Page:Engineering and the university (IA engineeringtheun00chaprich).pdf/22

 entirely eliminated and the only frictional resistance would be that due to the viscosity of the oil used. He proceeded to apply his idea to the practical construction of thrust bearings, but, so revolutionary were his proposals, that it was not till the beginning of the war in 1914 that marine engineers could be persuaded to use them. Then they made rapid headway. The Admiralty adopted them, and now all new British warships, as well as most other new vessels, are fitted with Michell thrust bearings. In 1919 an application was made before the Chancery Court in England for renewal of the patent rights, and was supported by the Admiralty. In granting the application, the judge stated that it was no exaggeration to describe the invention as an epoch-making one. The use of the gear-driven turbine, as it was practised in the Navy throughout the war, including its use in submarines, and as it is now being used in fast commercial vessels, was rendered possible only by the use of this type of bearing. It was given in evidence that its application to a battle cruiser resulted in a saving in initial cost of ú38,000, and a further saving of 3 per cent, in the amount of coal used, as well as a reduction in the quantity of oil. The annual saving to the Navy alone in coal and oil was given as at least £800,000. It was a notable Australian contribution to the Allied cause in the great war.

It is no exaggeration to say that the invention has not only enabled us to do something that we could not do before, but to the British nation it k has resulted in the saving altogether of millions of pounds worth of coal and oil. The direct monetary gain to the nation from this one invention has certainly been a great deal more than the whole of the money spent upon Melbourne University from its inception. Of course, the invention might still have been made had the Melbourne University not been in existence. But it is safe to say that the invention would not have been possible unless somehow or other Mr. Michell had had the