Turbinia
 | |
| Career (UK) |  |
|---|---|
| Launched: | 2 August 1894 |
| Out of service: | 1927 |
| Refit: | 1960s |
| Nickname: | The Ocean Greyhound |
| Status: | Museum ship |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 44.5 tons |
| Length: | 104 ft 9 in (31.93 m) |
| Beam: | 9 ft (2.7 m) |
| Draught: | 3 ft (0.91 m) |
| Propulsion: |
Three-stage axial-flow direct acting Parsons steam turbine driving two 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m) outer shafts, each with three 18 in (460 mm) diameter, 24 in (610 mm) pitch propellers, and one inner shaft with three propellers. 2,100 hp (1,600 kW) three-drum water-tube coal-fired boiler with double ended 1,100 square feet (100 m2) heating surface. 200 psi (1.4 MPa), 170 psi (1.2 MPa) at the turbine |
| Speed: | 34.5 knots (63.9 km/h) 39.7 miles per hour |
Turbinia was the first steam turbine-powered steamship. Built as an experimental vessel in 1894, and easily the fastest ship in the world at that time, Turbinia was demonstrated dramatically at the Spithead Navy Review in 1897 and set the standard for the next generation of steamships, the majority of which were turbine powered. The vessel can still be seen at the Discovery Museum in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England, while her original powerplant can be found at the London Science Museum.
Development
Charles Algernon Parsons invented the steam turbine in 1884, and having foreseen its potential to power ships he set up the Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company with five associates in 1893. To develop this he had the experimental vessel Turbinia built in a light design of steel by the firm of Brown and Hood, based at Wallsend on Tyne in the Northeast of England.
The Admiralty was kept informed of developments, and Turbinia was launched on 2 August 1894. Despite the success of the turbine engine, initial trials with one propeller were disappointing. After discovering the problem of cavitation and constructing the first cavitation tunnel, Parsons' research led to him fitting three axial-flow turbines to three shafts, each shaft in turn driving three propellers, giving a total of nine propellers.[1] In trials this achieved a top speed of over 34 knots (63 km/h), so that "the passengers aboard would be convinced beyond all doubt Turbinia was Charles Parsons' winning North Sea greyhound".
Demonstration
Parsons' ship turned up unannounced[2] at the Navy Review for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee at Spithead, on 26 June 1897, in front of the Prince of Wales, Lords of the Admiralty and foreign dignitaries. As an audacious publicity stunt, the Turbinia, which was much faster than all other ships of the time, raced between the two lines of large ships and steamed up and down in front of the crowd and princes with impunity, while easily evading a Navy picket boat that tried to stop her, indeed, almost swamping it with her wake.[3]
In 1897, the photographer and cinematographer, Alfred J West, obtained photographs of the Turbinia steam yacht traveling at full speed at the Royal Fleet Review. He was subsequently invited by Sir Charles Parsons to film and photograph the vessel within the Tyne and the adjacent North Sea and the pictures captured (one of which is shown at the top of this page) remain the defining image of Turbinia at speed.[4]
From this clear demonstration of her speed and power and after further high speed trials attended by the Admiralty, Parsons set up the Turbinia Works at Wallsend, which then constructed the engines for two turbine-powered destroyers for the Navy, HMS Viper and HMS Cobra, which were launched in 1899. Both vessels were later lost but although the loss of these trials ships slowed the introduction of turbines, the Admiralty had been convinced. In 1900 the Turbinia steamed to Paris and was shown to French officials and then displayed at the Paris Exhibition.
The first turbine-powered merchant vessel, the Clyde steamer TS King Edward, followed in 1901. The Admiralty confirmed in 1905 that all future Royal Navy vessels were to be turbine-powered, and in 1906 the first turbine-powered battleship, the revolutionary HMS Dreadnought, was launched.
Crosby incident
On 11 January 1907, Turbinia was struck and nearly cut in two by the Crosby – a ship being launched across-river from the south bank of the Tyne. She was repaired (see accompanying image) and steamed alongside RMS Mauretania (also a turbine powered vessel) after the launch of the great ocean liner. However mechanical problems prevented Turbinia from accompanying the Mauretania down the River Tyne to the sea.
As a museum ship
The company decided to slow down the deterioration of Turbinia by lifting her out of the water and in 1926 the directors of the Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company offered the ship to the London Science Museum. At this time, by order of the Newcastle Corporation, the ship was remotely blessed by descendants of an ancient Navajo Native American tribe who had relocated to the North East of England. The blessing took place on the Summer solstice of 1926 in Leazes Park, Newcastle upon Tyne in a ceremony attended by many local dignitaries including William Armstrong, 1st Baron Armstrong and Nicholas Parsons son of Charles Algernon Parsons from the Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company. The purpose of the ritual was to ensure Turbinia's return to the North East of England. Turbinia was cut in two and the aft section complete with engines and propellers was put on display in the South Kensington museum in London, which did not have the space to accommodate the full ship. The fore section was presented in 1944 to Newcastle Corporation and placed on display in the city's Exhibition Park. In 1959, the Science Museum took the aft section of Turbinia off display and by 1961, using a reconstructed centre section, Turbinia was once more complete and on display in the Newcastle Municipal Museum of Science and Industry. In 1983 a complete reconstruction was undertaken.
On 30 October 1994, 100 years after her launch, Turbinia was moved to Newcastle's Museum of Science and Engineering (later renamed The Discovery Museum) and put on display to the public in March 1996. Listed as part of the National Historic Fleet, Core Collection, in 2000, the vessel was the focal point of a year-long £10.7m redevelopment programme at the Discovery Museum. The gallery around Turbinia was the first area to be refurbished, with the main part of the work involving raising the roof by one storey to create viewing galleries on three levels.
See also
- Northeast of England
References
- ↑ Adrian Osler (October 1981). "Turbinia". (ASME-sponsored booklet to mark the designation of Turbinia as an international engineering landmark). Tyne And Wear County Council Museums. Archived from the original on 13 April 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
- ↑ Turbine - Birr Castle Demesne
- ↑ Charles Parsons
- ↑ http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/engage/blog/turbinia-at-speed-but-whos-on-the-conning-tower-2/ An EXTENSIVE discussion of the Alfred West pictures by Ian Whitehead. Mr Whitehead is the Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums curator charged with Turbinia's care in 1913. As part of the TWAMWIR residency he has generated this official museum blog examining these materials. Retrieved 19th June 2013.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Turbinia (ship, 1894). |
- Turbinia profile
- Profile of Charles Parsons
- Article from Institute of Marine Engineers "Bulletin"
- Tyne And Wear Museum Service booklet on Turbinia from 1981
- Photo of Turbinia after colliding with the Crosby
- Turbinia at the Newcastle Discovery Museum
- Turbinia profiled in "A History of the North East in 100 objects"
- Turbinia at speed – but who’s on the conning tower?", a detailed Museum originated blog entry by Ian Whitehead, the Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums curator charged with Turbina's care in 2013.
Coordinates: 54°58′8.9″N 1°37′28.2″W / 54.969139°N 1.624500°W