The Prospects of Land and Marine Gas Turbines *

Abstract

At the end of the 1939–45 war, the rapid developments that had taken place in the aeronautical gas turbine during the previous decade became generally known to engineers, and the advent of this turbine naturally turned their minds to its possible application to other forms of power production. In his lecture the author considers the world conditions under which the gas turbine for land and sea use is being developed, and attempts to assess its prospects. If some of the problems remaining to be solved are overcome, it is possible to foresee a wide field of usefulness for this prime mover. When the present world-shortage of liquid fuel is eased, the gas-turbine locomotive will become a strong competitor to the steam locomotive, and, whatever the liquid-fuel position, it will shortly be able to meet the Diesel-electric locomotive on more than equal terms. The prospects for marine use turn on its ability to burn heavy residual oils. For base-load power stations, its widespread use is dependent on the practicability of its being linked to a district heating system, so that the best use can be made of its waste heat.