Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-01-15
THE ERICSSON RESPIRAToR.

FROM THE NEW YORK EVENING WEDNESDAY.
We have already announced the signal success of the
new>motve power discovered by Mr. Ericsson and APP
piled by him to the beautiful vessel bearing his name
and we proceed to-day, in compliance with promise,
10 offer such explanation OF its principle as hope
may prove ineligible if satisfactory to our readers
We will say, then, preliminary to this explanation,
that all the power used in Captain Ercssons engines
obtained from the expansion of the atmosphere by heat
He uses water and makes steam, but employs the
atmosphere very much the steamers employ water,
with this difference that instead Of throwing away the
heat after it has used the steam engine does by
condemnation, he separates from the escaping air and
1t over again in heating each charge Of air
which is supplied his cylinders economy Of the
heat Of course results in corresponding economy Of
fuel furnace room, and firing equpage equal il is sup
posed 10 difference in point Of expense, FIVE parts in
every six
We will now give, as near as can, the process by
which this important economy is effected We desire our
figures and facts be understood applying to the yes
sci which we visited yesterday.
The Ericsson by carpenters measure rates a 200
ton vessel She supplied with pairs of engines and
each pair is supplied with two working cylinders" as
they are termed and two supply cylinders" inverted
over them The supply cylinders are smaller than the
working cylinders and filed with cold air from re-
servoir them every descent of the piston which
creates for its admission. The working cylin
ders, which Immediately below the supply cylinders
and over the furnaces filed by heated rarfed air.
and much larger than the supply cylinders as is
necessary realize the difference in force between air
at its natural temperature and in rarfed When
the air in the working cylinder is heated the piston as
cends and drives the cold air out Of the supply cylinder
into reservoir, where remains until the rarifed air
has exhausted its force and is expelled by the descent Of
the piston in the working cylinder then upon the ascent
Of the piston again. this cold air rushes the working
cylinder where il is again rared and repeats the motion
we hay nd lfipla tho axhfc
pels the vessel
Before proceeding describe the novelty Of the ma
chnery the process by which the heat separated from
the air and held in deposte for future use we will
give few Of the more important statistics Of the dimen
sion and capacities Of the machinery have already
described
The diameter Of each Of the working cylinders is les
inches and its area 223O0 square inches about three
times the Of any Of the cylinders Of the Collins steam
and yet they only ten TOMS while those Of the
Collins steamers weigh fifteen The pressure ON
these cylinders is ten pounds the square nch which
gives aggregate pressure OF 23 600 pounds for each
cylinder Some of readers may better appreciate the
Of this power if add what ascerained fact
that single pound Of pressure upon the piston will raise
eleceR tons.
The supply cylinder is 1877 inches in diameter and
its IA 400 square inches The pstons the sup
ply and the working connected by eight massive
wrought iron rods which perfectly simultaneous
and sympathetic motion. The power from the piston is
communicated the crank Of the paddle shaft by con-
Meeting rods placed at angle of fortyye degrees and
working in such way to entirely dispense with the
shaft in in steamboats, and obviatng all incon-
venence from what is technically known among mechan-
les the dead centre. This appliance is also an in
venon Of Mr. Ericsson and scarcely less important in It's
results than that which it is principal purpose to-day
to describe but we do not feel at liberty TO explain its
principle in detail at present Mr. Ericsson is DESTROYS
of securing his patentght for ii foreign countries be-
fore exposing 1t to the public. We may say Of this in
yenton however that is which is quite Of be-
ing as universally adopted as his motive power
We will uaftp tn 1ha fbo -
the heat is economical.
BY the side Of each working cylinder Is vessel or box
filed with collection Of wire discs like sleeves six feet
by four placed vertically in the box There are two hum
dred OF these discs in each box The hot air on leaving
the working cylinder after performing its function by
driving the piston up is expelled through the box Of wire
which Mr.. Ericsson terms 'regenerator,n but which
may be properly termed resprator as our read
ers will perceive when they appreciate its Office
In passing through the disc the expelled air gives of
all, nearly ALL Of its heat-al but about SOTO the
wire, where it is held depose MS il were until the
OF expulsion is complete and the valves open for
the admission Of the cold atmospheric air which is wait
ing to undergo the process Of ratification When the
valves open the cold air rushes through the resprator
which the heat is deposited takes up and thus enters
the working cylinder almost hot as the air, which
moment before deposited the heat in the reservoir
thus leaving to the furnace the moderate duty of supply
ing tnng difference OF only about 800 Of temperature
to the air in the working cylinder -
The capacity Of these wire meshes to absorb and retain
the caoric will not be questioned by practical when
we state that the four resprators in the Ericsson
present surface of $4,000 superficial feet while
there than 100 600 600 OF cells between the
meshes The wire in this boat is about l6th Of an inch