All About Inventions and Discoveries
The Romance of modern scientific and mechanical Achievements

2i2 All About Inventions achievements are equally sensational. The coupling of dynamos or alternating current generators direct to the shaft of the turbines became an accepted practice. Such installations required less space for their accommodation as compared with reciprocating engine alternators of equal power, while there was the additional advantage of less fuel consumption and reduced vibration. Turbo-alternators are the established electric generating combinations through- out the world to-day where electric current has to be generated from coal. Some years after the Honourable C. A. Parsons had demonstrated the possibilities of the steam tur- bine, an American inventor, Professor C. G. Curtis, introduced his conception of this type of rotary engine to the world. At first it was built in the horizontal form, in which feature it followed its British prototype, but afterwards it was designed upon vertical lines, only to revert finally to the horizontal type. While this turbine has been used upon a limited scale for the propulsion of ships, its greatest province of application has been, and still is, in connection with the generation of elec- tricity. Some of the installations which have been carried out are remarkable for their dimensions and capacity, the largest installation which has been completed up to the moment being of 50,000 horse- power. The turbo-electric installation has facilitated the task of the electrical engineer to a very significant degree. The rotary engine is extremely compact and occupies very much less space than its reciprocating rival. While this may not be a serious factor in