AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

New Austin Gas Turbine Development

6th January 1956, Page 59
6th January 1956
Page 59
Page 59, 6th January 1956 — New Austin Gas Turbine Development
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

IT has been revealed that the Austin Motor Co., Ltd., have L under development for the Ministry of Supply a gas turbine which has reached a speed of 56,000 r.p.m. It is said to he smaller than the engine used in the Sheerline car tested in August, 1954. That unit has a maximum speed of 23,000 r.p.m.

Dr. Weaving, B.Sc., Ph.D., superintendent in charge of Austin gas turbine development, said recently that the Austin gas turbine was based on principles similar to those in the

• unit produced by General Motors, which was designed to produce 250 b.h.p. The thermal efficiency of the G.M. unit, however, was not high, as no heat exchanger was employed. From the outset of their experiments, the Austin company had used a heat exchanger, and the present design trend was based on a unit having a simple combustion chamber. Air is drawn in through a silencer and passed through the two stages of a centrifugal compressor. From this point the air goes to the heat exchanger and then to the combustion chamber, where it receives further heat. From the combustion chamber it passes to a three-stage compressor turbine, which drives the compressor, and then on to a separate single-stage turbine to provide the power drive. From this point it passes back through the exhaust side of the recuperative heat exchanger and so to the atmosphere.

As paraffin cannot be used legally as a motor fuel, development work has been conducted throughout on oilengine fuel, which, of course, does not ignite so readily as paraffin.

In Dr. Weaving's opinion, the future for the gas turbine was brighter in the commercial-vehicle field than it was for application to cars. This was because it was possible to obtain greater efficiency from the larger type of unit.

On the question of servicing, there would be few problems with the present design. Carbonizing at the nozzles, which had given a little trouble in the past, had now vanished. Combustion chambers would call for renewal at routine intervals.

Tags

Organisations: Ministry of Supply
People: Weaving

comments powered by Disqus