Written by Sarah Paulin
All engines work generally the same way. A turbine is rotated and used to generate an energy charge. The question of fuel comes in when figuring out how to get the turbine to move to create that current. A traditional engine is called a combustion engine. This means that a fuel source is burned, creating a small explosion which gives off energy that is used to turn the turbine. Most people are familiar with gasoline or diesel powered engines, such as those used in cars and trucks. These engines are not the most efficient, but are currently the least expensive to produce and maintain, at least for the short term.
Gasoline sparks faster and easier than diesel engines, particularly in cold climates and are relatively quieter and cleaner. Diesel is considered to be safer than gas because it is less flammable. It also has a longer storage life. Diesel engines are thought to be more reliable because they do not possess an electronic ignition system making them less expensive to maintain. They also have to potential to burn recycled fuel, such as vegetable oil which is more environmentally friendly and sustainable.
However, both diesel and gasoline engines emit toxic fumes that are hazardous to inhale and to the environment. The refining method is similar for both products as well. They are both formed from crude oil which is either shipped by the barrel from the Middle East or tapped in locations such as Texas and Alaska, causing environmental harm at the drill site. The crude oil is separated into different fractions by distillation which breaks down the hydrocarbon molecule structures, again releasing toxic fumes.
The tesla turbine is unique in that it is not traditional in appearance or function. Instead of blades and pistons, it has a series of disks attached to a shaft within a chamber. Fluid is passed through the chamber, turning the disks, rotating the shaft and generating energy. This design provides much more efficiency due to fewer moving parts and is not dependent on crude oil market fluctuations. It can be run on a variety of different liquids, such as the more sustainable waste fuel which is reused from industrial cooking oil.
This is the very thing the Sea Bird Adventure team is working to develop. The tesla turbine has never been applied to a marine vessel and we hope to retrofit the Sea Bird Adventure with this more sustainable form of propulsion.
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1944: Camano Class Light Cargo Ship was laid down for the US Army as FS-289 at Wheeler Shipbuilding in Whitestone, NY.
1945: Delivered to US Army.
1950: Acquired by the US Navy on July 1, 1950 and placed in service as USNS New Bedford (T-AKL-17).
1954: The movie, Mister Roberts, was made on the USNS New Bedford (T-AKL-17).
1955 - 1963: Used as a cargo supply ship for the Texas Towers, a network of advanced radar stations located off the Eastern Seaboard. In 1957, Capt. Sixto Mangual was commander of the AKL-17 and in 1961 it was rechristened the USNS New Bedford. The New Bedford, sailing out of State Pier, was keeping vigil when Texas Tower No. 4 callapsed off the New Jersey coast during a January 1961 nor'easter.
1963: Reclassified as Miscellaneous Unclassified (IX-308).
1971: The New Bedford (IX-308) served as a Torpedo Test Firing Vessel in the Puget Sound area.
1994: Ceremony in New Bedford.
1995: The ship was struck from the Naval Register on April 4.
2004: The Sea Bird's current disposition is a tuna long liner (fishing boat) out of San Diego, CA.
2006: Design of the Tesla Turbine began on June 11, 2006. The Sea Bird was sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service for commercial service.
2007: The Sea Bird was drydocked for renovations.
2008: The Sea Bird setting sail to Sea-Tac in Seattle, WA.
2009 - 2010: The Sea Bird is currently docked at Seattle Sea-Tac.
