, 1860-07-31
Gas to Replace Steam as n Motive
Power.

The PAris correspondent Of the Boston Irau-
t'hr sends the following account Of the new in
rention By Frenchman of gas engine, which
is now esc;in. considerable affection in the
French metropolis:
81 beliere the machine recently invented by
Mons. D:no's "a gentleman quite well known by
hrs galsano-plastic copies OF rc!iero sculp-
ture apI eugraving1, l nIeAn his gas engine,
which he looks upon as destined 10 take tue
piace oi the steam cine in Il Great many
places where motive power is required, occu-
pies the chief share Of the Academ;'s attention
at tits present moment. This gas engine is Il
good deal Ike the steam engine in its external
appearance: T1era Is tho S. mc cylinder with
its piston, the same 1y wheel, eccentric and
slide -box-lut 10 boiler and no furnace. II
paratus. There is a tube leading from the gas
metre, and conductors leading iran, the electr;-
ca! apparatus to tue cylinder, or rather to tie
olgans Of distributions which immediately pre-.
cclc the cylinder. Wtcn the gas enters the
slide box it is mixed With large proportion Of
ordinary uir, introduced first On one and then
on the other side OF the piston. and where it
meets on Electric spark which fires IL; the mo.
ment this takes place the aperture through
which tie gas enters is closed, so that The com.
bustiou takes place n sealed chamber and de-
tsrinlncs in the mixed gus and air q force Of
expansion which nets Immediately upon the
attrfsce Of the piston.
81 The molten OF the side.bcx and electric
distributor is so'arrnnged that the moments CT
init Cd ac:ion, inflammation und expulsion took
place in succession and ct proper times. When
the piston has its motion In one direction the
FUN. phases Of the introduction and comtus-
ton Of the gaseous mixture take place at the
other extremity Of the cylinder. You see it
nti!lzes ind transforms into labor portion
b;!t only portinn-ot the heat produced by
the CONT 5ust:on Of gas, which ia the ordinary
gas used tor lighting The streets. When the
combustion takes place, the heat, which is sud-
denly discnga.cd by m explosion, continued in
rigid chamber, is communicated to all the
clas:ic !lal1 in the chamber, which fluid ia the
motive rswer which acts upon the surface Of
the piston, md if itt expansion could be carried
further ell the beut would disappear in the
chamber. and The transformation would be conn.,
pieie. Unfortunately. befure this refrigeration
takes paec the nd las lost IFS excess OF elastic
force, aud it is necessary to force it to retain
high temperature to enable it 10 escape into
the atmosphere, nud which high Temperature it
carries aw@y With it, thereby causing an inesi-
able loss u the machine. Tho perfection Of
Ills machine consists ia this, thu: oil the hen:
p.cs'aced by tie combustion is really brou.h:
INTO play, which is verv far from taking place
in the steam engine; ou'. Us in all machiocs,
only srs*1l portion Of t:.c heat dcve.cpcd is
used, the greater part escapes all attempts to
transform it into motive power. This machine
Is thirty PER cent. tnDrr economical than the
steaul engine, and i: onEs casts $2uU, and cp,l
be used wherever gas is used. cal! the at
tent.un Of your mechanics 10 it, il they ever
s:und in need Of i snail motire power. 1t is
cheap, il is convenient and il is fres fro m
fanuprh