Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-02-15


STEAM BOILERS sUPERogDED.-The great dis
parity between the amount OF power actually de-
veloped By the action of given quantity Of ca
lorio, and the theoretio estimate, has left open
broad field to operations of the experimentalst.
The great excess Of water used to ensure safety,
over the quantity required to make steam, and
the expenditure for caloric force necessary to the
disint grafton of the aqueous particles, is said
to consume some eighty per cent. of the motive
value of the caloric.
If every inteerant particle of water could be
surrounded by an atmosphere of caloric, an in
Simultaneous conversion of the former into yapor
would ensue, and we should have, as result,
the converse Of the condensation of steam by the
cold jet-ihe generation of an instantaneous ex-
pansive force at a mere nominal expenditure of
caloric.
The attainment of such result would remove
all danger from explosion, inasmuch as no ac
cumulated head or pressure would be required
it would also lessen the first cost of the engine if
ty per cent, and reduce the running expenses to
a comparative trife.
We are happy to state that the achievement of
so great au object has been accomplished by one
its practical operation.
The engine has all the characteristics of the
high pressure steam engine, occupying tho same
space, and working with the same energy and
precision, but minus any boiler. A small tank,
not larger than the cylinder, which contains
voter that never becomes hot, takes the place of
the huge, death dealing boiler. With everything
cold at the start, the engine works up to pres.
sure of thrty-six pounds to the inch in three
minutes. A statement of the amount of heat re-
qured to produce the result would seem incredi
bic to any but those actually witnessing the work
being done. We will venture, however. to re-
mark, that the amount required to develope
horse power in one minute, would not raise the
temperature Of quart of water to the boiling
point in one hour.
This great gain over steam generated by boil
ing water is due AMPLY to entirely inexpensive
mode of dsintegrating the particles of water, and
then presenting them to an atmosphere of calor-
ic in such manner that the afiniues of each are
absolutely satisfied, and the full value of the
qualities of both made available.
The value of this improvement cannot be esti.
mated by collars and cents Four years ago, the
supposed improvements OF Ericsson were hailed
by the whole civilized world with Joy, but there
practical difficulties in the way of Erris
sons invention which thus far have rendered it
valueless. Tine present discovery more than re-
alizes the most sanguine expectations formed
of the Ericsson caloric engine. While it does not
require the ponderous machinery of that great
experiment, it accomplishes smore than was ever
claimed by Ericsson, and at an expense far below
the cost of an ordinary steam engine of the same
power We do not speak at random, but of what
we have seen with our own eyes
The inventor has expressed the determination
to make this city the place of manufacture for all
portable engines, and the great number required
to meet the demands of printers, jobbing me-
chanes farmers, and others, will require the la
Dor of many hundred mechanics, and we conf
IDENTIFY expect that this invention will restore
Worcester to its wonted activity in a few months