FUTURE BATTLESHIPS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 330, 17 June 1911, Page 9

FUTURE BATTLESHIPS.

MOTOR ENGINES FOR BRITISH " DREADNOUGHT." An announcement, which foreshadows to some extent the next departure in naval construction, is iniido in the journal, the .Motor Boat. From this it appears that a set of motor engines of 3(i,000-h.p. for a battleship is now building in England. The subject is one of national importance, and the first appearance of the internal combustion engine in place of steam in place of steam in a Dreadsteam in a. Dreadnought is bound to be | an epoch-making event in the history of the world's navies. From an article on the subject we take the following extracts:— The consummation whicn engineers declared only a few months ago to be years distant has actually been achieved. The design consists of eight-cylinder engines, practically two four-cylinder motors coupled in tandem, developing l-2,(IOO-li.p., that is 1000-h.p. per cylinder. Three of these 12,000-h.p. units "are m process of construction, making an aggregate of au,()lM)-h.p. The engines will be installed in a Dreadnought, we believe, of this year's or next year's programme, and a speed of twenty-one knots is anticipated. The engines are of the two-stroke Diesel type, single-acting, using crude oil as fuel, starting and reversing on compressed air. Pistons and valves are water-cooled, the fuel and air-starting valves being in the head, while the scavenging air is fed in about half-way down the cylndei'. Separate compressors are used, the high-pressure pumps being driven by a separate Diesel engine »f HMMMi.p. iliis latter engine will run at any speed between 240 r.p.m. and 40 r.p.m., and we are inclined to believe—though we cannot speak with certainty on the point—that the big engines run at about Jno r.p.m. normally,' but can be slowed down to lio r.p.m.' The leading dimensions of the big engine will be about .'ilift overall length bv llift hi"h and Sl't in width. , This means lhat they will be practically invulnerable, sin,.,, the highest* point of the engine will be well below the water-line, one of (he most valuable leatures of the equipment. Moreover, the absence of stokers will mean a verv large reduction in the ship's complement of men, or the capacity to carry a splendid reserve of gun-crews. As rewards cost, the figure is by no means excessive, being about £lO per horse-power. The absence of smoke from the funnels will be of inestimable advantage, and at night time the ship will be practically invisible.