THE CHEMICAL Shell Laboratory
Men
A laboratory (or the study of fuels and lubricants for jet propulsion aircraft has been bui.lt at Wood River, III., by the Shell O i l Co.
The jet burner,
something new in combustion, produces in a much smaller amount of space about 250 times the heat of a residential oil burner and creates a stream of hot gas of greater than hurricane velocity. Combustion of such a radically new character requires new basic research on burning characteristics and possible fuels. The combustion turbine (also called H u a e compressor | installation, seen here in part, supplies compressed air used b y the jet-burner at Shell O i l C o s . jet-propulsion laboratory, W o o d RiVer, I I I . Compressors are powered b y combustion of refinery gases in power chambers labeled 1 - 8 PC
the gas turbine), an important part of the jet propulsion engine, appears to have great possibilities as a new type of prime mover which. Shell engineers feel, may eventually compete favorably with the steam turbine and Diesel engine in locomotives, ships, and power houses.
Cleaners on side of building clean all air as it is supplied to compressor installation. Compressor exhausts are seen on roof
Unit draped in canvas is the jet burner with which experiments on fuels are now being conducted. Wires leading away from burner are part of electrical controls which record temperature
Details of burner construction and fuel specifications being tested at Shell laboratory are strictly a military secret 632
C H E M I C A L
A N D
E N G I N E E R I N G
N E W S
NEWS PARADE Study Jet Plane Fuels Dream of engine designers for over a generation, this turbine has only recently become a reality through development in metallurgy which made possible turbine blades able to withstand high temperatures and centrifugal air compressors efficient enough to be used with the turbine.
The engine-
testing section of the W o o d River laboratories is one of the most complete of its k i n d , containing dozens of miniature and full-scale models of aircraft, automotive, and Diesel engines.
Some of the informa-
tion obtained from tests in this laboratory has a l ready been directly responsible for heavy contributions that Shell has made to the technology
Control boarr1, in heavily insulated and soundproofed control room, records experimental data, as well as automatically operating jet-burner. Engineer at center sits in front of observation window through which he can watch burning in operation
of
aviation gasoline manufacture in the last few years. Since
1 9 4 2 , German and Japanese fuels have
been tested here, and broken down for analysis.
Ten 5,Q00igallon tanks store the fuel used for burning and for reference in experimental work now under way at Wood River
Backing up the control board is an elaborate maze of gages and automatic regulators. Seen here "are controls for one wing of the instrument panel in the control room of Shell laboratory Air Heater. The stainless unit supported by the tHee cement blocks utilizes heat of jet-burner exhaust to heat the compressed air which is being supplied to it V O L U M E S
3,
NO.
7 » » » » APRIL
10,
1945
633
