Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1869-01-30
[From the Chicago Tribune, Dec. 49,
Compressed Air % . Substitute for
- Steam.

-
A gentleman residing in Ohio, who has
given the subject of steam power much
thought, sends % the following scheme for
supplying large towns and cities with pow.
er from common generator, much after the
manner in which gas is furnished to con.
sumers from . common gasomcter, and dis
tributcd by mains and service pipes. We
see no insupcrable difficulty or objections
to his plan Of using compressed air. It is
we'll known to engineers that air answers
all the purposes Of steam. A pressure Of
fifty pounds Of air is better than an equal
pressure of steam for several reasons.
Among others, there is no loss by conden-
sation, Us is the case between the boiler and
engine. Air is as susceptible ofcondcnsa-
ton and expansion as steam, and travels as
fast through tube of the same pressure.
It is wonderfully elastic, and never loses
any ofits power by compression. Air COM
pressed will exhibit unvarying pressure
upon tho gauge for years, modified only by
the surrounding atmospheric temperature,
and it looses scarcely any Of its power by
friction of passing through the tubes, how
ever angular they may be, or however
great tie distance. We commend the
hints thrown out by our friend to the prac.
tical steam engineers Of this city. 1t seems
to us that the proposed plan Of supplying
power for stationary engines from COM
mon generator is entirely practicable.
tits proposed to select = convenient site
short distance from the city or town, and
upon the line Of railroad supplying the coal
most suitable for engine purposes that is
brought to the city, or, it it comes by wa
ter, then on some suitable wharf, 40 that
the coal used could be dumped directly
from the railroad car or vessel on to the
grounds. Being out Of town, enough
land could be bought at small expense to
store ample supplies Of coal, build houses
for engineers, 6remen, etc. Agoodsupply
Of water would OF course be necessary; and
appliances could be used for the cheap and
ready handling Of coal. Upon these
grounds build large stack, and one ortwo
enormously large and powerful steam en-
gincs.
Set this engine or engines, at work con-
dcnsing air, and pumping it into . moder-
ate.sizcd gasometer, loaded with certain
wcight--say fifty or eighty pounds to the
square inch. Lead tho compressed air by
gas.pipe mains to the city (cnginecrs
Knowing the pressure upon the gasomcter,
aud the number Of cubic feet Of condensed
air needed pcr hour, could readily compute
the size of pipe needed, and distribute it
to shops aud and factories in the city, ex.
actly as gas is distributed by service pipes.
Attach the service pipe to the steam cylin-
der at each shop, turn on the condensed
air by cock when you want TO start the
machinery, and turn it of to stopit.
would pump the condensed air into
weighted gasomcter FIRST, in order that the
condensed air in the service pipes and
mains should always be Of one uniform
elasticity and that by the rising and fall
ing Of the gasomcter it should be exactly
known when to accelerate, lesson, or stop
the work done BY the great engine.
The Power Company would contract
with the shop aud factory people to sup
ply them with 90 msny pounds or units Of
power certain number Of hours ont ofthe
twenty-four, at certain rate; or the con.
dcnsed air might be run through meters -
gas is, and the consumer pay for just what
he might usc..
ThH' following arc some ofth advantages
of this plan over that now in use:
Suppose, for example, that . city is using
one hundred engines, Of an average Of ten
horse power each
/. It is found vastly chtApct to gehsr-
ate the steam for one Thousand horse pow
or in ono or two sets Of boilers than in one
hundred attered smallo ones. The heal con-
sumcd every day whom they fire up, in heat
ing the one hundred arches, CRATES, boilers
and fixings, etc., and water in the boilers,
before any steam is made, Would DO oil
saved in the great engine constantly hred
up. In most small shops this expenditure
Of heat has to be tihde every da5, cay ohcs
for every ten hours Of work.
2. It would dispense with tie buildidg
of one hundred smoks stacks, add one hum
dred sots Of boilers, aad tAe' spaces occul
pied by the saAae.
3. Il would dispense With ono hundred
sets Of engineers, fremen, coal passers and
coal wheeIers, etc., an avetaSc oi TWO 70
each engine.
4. It would render available for other
uses the valuable space in cities now need.
ed for stacks, boiler houses, coal yards and
cellars, etc., and the terrible suAokS nui-
sance in large cities.
S: It would do away with the increased
yates Of Insurance, not only on the shops,
factories, ETC., but on the contiguous prop
etty-an enormous s,rnr tNeaggregatc iH
such city as Chicago. x
6. 1t would absolutely otviatsak kdaSget
from explosion. -.
III Chicago, fbs steam purposes, 10 hadSed
on an average ons mile In carts o. vaeshs,
from the depots and wharA, TO tAe. p!aese
of consumption. This eartagt, Wharfage,
loading, unioadidy, wheeling, sheveling,
= "a A. H.