The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-08-24

air which entered the upper cylinder will, there
fore, but bali fill the lower one. In the course o
it's passage TO the latter, however, we have SAT-
that it passes through q Regeneration, and let u
suppose that enters the working cyinder 1t ha
come heated to about four hundred and eighty
degrees. At this temperature atmospheric air ex
pands to double its volume. The came atmo
spheric air, therefore, which was contained within
the supply cylinder lie now capable of filling one
twice It's size. With this enlarged capacity il en-
ters the working cylinder.
We will further suppose the area of the piston
| within the cylinder to contain q thousand square
inches, and the area of the piston in the supply
cylinder above to contain but i've hundred The
air presses upon this with a mean force, we vii
suppose OF about eleven pounds TO each square inch
or, in other words, with weight Of $500 pounds
Upon the surface Of the lower piston the heated
air is, however, pressing upwards with like force
upon each Of its one thousand square inches; Or in
other words, with force of II 900 pounds. Here
then, Is a force which, after overcoming the weight
above. leaves surplus Of 800 pounds, If We make
no allowance for friction. This surplus furnishes
the working power of the engine. II will be read.
lily that after stroke Of its piston is mad
will continue to work with this force, 80 long as
sufficient heat 10 supplied to expand the air in the
the area of the lower piston s greater than tn at
| Of the upper, and like pressure is upon every
square inch of each, 90 long will the greater piston
push forward the smaller, as two pound weight
upon one end of balance will be quite sure to bear
down one pound placed upon the other. We need
hardly say that after the air in the working cyl.
inder has forced up the piston within 1t, valve
opens, apd it passes OUT the pisons, by force OF
and hfs the supply cylinder as we have before de-
scribed In this manner the two cylinders are al
ternately supplied and discharged, causing the
pstons in each to play up and down. substantially
as they do in the team.engine.
We trust our readers will be able, from the brief
description We have here attempted, to understand
ut least the general principles upon which this IN,
chine operates. The cylinders draw their supply
| from the atmosphere.
The cylinders of the steam. engine are supplied
by scalding vapor, drawn from kissing boilers.
| same element which expands those of the most
delicate child, and derives its motion and its power
| from that sustaining source upon which depends
| the existence Of all animate life.
| We have endeavored to explain the construction
Of the caloric engine. Its most striking feature
consists ia what is called, by its inventor. the
generator Before describing this, we will present
the grand idea upon which it is based. First let it
| be remembered that the power OF the steam engine
| depends upon the heat employed to produce steam
within its boilers. 1t will be seen that from the
very nature of steam the heat required to produc
| it, amounting to about 200 degrees, is entirely
erted its force upon the piston II, instead OF being
lost. all the heat used in creating the steam en-
ployed could, at the moment Of condensation, be
| reconveyed to the furnace. there again to aid in
producing steam in the boilers, but very little
fuel would be necessary; in fact, except just
enough to supply the heat lost by radiation. The
reason IL obvious. Let us suppose the steam has
passed from the boiler, has entered the cylinder,
has driven the piston forward and is about to pass
into the condenser there to change its forn and be
| again converted into water. Ths steam, yet in
heat It contained before passing out of the boiler.
1t has driven the piston forward, but in that effort
it has lost no heat. That source of power it still
| contains.
Let il be supposed that the heat contained in the
steam could, at the moment it is converted into
water within the condenser, be saved, and by some
device be again used to create steam from water
| within the boiler, with what exceeding cheapness
could the power of the steam CINE be employed.
But it 10 quite impossible thus to re. employ the
heat Of steam; it cannot thus be saved; and hence
every effort to economize in this manner would be
unavailing.
| The propositions we have here advanced we're.
| it appears, more than twenty five years since ia.
| miliar 10 the scientific mind of Captain Ericsson.
He was at that early period deeply impressed with
their importance; and, regarding heat as the sole
| source OF motive power, was anxious to discover
| some element in which it could be 30 employed
that, after giving motion to machinery, it should
be returned to act over and again for the came
purpose. But little reflection was necessary to con-
| vince him that steam was not this element. It
| must consist Of some permanent gas, and atmo
sphcrc air seemed admirably adapted to the pur.
pose. Accordingly it was employed BY him.
In n work entitled "a Dictionary of the Arts of
Life and Civilization" published in London in
| lSaa. tho anther, Sir Richard Phiilps, mentions
an engine which Captain Ericsson then had in OPP
|
or rariied air to the performance of those powers
of machinery which hitherto have been made to
| depend on the intervention Of boiling water and
its steam" The author further states that he "bas,
with indispensable delight, seen the first model
| machine, OF five.horse power, at work. With
handful Of fuel applied TO The very sensible me-
| dunn OF atmospheric air, and most ingenious
disposition of its differentia powers, he beheld a
| resulting &C ton, in narrow compass, capable of
extension to as great forces as ever can be welded
or used by man."
The author adds: "Thc principle of this new
CINE consists in this: that the heat which 10 re-
quired 10 give motion to the engine at the com.
mencement, is returned by a peculiar process of
transfer, and thereby made to act over and over
again, instead of being. as in the steam engine,
thrown into condenser, or into the atmospheric,
| as much waste fuel"
During the last nineteen years Captain Ericsson
has employed much of his time, and expended
practical difficulties which are ever stumbling
blocks in the way leading to the successful devel
opment of great principle in new machinery.
This he has now achieved The principle of his
inv ention, stated by Sir Richard Philips s still
retained, embodied in that practical and complete
form, which renders this engine economical, abso-
lutey cafe, durable, simple in construction and in
| action effective
| Let US now attempt to describe the Regeneration,
to which We have referred. Without this, the ma
chine we examined would possess, in point Of econ
omy, no advantage over the best constructed
steam. engine. With it, the advantages are meal
|
leading idea conceived by Captain Ericsson, Of
employing heat over and over again. To attain
this is the object Of the Regeneration.
For the purpose of understanding this instru.
ment, our readers will bear in mind the construc
ton and operation of the machine. We have be-
fore stated that atmospheric air first drawn into
the supply cylinder, from whence It is forced into
receiver, and that from this it proceeds towards
the working cylinder, before reaching which it
passes through the regeneration. This structure is
composed OF wire net, somewhat like that used in
tho manufacture of sleeves, placed side by eide,
until the series attain thickness, say of twelve
inches. Through the almost innumerable cells,
formed by the Intersection of these wires, the air
must pass, on it's way to the working cylinder. In
passing through these, it is so infinitely subdivded
| that the particles composing it are brought into
close contact with the metal which forms the wires
Now let US suppose, what actually takes place,
that the side of the Regeneration nearest the work.
ing cylinder is heated to high temperature.
Through this heated substance the air must pass
before entering the cylinder, and in efiecting this
passage 1t takes up as 10 demonstrated by the Their
nometer, about $50 degrees of the $50 degrees Of
heat required as we before stated TO double it's vol