'The American steam-turbine-electric loco-motive', Trans. Newcomen Society, Vol. 57, 1985–86, pp. 79–99; E.G. Bailey, A. R. Smith, & P. S. Dickey, 'Steamotive, a complete steam generating unit, its development and test', Mech. Eng. [USA], Vol. 58, 1936, pp. 771–780.
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• W. Stoffels, Lokomotivbau und dampftechnik, (Birkhauser, 1976), Review of steam locomotive exper-iments. Brief description and illustration of Velox locomotive pp. 67–69. Rudorff, Op cit, ref. 13 refers to Buchli Suggestions concerning modern steam locomotives, (Schweiz. Bauztg., 1936, p. 113).
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• Ibid. Stoffels lists as references, 'Possibilities of Velox boiler for locomotives, Rly. Gaz. Vol. 69, No. 22, 1938 II, pp. 895–910); 'French locomotive with Velox boiler', Rly. Gaz. Vol. 70, No. 13, 1939 I, pp. 544–546. G. Chan, 'Locomotive a chaudiere Velox de la SNCF', Rev. Gen. C.d.F., Vol. 58, No. 6. 1939, pp. 417–433; 'La Locomotive 230, a chaudiere Velox', Le Genie Civil, Vol. 115, No. 2, 1939 II, pp. 25–30.
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• A. Stodol, Steam and gas turbines, Vol. 1 & 2 (McGraw Hill, 1927).
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• H. O. Farmer, 'Free-piston compressor-engines', Proc. Instn. Mech. Engrs., Vol. 156, 1947, pp. 253–271. States Pescara began work in 1922 and built first machine in Paris in 1925. Mentions British patents for free-piston compressors dated 1921, 1922 taken out by innovators who did not develop the idea.
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• General reviews of practice in the 1930s and 1940s given by T. A. Crowe, 'Gas turbine as applied to marine propulsion', Proc. Instn. Mech. Engrs., Vol. 158, 1948, pp. 103-116. H. Constant, 'Prospect of land and marine gas-turbines', Proc. Instn. Mech. Engrs., Vol. 159, 1949, pp. 191–197.
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• W. Stoffels, Op cit, ref. 1 Stoffels refers to 'World review of gas-turbine locomotives', The oil engine and gas turbine, Vol. 20, 1952–53, 227, pp. 22–29; Vol. 24, 1956–57, 276, pp. 157–163, Vol. 25, 1957–58, 299, pp. 119–123.
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• Stoffels refers to 'Gas generator locomotives', Diesel Railway Traction, Vol. 11, 1957, 303, 297; 'Buchli gas-turbine plant with a diesel engine as its gas producer, Diesel Railway Traction, Vol. 2, 1948, 195.
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• H. O. Farmer, Op cit, ref. 22. Farmer's paper strongly suggests that it was first conceived as a com-pressor, with its use as a gas-generator for turbines developing in the late 1930s.
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• A. C. Hardy, Op. cit., ref. 6, vol. 2, pp. 126–127. Hardy refers to a 1000 hp installation in which the gas drove steering engines, winches, and capstans in addition to the main propulsion The gas was used to drive reciprocating as well as rotary engines. The gas-generator was sometimes referred to as a 'diesel-boiler'. Stoffels lists A.C. Hardy, 'Diesel boiler', (Diesel Railway Traction, Oct. 1933, p. 504.); L. H. Tenger, 'Crank-piston gas generator locomotives', SAE Paper 214 C, August 1960.
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• Contemporay diesel-electric and electric locomotives are reviewed by D.W. & M. Hinde, Electric and diesel-electric locomotives, (Macmillan, 1948) the Brown-Boveri gas-turbine-electric locomotive is described pp 255–259.
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• M. C. Duffy, 'André Chapelon, thermodynamics and the steam locomotive', Trans. Newcomen Society, Vol. 58, 1986–87, pp. 11–17. Included with Chapelon Symposium papers by J. T. Van Riemsdijk and G. W. Carpenter pp. 1–26. A. Chapelon, 'La locomotive 242-A-1 de la S.N.C.F.', Rev. Gin. de Chemins de Fer, Dec. 1947, No. 12, pp. 397 VII, W. Stoffels, 'Lokomotivbau und Dampftechnik',(Birkhauser, 1976), M. L. Camboumac, 'Progres recents dans les installations et le materiel de la S.N.C.F.', Mémoires de la Societe des Ingénieurs Civils de France, Fasc. 1 et 2, Jan-Fey. 1949, pp. 172–264.
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• Picard, 'Line nouvelle locomotive a turbine a gaz avec generateurs a pistons libres', Rev. Gin. de Chemins de Fer, Vol. 71, 1952, No. 5, pp. 189–199; 'An experimental turbo-diesel locomotive', Proc. Instn. Mech. Engrs., Vol. 169, 1955, pp. 820–828.
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• J. Bolter, 'Parsons—North British coal burning gas turbine locomotive', Trans. Newcomen Society, vol. 66, 1994–95, pp. 121–151
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• British post-war traction policy, and prototype designs reviewed by J. Johnson & R. A. Long, British Railways engineering 1948–80, ( Mechanical Engineering Press, London, 1981). Diesel policy pp. 157-200. L. F. R. Fell, 'The Fell diesel mechanical locomotive, J. Instn. Loco. Engrs., Vol. 42, 1952, No. 227, pp. 223 et seq.
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• W. Stoffels refers to 'La nouvelle locomotive a generateur a pistons libres, turbine a gas, transmission mécanique', Rev. de l'Assoc. Française des Amis des Chemins de Fer, Nov.-Dec., 1959, pp. 167–175; 'Les 2 nouvelles locomotives Françaises a turbines h gas alimentées par generateur a pistons libres', Rev. Geri. des Chemins de Fer, Vol. 81, Jan. 1962, pp. 5–16.
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• W. Stoffels, Op cit, ref. 1, p. 47 and Fig. 42.J. N. Westwood, Op cit, ref. 4, p 80.
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• W. Stoffels, Op cit, ref. 1, p. 73., includes refs to 'GM tests free-piston engine', Railway Locomotives & Cars, Vol.131, 1957, No 5, p. 10; Vol. 133, 1959, No.7, pp 24–25.
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• The author is indebted to Mr J. V. Vickers ( Member) for information about the poor part-load charac-teristics of gas-turbines. Mr Vickers refers to R. R. Whyte (Metrovick.), Engineering progress through development and Janes World Railways 1950–51. See D. H. Mallinson & W. G. E. Lewis, Op cit, ref.36.
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