Huntsville gazette., 1881-09-10
Alleged Revolution in Steam.Power.

AIIcScu hcVOIu1On In Steam.POWer.
| Some weeks ago the Tribune printed
accounts OF an interesting series of ex-
| periments near New York in the pro-
duction of steamsby the hydrogen fame
that is, utilizing water for heat While
the results reached in these trials were
said to be wonderful, it was claimed at
the time by persons interested that their
efforts were very much hampered by
the want of apRropriate apparatus.
They believed it u be possible, with a
locomotive constructed according to
their ideas, to effect still further saw
ing in fuel. and accomplish still more
than they had been able to do with q
coal-burning engine. It will be seen
from letter from Prof Conant that
locomotive supposed to be exactly suited
to exhibit the principle of the hydrogen
flame is now being built at the Grant
Locomotive Works in Paterson, N. j.,
and is so nearly completed that it will
probably be dispatched on trial trip
! between New York and Chicago during
| next month.
The hydrogen locomotive will differ
| from the common coal burners in having
two tire-boxes. The preliminary pro-
cess of combustion will take place in a
lower compartment. Thence the flame
will be conducted through great num-
| ber of flues to an inner chamber where
the peculiar process of separating the
constituent elements of water and burn
ing the hydrogen will take place. An
other novel feature of this locomotive
will be that its flues will be made of
| copper and have diameter cOnsidera-
bly, smaller than the iron f1ues now COM
monty employed. The great conductiv-
ity Of copper as compared with iron is
fact well known to practical mechan-
ics-the difference is as two to one-but
the use of that material in the fues of
coal-burning locomotives has not been
possible, because the cinders thrown off
by the fire in the strong draft speedily
cut the soft metal in pieces. The same
objection will not apply in the hydrogen
| locomotive. No cinders are thrown off,
and there can consequently be no pro-
cess of attrition going on. Copper has
the further advantage of possessing a
chemical antagonism for the salts con-
tanned in water that ordinarily produce
scales, and there will be no clogging of
the flues from this source and no loss of
heat resulting therefrom in the improved
apparatus.
There are two sets of fiues in the new
locomotive. The first set, 1862 in num-
her havt. cn11lJ, .--.-- -
inch, and are short and vertical, leading
from the lower to the upper combustion
chamber These flues and both the
chambers do not occupy greater space
than the present fire box of a coal burn
er, so great is the economy Of room in
the use of the naptha flame. The second
set of fues, 512 in number, are laid hor-
izontally from the upper fire. chamber
through surrounding water to the final
outlet. They are eleven feet long and
three-quarters of an inch In diameter.
The long fiues alone, not counting the
1,6G2 short ones, are about three times
as many as can be got into coal-burn-
er.
The principle of the process by which
the hydrogen flame is produced is, in
brief, that the chemical constituents of
water, hydrogen and oxygen, are sep
arated at comparatively low heat in
the presence of the carbon contained in
burning naphtha gas, that the oxygen
unites with the carbon to form carbonic
oxide or carbonic acid gas, according to
| the completeness of the combustion,
while the liberated hydrogen takes up
oxygen from the atmosphere and burns
| fiercely in colorless and most intense
| flame.
The inventors of the hydrogen fire.
chamber claim that their experiments
have passed beyond the doubtful stage;
that the success of the apparatus is as
sured, and that it will shortly be de-
monstrated beyond cavil by the opera
ton of the locomotive now building.
The results that they expect to flow from
this improvement almost stagger belief.
The least of them will be complete
revolution in locomotive building. With
the imperfect coal-burners they were
able to effect saving of fourteen-fif-
teenths Of the fuel with the improved
copper-tiue hydrogen-burner they can
do much more. The consumption OF
naphtha, they assert, will not exceed one
half pint per pound Of steam pressure.
The locomotives, if the expectations of
the builders are realized, will be smoke
less, fiameless, noiseless. There will be
| no ulOTe ClHuclS, III PohihS, VI "hOOH-
ing, or snorting when the engine stops.
The product given off at the final es-
cape will be not only free from dirt, but
actually cleansing, SO that if bit OF
soiled linen could be held in it without
scorching it would be made public.
These are big promises. The Tribune
does not make them. 1t merely records
them. But the sincerity of the mana
gers can not be questioned. They are
showing their faith by their works, as
are also the locomotive company at Pat
erson. If the locomotive will not work,
the people need not wait long to find
out that important fact. If it will,
hydrogen locomotive will be flying be-
tween New York and Chicago in less
than sixty days, and in year there will
be hundreds Of them in all parts OF the
world. Chicago Tribune.
The sharpness of outline and the
bright color Of the brown spot which
has been so long visible on Jupiter has