Gas-Turbine Locomotive (New Motive Power for Big Coal Customer. (Coal Age, Vol. 51, No. 10.)--The coal-fired gas-turbine locomotive--the answer to coal's major competitive problem in the railroad field--should be undergoing on-the-rail tests by June 1, 1948. That is the prediction of John I. Yellott, director of the research program set in motion in May, 1945, by coal companies and railroads comprising the Locomotive Development Committee of Bituminous Coal Research, Inc. Purchase of two gas turbines, each rated at 3,750 shaft horsepower, was authorized by the committee on July 10, 1946, and three builders (American, Baldwin and Lima) are cooperating in the design of the locomotives. Delivery of the turbines is expected shortly after Jan, 1, 1948.
Meanwhile, the coal-handling, pulverization and fly-ash-removal problems solved in the laboratory, Mr. Yellott and his researchers are concentrating on final solutiofl of combustion problems, as well as on early integration of the research results so far completed into a large-scale combustion test unit as the next-to-final step in the complete locomotive equipment design.
With gas-turbine principles and equipment already developed to an advanced state, the job of the Locomotive Development Committee was primarily that of coal handling, pulverization and combustion. This work has included the following organizations and projects:
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Battelle Memorial Institutc fundamental study of burning pulverized coal under pressure, design and operation of "Vortex" combustor and the burning of a low-ash-fusion coal.
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Institute of Gas Technology--feeding crushed coal against pressure, partial gasifaction and flash pulverization of coal, fly-ash removal and turbineblade abrasion and the theoretical study of gas-turbine cycles.
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Johns Hopkins University-development and testing of the "coal atomizer"; coal handling including study of the "draw-through" system and solution of the problems involved in feeding crushed coal; experience in igniting and controlling pulverized-coal flames in one type of combustor; determination of the efficiency of fly-ash removal equipment and study of pressurized combustion.
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Purdue University--use of fly-ash to sand rails; effects of sulfur on alloys in the combustor and turbine.
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Southern Research Institute development of a system for continuously determining the quantity of coal in a pressurized tank.
In contrast to the conventional locomotive and even the newer diesel, present plans envision the gas-turbine type in ratings up to 8,000 rail horsepower as a double-ended single unit complete with coal bunker and all auxiliaries, including an auxiliary power unit (probably a small diesel) for starting the turbitle and facilities for supplying air, electricity and steam for train services. In the initial units, also, the gas turbine will drive a generator or generators through a reduction gear and these generators will supply power to motors on the trucks. Later, it is expected that it will be entirely possible to I82