NEW FORM OF STEAM ENGINE.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1367, 3 July 1878, Page 3

NEW FORM OF STEAM ENGINE.

At a meeting of the graduates’ section of the Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders, at Glasgow (the “ Glasgow News ” of March Bth reports), an interesting paper was read by Mr P. Durkin, of London, on “ High-speed Steam Engines,” The kind of engine specially described is one which aims at converting the reciprocating into the rotary motion in a more direct manner, and with fewer intermediate pai’ts, than is possible in the ordinary engine. It is known as West’s high-pressure expansive six-cylinder steamengine, all the cylinders being in one casting, arranged in a circle parallel with one another, like the chambers of a revolver, and forming a hollow space in the centre large enough to contain the crank, which is fixed to the end of the driving shaft. The cylinders are open at one end and closed at the other, and at the closed end they abut against the stoam-chest, from which they are separated only by the thin plate of metal forming the cylinder end. There is an entire absence of steam passages, which is by many engineers regarded as a great advantage. Probably the most remarkable feature of this engine is the employment of the disc motion, and the amount of the friction internally is so small that in several instances it has, when tested with a friction brake, given a useful effect of 90 per cent., thus consuming only 10 per cent., or even less, of the indicated horsepower in overcoming its own resistance. It is by means of the disc that the reciprocating is converted into rotary motion, and its steadiness is affected by means of a ball-and-socket joint at its centre. In this engine the expansion of the steam is utilised in a very successful manner, and it gives a high velocity at a low piston speed. It requires no fly-wheel, and it occupies but very em ill space when compared with the power given out, Th» paper was listened to with great interest on account of the simplicity and beauty of the mechanism of this engine. A discussion followed, in the course of which several wellkuowu Clyde marine engineers characterised it as being exceedingly clever in design. An engine of this kind is at present jn course of construction in this city, and various engineers are looking forward with great interest to the trials which are to be made with it when it is finished. One happy suggestion made in the course of the discussion was that the engine might be adapted to the compound high and low pressure system now so preyalent on the Clyde by having six cylinders of each kind.