The Yazoo Democrat., 1852-08-04


the working piston; escapesj and so on contin-
uousIy, unless the fires are extinguished and the
heating power Of the regenerator Withdrawn,
when the engine viii stop.
This regenerator, ii appears, is the key to the
whole invention. 1t is made Of a series Of
discs of wire net, placed side by side, until
thickness Of about twelve inches is attained
Small as this space is the meshes Of net wire are
so arranged in it as to present, in the sixty horse
power engine heating surface OF 22S,0OO feet,
equal to the entire surface Of four steam boilers.
each four feet in diameter and forty in length
The cold air entering in the supply cylinder is
forced through this regenerator the side Of which
nearest the working cylinder is heated TO high
degree. The cold air takes up in its passage
there-through as is demonstrated by the ther-
mometer, about 45O degrees Of the heat required
to double its volume. The fires in the furnaces
below communicate the additional 80 degrees Of
heat needed.
After this heated, expanded air has pushed the
working piston up, it escapes, as before stated.
through valves, and returns TO the regenerator
which it has to pass through before entirely
leaving the machine. One side of the regenera-
tor is heated, but the other is kept cool by the
air entering il after each upward stroke Of the
pistons. The regenerator takes from the expan-
ded air, escaping from the working cylinder, all
its heat except 30 degrees. 1t Will thus be seen
that the cold air in first passing to the working
cylinder is haetd by the regeneator to 450
degrees, and that in returning the regenerator
resumes its heat, which is thus used over and
over again, the fires in the furnaces being needed
only to supply the 80 degrees of heat already
noticed besides that lost by expansion and radi-
alton.
This regenerator's operations are based upon
Captain Ericsson's discovery that atmospheric
air and other fixed gases are capable, in passing
through distance OF only six inches, Of acquiring
or parting with, in the fifteenth portion ofa ser
cond, upwards of four hundred degrees Of heat.
The electric rapidity with which either opera
ton is performed renders the applications Of
heated air to machinery, TO inluce imne lia'e
qui k and steady action, mere question of IN
genious details and mathematical and engineer
ing calculations which Ericsson has SIC cessfully
formed into a system
We terminate oar abstract with the Conclu-
ding paragraph of long and interesting article
in Hunts Merchants Magazine, describing this
invention in full:
awe here close our imperfect description Of
machine destined, as we believe to work arevO-
luton in the. commerce Of the globe. It con-
sumes but very small proportion Of the coal re-
quired for the steam engine. 1t Is entirely free
from every element of explosion or danger
WatchfuIness is not imperatively required the
worst that can happen is, that after exhausting
the heat of its fires, and Of regeneTator twill
sop"
The entire scientific and Fcommercial world
will look with intense interests for the trial trip
Of the large steamship built on purpose to test
the economy and practical, working results Of
this great invention. Tie dimensions Of this
steamer are : $50 feet length 40 feet beam; q
feet depth {, 200 tons barthen. Sheis intended
for the Liverpool trade, and will be launched in
the month Of August