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Gas Turbine versus Oil Engine

22nd February 1957
Page 42
Page 42, 22nd February 1957 — Gas Turbine versus Oil Engine
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

ALTHOUGH the gas turbine as envisaged for road use possesses many advantages over the conventional piston engine, it does not seem likely to become in the near future a serious competitor to the oil engine, because of the latter's favourable fuel consumption.

In a paper, "Gas Turbine Development for Road Transport," which was recently read before the Institute of Road Transport Engineers, in Preston, and is to be read at a meeting in Birmingham on March 12, Mr. P. A. Phillips indicated that although most of the development work had been carried out with cars, the gas turbine was also suitable for propelling other forms of transport.

These included lorries, buses and other vehicles, but here the picture was slightly different. The turbine would be competing with oil engines, which had a good fuel consumption. If the fuel consumption could ever be brought down to that of an oil engine, the turbine would obviously be used: as it scored on all other points.

Even if it were slightly above, there would be several instances in which it would pay to use the turbine; luxury touring coaches and long-distance haulage of perishable goods were two, City bus services, where passengers were interested only in the cheapest form of transport, would not pay if a turbine were used, except in countries where fuel cost was a low proportion of total cost and labour charges were high, as in America. In this case a wage saving might result from decreased maintenance and quicker service, which would offset the increased fuel costs, Thus the gas turbine would take an active place in the field of vehicle power units. At first it would be restricted to high-powered luxury cars or touring coaches, depending on the conditions in a particular market, but gradually expanding its scope as itsApfficiency improved, until it powered all but the smallest vehicles.


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