New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-05-02
THE CANGEE ZERO.MOTOR.

To the EdffOr Or The TT tbUnc.
SIR: The great weight attaching to any utierancc
If Professor simon Newconb on questions Of
physics induces me to express regret that he has not
witnessed experiments. continued for nearly four
months, IN the Wellington Navy Yard. The results
obtained are absolutely conclusive in refutaton Of
the position maintained By the Professor in ycster-
days TRIBUNE.
do not appreciate the nice distinction expressed
as follows: "Thc question is purely one OF physics
and not OF steam engineering ! am not aware Of
any question in relation b. the theory Of the steam
engine not purely physical. The physicist and the
engineer base their knowledge on experiment and
nothing but experiment establishes the physical or
engineering truth. L. has bee my good fortune
acting, not IN violation Of but IN ,ricic-i accord
ance with iherno-d yuanic Laws 20 demonstrate:
First-That low temperature engines, receiving
heat from their environment can Ice worked utlIl-
ing heat downwards 10 near ia. boiling point Of
such an agent as ammonia and far below the zero
of Fahrcnhcit's scale.
.S,cond-That Watts ,aparlt' condenser, with an
external cooling agent oil di-ohare Of the heat
ricr or motor fluid into the aiuo, here. essential IN
the steam engine, can dispensed with in a zero
motor
Thrl-That cylinder con lcnslion and refri{cra-
ton produced by the expansion of hqdcnablo gas
like ammonia against working piston. are so
abundant and constant, under night couii pns as To-
afford Us an ample margin of available power even
after pumping 10 the boiler the residual yapor and
liquid.
Ioud,-That w. are not acting 10 violation Of a
perfectly established las OF gisc>-ts certain and
universal as that of srayitatiOn-that gas when
condensed generates the same amount of heat and
exeris the same pressure 20 ia eNpandinr' We are
not required 20 reoad. except IN small part, with
10. f.a., fro,
When on thu goth Of last Dcccmbc ! first started
the refrigeraing machine which 80 completely bore
out my anticpatons, and the report Of a competent
board Of naval engineers, | watched with anxiety
an alcohol Thermometer on the exhaust side Of the
ammonia engine. The temperature fell rapidly to
81 Fair and then slowly 10 when a weak solution
of chloride of magnesium surrounding the tubes of
INV refrigerator, became solid and We had to stop
The steam engine alone wa p0weress 10 move the
machine and the ammonia engines then saved us
eighteen indicated horse power Oh total required
OF between fifty and sixty horse. Since that day the
verfcation Of the first observations have been uni
for1nly satisfactory and temperature of the exhaust
between 10, and 20 below zero Fahrenheit. have
been readily maintained without extrahcous refrig-
GRAFTON and with absolute constaucy.
The ammonia, gaseous on entering the first cyln-
der, was 50 freely hqucfied ~ doing work that
whilst the engines became covered Win "a lhlch
layer of frost the liquid appeared an abundance in
the gauge glass.
Such condensation did not require power, hut re-
suited from the transformation of the heat IN the
ammonia into the motion of the engine p~t0nz.
For the first time and in accordance with theuno-
dynamic law, "A cold condenser was obtained
/ cheaper than hot boiler without colder sur
rounding. tn g. Oris borrow from an intelligent
mechanic, himself an inventor, who graspcd the
problem - soon as presented 10 him.
There Is 10 much new in the machinery Use that
Professor NewcOmb had he seen IT, couldneycr have
stated whilst impcaching it, novelty, that plan
war laid in direct cont fadct0n to the second law
of thermo-dpanics." Would this, If true, not be-
new and absurif
lido not pretend 10 have fond " in nature some
mechanism by which this Law could be cvaded." The
radically new discoveries in the properties of mat
ter" essential In Professor Newc0mb's opinion 10
unset natures aycle not only unnecessary, but
the Point perceived and which has e. this day been
overlooked is that Putarcian primuIn frgi-
dun is not the Indispensable cOncOnltant OF energy
ia heat engines. The calculations of Clausius and
Maquarn Rankne, confirmed by the experimental
results obtained by sherwood aud Him, guided my
path in a work suggested ~ much, perhaps, by my
knowledge Of physiology as OF engineering.
hesitate TO prOlonga technical discussiOn IN your
columns and conclude with earnest invitation TO
Professor NewcOmb TO watch our experiments. In Q
few Wanks all will be ready and the engine VIII
make, not one" but the hrst Of countless con-