c_deezy

iTrader: (1)

I thought I read where they were running freshwater tanks on some of the turbine boats, that was then drawn into the turbines to help purge the salt?

Drock78

iTrader: (2)

Stopped by the shop today and checked it out...WOW!!! The rigging is a work of art! Can't wait to see it with the new paint.

skaterdave

long enough to see what salt air does to compressor blades. and nothing can stop that effect.

my guess, someone will get board with the lack of throttle response and go with Sterling 1700 turbos, ok maybe just dreaming but that would be a cool combo.

J Arruda

You obviously have never been in a turbine powered boat to make that comment !!!
Rick from Arneson said it best.

Rik

I don't know where you get this from but that is not even close to reality. Every helicopter and jet on a aircraft carrier or naval base would be grounded if your statements are true. There is salt in the air within a 50 mile radius of the ocean or salt water body and there are ad's for this but there is not a blade erosion problem due to salt water, spray, mist or anything.

There are even more sever AD's on sandy/dusty conditions (kinda like the skies in Las Vegas today) which have more adverse effect than your example.

SinOjos

Interesting, perhaps you could go work for the US Navy and help them out.

The US navy has only been running turbines in the salt air since just before the Korean war. With better than 50 years under far more harsh conditions during war time, than any turbine boat has experienced, they apparently have not learned anything, and obviously have not taken into account any affects the salt air might have.

How about the coast guard helicopters, how many coast guard helicopters have failed to rescue people due to the salt air?

What about all the military and commercial turbine powered boats used all over the world?

I am by no means any kind of expert, and have never been on a turbine boat, but, I do have a lifetime on the water and around aviation, civilian and military. Been around a lot of turbine and turboprop aircraft sitting on the tarmac a couple of miles from the ocean, the salt air tasty in the mouth, and have never heard of any kind of special maintenance due to the salt air.

Granted a boat probably gets more salt, but some of these aircraft stand open to the salt air for years, yet fire up and run great for decades, with nothing more than normal routine maintenance. I have never seen a mechanic spray down a turbine or turboprop with a garden hose, before or after flight to wash down the salt deposits. Especially after a windy day, you can wipe your finger on about anything and stick it in your mouth and taste the salt, miles inland.

These aircraft certainly do not receive nearly the amount of care that it appears these turbine offshore boats do, just to go out and run an hour or two a month, yet the aircraft are not dropping out of the air on a regular basis. In fact, the turbine aircraft are considered to be far less likely to encounter an in air powerplant failure than any piston engine aircraft. FAA statistics certainly tells the story.

I am aware that different turbine manufactures, and of course as technology has changed, that many different metal mixtures have been used in conjunction with hardening to help prevent cracking, blade loss, and pitting.

As far as I know, ground debris, dust, stones and such causes the most damage to turbine blades, certainly erosion is caused by the blades impacting with the air alone, take a look at a propeller on any aircraft you will see erosion, yet they spin very slow in comparison to a turbine blade.

Many military aircraft designed for unimproved airstrip have devices to help prevent ingestion of debris, or even intakes on top of the nacelles used for takeoffs, landing and ground movement. Yet I have never heard of any type of salt air prevention devise.

Skaterdave, in your expertise, what metal composition and embrittle process, would you recommend to alleviate this salt air affect you speak of?

Exactly how many hours of operation did the blades that you saw have on them, and are you absolutely sure that those blades were eroding at a higher rate than they were designed to erode at?

Was the turbine new, never run before installation, or was it a rebuilt military surplus, with a lot of hours already on it before it was installed in the offshore boat? Did you see the blades before the turbine was installed in the boat?

I am sure the US Navy and the US Coast Guard would love to prolong the life of their powerplants. If you have some answers, then I am sure, GE or Pratt & Whitney or any of the other turbine manufactures, would pay a pretty penny for the answer to salt air erosion!

tomtbone1993

iTrader: (3)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB4sKHCCUPM

start the video at 5:30

4bus

iTrader: (4)

Interesting, and J Arruda himself is in the video, not the first time he has contradicted his own statements

blume

Who cares about y'alls mindless saltwater comments.............Tom I want a ride.

PRIMECUT

That's what I was thinking, and just ask Aqua Mania Rick & Greg if thier turbines in KW just cleaned up with soap & water... I think not