The TRUTH ABOUT MOTORS

NZ Truth, Issue 1209, 31 January 1929, Page 13

The TRUTH ABOUT MOTORS

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How The Petrol Finds Its Way Into The Tank Of Your Car

America, Borneo, Persia, Russia — these are some bf the far countries -whence comes the floodtide of petrol which keeps your car purring" contentedly along a track, or makes the bracing wires of your plane scream with speed at 10,000 feet above sea level.

TO-DAY oil is vital to civilization; so much so, m fact, that the greatest war of all time may yet be fought around the ownership of some new oil-field. An American writer has recently referred to oil as the "International High Explosive." Carrying approximately 4,000,000 gallons pf petrol for Australian and New Zealand ports, the Atlantic Union Oil Co.'s tanker "Brunswick" arrived m Wellington recently. She is something exceptional m the way of tankers. The "Brunswick" is a Dieselelectric ship, and is the largest vessel of her type m the world. She was specially built for Australian and New Zealand trade. Her hull was built by Scotts' Shipbuilding and Engineering Co., Greenock; Messrs. Carels Freres constructed the Ingersoll-Rand type engines at Ghent; while the electrical part of the installation .was manufactured by the British . Thomsin-Houston Company, Rugby. , The Diesel- electric system was conceived by Captain' Durtnal, an Englishman, who first produced it m a lecture before the Institute of Engineers m London m July, 1914. The principle was not adopted until about 1016. when it was tried out m a vessel on the Mississippi. The main details of this outstanding vessel are as follows: Length between pprpendiculars, 469 ft, breadth 63ft.; depth, moulded,; 36ft. 9in.; draught, loaded, 26ft. lOin. Deadweight capacity on above draught, 13,210 tons; speed, loaded, 11 knots; engine power, 3000 h.p.; number of engines, 4. An unusual feature is the location of all accommodation aft, no bridge being provided amidships. Tank steamers are not picturesque, but they are interesting craft, and to look along the deck of the "Brunswick" is to gain a remarkable impression of the ship. There is plenty of deck, but one's promenade is something of a hurdle j race over the multitude of pipes and pumps used m loading and discharg-. ing the tanks, which m the case of the iiiiiiiiiiiuiiuniuiiiiiiiHiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiitiiiiiiini»iiii

"Brunswick" number three sets capable of discharging 81,000 gallons per hour each. The motors driving the cargo oil-\ pumps are located m the engine-room, tl^e shafts passing through the bulkhead. The motors are 80-b.h.p. maphines. The Atlantic Union Oil Co. has its own wharves at the big ports, and from them run pipe-lines to the great storage tanks m the compounds. Into these the oil pours at the rate of 1800 barrels per hour, forced by the pumps on the ship. Another unique feature of the "Brunswick" is the bridge control apparatus. In this respect she has entirely departed from established practice, and she is further to be singled out as a vessel handled entirely from the bridge. She is fltted with a Sperry gyroscopic compass and automatic helmsman, which enables the ship to steer herself on any course that may be set. Once the gyro-pilot takes charge of the steering any deviation from the course is corrected automatically and the actual course of the ship is l-ecorded on a dial. This master gyro-compass is located m the chartroom, the current being supplied from a motor generator set. The gyro-pilot gear is brought into operation by moving a lever at the side of the bridge pedestal, which accommodates the controls and upon which is mounted a small steering-wheel. Few more interesting ships than the "Brunswick" have taken the water so far as the mercantile marine is concerned, and her owners have placed themselves m an unique position for ascertaining the capabilities of Diesel-electric ships. Oil distribution is a huge task, and is being tackled m a big way. The biggest part of the job comes after the storage tanks are filled. They must be emptied again; first into the dis- • tributing tanks, from there to the trucks, and finally, by way of the garage pumps, into countless cars, trucks, tractors, and motor-cycles.