The Parsons Steam Turbine · Story of the Early Struggles and Final Triumph of a Great Invention

OCTOBER, 1922 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN 237 The Parsons Steam Turbine · Story of the Early Struggles and Final Triumph of a Great Invention By Hector C. Bywater are few themes more inspiring than ellced in business life, and, luckily for me, boat racing the history of an epoch-making invention, interfered with reading." and its patient development from the While a student of St College, Cambridge, he germ idea through the various stages made several models of an epicycloidal or rotary engine which finally culminate in its recognition with revolving cylinders, which at a later date was as a valuable factor in the scheme of manufactured by him in considerable numbers. The Imman activity; for every such achievement represents ingenuity shown in deSigning this intricate machine a triumph of intellectual force in combination with the was an earnest of those intellectual powers that were dogged perseverance that refuses to be balked of its subsequently to be devoted to a greater problem. .aim, no matter how formidable the difficulties that Graduating from Cambridge in 1876 with high honors have to be overcome. The story of the Parsons steam in the Mathematical 'I'ripos, he passed as a premium turbine is fUll of interest alike from the "human" and apprentice to the famous Armstrong workshops at Els the technical points of view, since it tells how. a mechan wick, where he served for three years in overalls, and ical device which has revolutionized ship propulsion was cheerfully tackled every job that came to his hand. In brought to its present degree of perfection in spite of this hard school he gained a practical grounding in obstacles that would have daunted a personality of engineering that stood him in good stead in his later -ordinary caliber. The steam turbine itself is no longer work. "Here," he says, "I learned from Sir 'Villiam a novelty; its performances are familiar to every stu (afterward Lord) Armstrong the methods of mechan Qent of science and engineering; but of the man whose ical research and construction that have made the name is so intimately associated with its development Blswick works famous throughout the world, methods the public has heard very little, because, like most closely analogous to those which the workers in phys great inventors, he does not court publicity. Knowing ical science have followed from the time of Faraday, Sir Charles Algernon Parsons, inventor of the steam this, it was with some diffidence that I approached Sir methods resulting in the enormous developments in turbine, is the son of the Earl of Rosse, builder of Charles Parsons with a request that he would favor science that have taken place in modern times. In the famous Rosse Telescope the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN with some personal details those days I was immensely impressed by Sir 'Villiam of his life and work, and especially of those early days Armstrong'S mechanical genius, the layout of his ex at the same date sfeam wheels were in use in Scotland when he was experiencing the vicissitudes that invari periments, and his judicious selection of the fittest; for working cotton gins. ,Ibly beset the career of the inventor. To this request and, perhaps above all, by his extraordinary attention Parsons, who knew all about these early,. machines, he most courteously acceded, and I had the pleasure to minute details in critical cases of difficulty, while recognized their deficiencies and determined to approach recently of a long conversation with him, in the course ordinary general administration he deputed to others. the problem from an entirely new angle. His knowl of which he talked freely about his work, though much When he was busy with a difticulf problem he concen edge of hydraulics convinced him that without moder less freely ab�mt himself. trated his attention on it alone, and his powers of ate surface velocities and speeds of rotation a thor The Honorable Sir Charles Algernon Parsons, K.C.B., mechanical diagnosis were truly remarkable. I picture oughly effective turbine motor could not be developed, M.A., LL.D.; D.Sc., F.R.S., was born on and therefore, he says, "I decided to split June 30, 1854, a younger son of the third up the fall in pressure of steam into small Earl of Rosse. His father was not only fractional expansions over a large number a nobleman, but a scientist of high repute, of turbines in series, so that the velocity who was president of the Royal Society of the steam nowhere should be great. a learned body whose work in the cause This principle of compounding turbines in of science is too well known to need adver series is now always used in all save very tisement-and had built at his Irish home small installations, where steam economy the largest telescope then in existence. It is not a prime consideration. It appeared has been well sai-d by one of Sir Charles to me, also, that by arranging small drops Parsons' admirers that he is a living ex in pressure at each turbine I should be lImple of hereditary genius, encouraged more sure of gaining a high efficiancy, be and developed by, wisely-planned voca cause then the steam w.ould flow, practi tional teaching. Of his early days he has cally in a non-expansiVe, manner through this to say: each individual turbine, in a way anal. "I was educated on what is called ogous to that of water in hydraulic. tur among engineers the 'sandwich system.' hines, which were known at that date to �Iy father, rightly or wrongly, had a be highly efficient." rooted objection to public school educa Toward the end of 1883 Parsons became tion (as the term is understood in Eng a junior partner in a Gateshead firm, and The first experimental Parsons turbine and generator of 1883. It developed land) and consequently, with my brothers, 6 horsepower and was sufficiently successful to encourage the inventor to at once proceeded to put his ideas into I was taught by tutors at our home in go ahead practical shape. This he contrived to do Ireland. Concurrently I had the advan- so promptly that his first steam turbine tage of working in well-equipped workshops where my him as the clever·est mechanical engineer I have ever was built in the following year. Of the parallel-flow father had constructed his telescopes, and from him I known. In later years, in my own business, I have t;rpe, it developed 6 horsepower, and was employed learned the first principles of mechanical construction endeavored to follow th .. same methods and principles, for dl'iving a dynamo; in which capacity it proved more and engineering, for he was a skilled engineer as well and have had many more failures than successes, than successful enough to justify the inventor in c\m ns a scientist and an astronomer. After that were numerically speaking, in the effort to progress as my tinuing his line of research. Aftel' being used for some interposed five years of pure and applied mathematics, teachers had done before me; yet the failures should years this engine was presented to the Science Museum, including the Cambridge Tripos. I recall that the have been soon discerned, and effort concentrated on London, where it now reposes in company with other strain was more severe than anything I have experi- the sUGcesses." remarkable inventions of the mechanical era. Encour His term of apprenticeship aged by this initial success, Parsons next designed and over, he took an appointment built a compound steam turbine of 10 horsepower, run with Kitsons, of Leeds, fOL' ning at 18,000 revolutions per minute. This, too, was whom he built many of the intended for electrical generation, the inventor having epicycloidal engines referred meanwhile designed and patented a dynamo that "Would to above. Before this period, run at the high speed corresponding to 'that of the however, his thoughts had al turbine rotor. Turbo-electric plants of this type soon ready turned to the possibility came into great favor, and to that extent the success of designing a steam turbine of the system was already assured. But Parsons was that for certain classes of anxious to apply it experimentally to ship propulsion, work would rival if not sur an idea which he had already elaborated in a patent pass the reciprocating engine specifieation filed in 1884. The Tealization of tbe plan in efficient and economical had to be postponed, however, for several reasons, one running. TIm idea was. of of them being a dissolution of partnership that occurred course, not new. The first in ;1889, whereby the inventor was deprived of the tm'bine of which we have any proprietary rights in his own patents and thus com record was Hero's reaction lJelled to forego the further construction of turbines steam wheel, made at Alexan on the. parallel-flow system, which was known to be dria 2000' years ago; This the bes� and most efficient. So far from discouraging ancient; device was revived in. him, however, this check only served to direct his 1837 by one Avery, of Syra inventive genius into other channels. Establishing his The Inward, Radial-Flow Turbine of 1890, experimental type, later discarded cuse, New York, who employed own works at Heaton in 1890, he built experimental for the parallel-flow it to drive a circular saw, and turbines on the radial-flow prinCiple, succeeding after © 1922 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, INC SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN OCTOBER, 1922 238 The turbines of the "Mauretania," shown above, developed 72,000 horsepower on when maintained her record trip, she an average speed of 26.06 knots from the Ambrose Light to Daunts Rock, Ireland.

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