BTH: Marine Propulsion and Generation
Note: This is a sub-section of BTH
1919 The New Waterway Shipbuilding Co of Rotterdam ordered two sets of double reduction geared turbines each rated at 4500 shp and one rated at 2500 shp. Installed in SS Zosnia, Gemma & Tembergen.
1920 Workman, Clark and Co of Belfast ordered 3000 HP turbine-electric propulsion machinery for installation in SS San Benito.
1922 The United Fruit Co ordered the MV 'La Playa' from Cammell, Laird and Co, to be propelled by 2500 shp diesel electric machinery using Fullagar engines. BTH supplied the generators, motor and control gear. In 1927 Fiat engines replaced the Fullagars, but the BTH equipment was retained.The Fiat engines were later replaced by General Motors engines. These ran at higher speed, so the original generators could not be used, but the BTH motor and control gear were retained.
1924 Diesel-electric ship 'La Marea' commissioned. The diesel engines were troublesome and the ship was refitted for turbo-electric propulsion and renamed 'Darien'.
1929-1932 Turbo-electric machinery for P&O ships 'Viceroy of India', 'Strathnaver' and 'Strathaird'; United Fruit Co's 'Darien', Platano', and 'Musa'; Union Steamship Co's 'Rangatira'. The Strathnaver's propulsion motors were each rated at 14,000 shp at 125 rpm. Diesel-electric propulsion machinery was supplied for the Atlantic Refining Co's 'Brunswick', 'Permian' and 'Winkler'.
1934 BTH supplied electrical equipment for the RMS Queen Mary, including seven 1.3 MW geared turbine-alternators.
1937 Order received for equipment for RMS Queen Elizabeth, including four 2.2 MW geared turbine-generators (DC). At about the same time BTH produced four 800 kW geared turbine-generators for the new 'Mauretania'.
See Also
Sources of Information
- 'B.T.H. Reminiscences - Sixty Years of Progress'. BTH, 1946