Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-01-24

BIsULPHIDE OF CARBON ENGINE. - The
Scientific American Of Jan. 18th contains an ex-
celent illustrated description of the new com
bined steam and bisuphde of carbon engine,
invented by Mr.. J. II. Ellis, which is now on
trial at the Atlantic works in Boston. tits real
~ double engine, the cylinders being ten
inches in diameter and of twenty-lour inch
stroke. One of these engines is run by steam in
the usual manner, and its exhaust is passed
through the flues OF a vaporzer, on its way from
the cylinder 10 the atmosphere. This vaporizer
is filled with mixed volatile liquid, consisting
principally Of the blSulphde of carbon The
neat OF the exhaust steam is sufficient to convert
this liquid into vapor very rapidly under pres.
sure OF forty-tive to fifty lbs. to the inch, and
will carry the pressure up to siXty-fye lbs. At
this point the temperature in the yaporizer be-
comes equal 10 that of the exhaust steam and
no more heat will be impaired 10 it. This vapor
is used in place of steam, to drive the second en-
CINE under pressure of forty-fye to fifty lbs,
as the temperature in the vaporizer is low
enough at this pressure to completely condense
the exhaust steam and absorb its latent heat
producing larger amount of effective power
when used at higher pressure; the vapor is
superheated to the highest point that exhaust
steam will carry it by passing it through a sn-
perhcater, surrounded by exhaust steam in its
passage from the vaporizer to the cylinder.
The performance of this double engine is re-
markablc Two indicator diagrams are given
TO show the power attained by each separately,
by which it appears that the mean nrpssurn IN
the steam engine is 1876 lbs. equivalent to II Q
horse powers, and in the vapor engine 30 5 lbs.
equivalent TO 1873 horse powers. In other words.
the fuel required to produce 100 horse powers
by the agency of steam, will also produce 1855
additional horse powers if the exhaust steam be
used TO drive yapOr engine. Hence the total
effective result in the combined engine is 9 6G
times greater than that of the best steam en-.
gines; or what is the same thing tine same
power may be obtained by the expenditure of
three-eighths of the fuel.
The exhaust vapor is condensed in a coil OF
inch iron-pipe over which a blast of air is
thrown by a blower. A small jet of water is
commingled with this blast by means of a per.
forated pipe that sprinkles a slight shower OF
water into the current of air as il passes over
the coil; this water, being evaporated and alb
sorbed by the heated air carries away the latent
heat OF the vapor very rapidly, producing q
complete condensation with avery small amount
OF water. The condensed liquid is pumped
back into the vaporizer continuously, only
nlftyhyc gallons Of it being used TO ill the
EaPorlzer and run the engine continuously. II
10 cla,'ned that not more than half q gallon Of
nqulu Is lost IN running twenty horse engine
Nli huu'sj ana as 1t costs only one dollar pei
| gallon, the expense of running twenty horse
| power by this process, would be only 6ftv cents
| per day. All the exhaust steam Is condensed
| by tins process, and pure hot water furnished
| Tor the steam boiler, dispensing with n heater
and avoiding all scale and sediment In the steam
| boiler
If this combined engine justfes fully all prcs.
ent expectations, it must revolutionize the svs
TEN Of steam machinery. The charge OF waste
iulness hitherto justly brought against steaIr
motors, since they economize but one.twentietl
Of the power existing in the fuel, seems likel,
to be very much weakened in force by mis- new
yapor engine, which, giving 2.66 times tn
power from the same weight of fuel, economic
very nearly one-seyenth Of the power which thi
fuel contains.
A somewhat similar engine, using carbon bi
snlphlde yapor in place of steam, was used, w
understand for time, some wears ago. nj tb
establishment OF Merrick & Sons, Philadelphia
But we learn that certain difficulties incdenta
10 the employment Of so volatile yapol
caused the experiment 10 be abandoned,