INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 August 1920, Page XII

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

USE IN SHIPS. One of tlie most interesting aspects of mercantile shipbuilding is the grow--ing use of the internal combustion engine for propulsion. Scandinavia inaugurated the departure and still leads the way with this class of new construction. (But the motor-driven ship is coming into favour in all maritime countries. The United States Shipping Board are having a number of coalburning steamers converted into motorpropelled craft. Italy is also adopting this system in order to overcome her coal supply difficulties. Altogether there are now some 151 motor-ships in course of construction. These range in size from 12,250 ton cargo carriers to fishing trailers. It is claimed for the motor ship that, it can be run much more cheaply than the coal burner. Some Scandinavian firms have cut their operating cost-by 50- per cent, as a result of introducing the Diesel engine into their vessels. What this will mean When it comes to quoting competitive prices' for freight carrying is so evident that one need not lay stress on the point. To give one example, the statement is made that on a voyage to the East a 10,000-ton motor ship can carry cargo for 10s per tori less than a coalburning vessel of like size, and the profit to the owner will be the same in each case. Oil burners can now be bunkered at almost any port, in the world. Replenishing them with fuel is comparatively easy, much quicker, and less laborious than coaling, which means a saving in both time and money. Kor does oil work out more expensive than coal. On the contrary, when everything has been balanced up the figures will in most cases, be in favour of .the liquid fuel. The tendency towards a rap'dly increasing use of the latter by merchant shipping is an important matter for our coal industries, as it cuts into one of their most profitable mavkels. and the growing vogue of tho motorship affects our marine-engine builders very closely. These are getting a certain amount of practical assistance from the Admiralty. Everybody who hag compared the engine-rooms of U-boats with those of our own submarines knows that the German-built Diesel is superior to the British at several points. By way of aiding the British makers to improve their designs the Admiralty has diatri-. buted among them'for examination several engines taken from surrendered Üboats.