Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-03-13
USES FOR COMPRESSED AIR.
Its Especial Advantage Described by an
Expert.

Its Especial Advantage Described by an
| Expert.
"What are some of the uses Of COM
pressed air as a motor?" asked New
York Mail and Express reporter OF
leading dealer in rock drills, and COM
pressed air machinery recently.
at is especially well adapted was
the reply, "for rock-drills, pumps, hoist
ing engines, and other machines used in
mines, shafts, tunnels, and underground
work work in general, where the direct
use OF steam would be very inconvenient,
and in most cases entirely impracticable.
The fact is that the compressed air is
motor for all the essential purposes OF
steam, without the loss of power due to
condensation and without the heat and
many other inconvenience attending the
use of steam as motive power especial
ly in confined places and at distance
from the source of supply. 1t is, there
fore, applicable to all engines that can be
operated by the expensive power OF
steam, either at high or low pressures,
and one of its principal advantages over
steam is that it can be stored and trans
mitted through pipe to any distance with
out material loss of pressure or diminu-
ton of volume, the only requisites being
pipe and ample area, with tight joints
and laid with the least possible number
of sharp turns. In mining work particu-
larry it has the additional advantage that,
upon exhausting from the drills or other
machines used, it furnishes to the work
men constant and abundant supply OF
pure, fresh and cool air, thus in many
cases obviating the necessity of provid-
ing other and expensive means of ven
tilation"
us it applied to other kinds of work
successfully"
'Quite so. For instance, in sinking
bridge caissons; driving tunnels through
soft material by the pneumatic process,
for refrigerating and ventilating pur-
poses; transmitting messages, packages
and passenger cars in pneumatic tubes /;
vulcanizing wood in the manufacture
of rubber goods and nitro glycerine ex-
plosives; for elevating liquids, purifying
water for city and town use, driving
street cars, mine locomotives, and for
supplying very convenient and per-
fectly safe motor for running elevators
and factory and shop machinery. The
feasibility of COMPRISING air, either by
steam or water-power at any convenient
point for economical production, and
then conveying it through iron pipes
along the street exactly as gas or water
is carried), to be tapped and used
wherever required, furnishing power for
use in towns and cities, has already been
practically demonstrated, and it is only a
question of time when this plan will be
extensively adopted, owing to its econo-
my and safety. By this system power
NAV be transmitted to great distance
at comparatively small expense. At
the tunnel being driven from Washing
ton, d. c., aqueduct, the compressor
plant is located at a central point for
economical operation, and the air dis
tributed over distance of five
miles over ground, through ten,
twelve, and six-inch pipe, to the
four shafts where it is received by four
inch pipe and supplied to the drills,
hoisting engines, and pumps. When
the tunnel is completed the air will have
been conveyed through ten miles of pipe.
This is the longest distance air has been
conducted, and the loss by friction and
radiation does not exceed 2 per cent. It
can just as readily be conducted much
longer distance without higher per-
centage of loss.'