St. Landry democrat., 1888-09-01
NEW ALCOHOL ENGINES.
An Engineer Thinks They May BE thu
Coming Propeling Power.

All L<iSiitStf III EIty May 'S AN
Coming Fropeling Power.
"'The alcoholic engine may come
into general use, especially in propel-
ing pleasure boats q short distance
remarked an engineer to a reporter.
There are few in use now | pre-
sume?n
Yes, but those that are in use have
proven successful. Spirits of every
description are more readily converted
into vapor than water. A given
amount of heat will evaporate 0
spirit than water and it is owing to
this fact that the alcoholic engine was
constructed. The experiments made
thus far have been with small pleas
ure boats. How is the engine made
and run? Easy enough when ex-
planned. The machinery is placed in
the stern and consists of an ordinary
engine, the generator which produces
the vapor being placed nea the en-
CINE. 1t is both small and light, and
consists of a coil of copper pipe, into
which the spirit is pumped continuous
ly and becomes vapor before it reaches
the motor. The vapor drives the motor
in the same way that steam is used.
Now below the main coil is a second
and smaller n called the petroleum
coil, N end terminating in a burner,
alright galvanized iron tank, filled
with ordinary petroleum oil. Com
municating with this tank is a small
hand air-pump, and before starting a
few strokes of the pump are made,
producing a pressure and forcing the
liquid through a small pipe into the
petroleum coil. Below all this is the
burner, similar in construction to that
used for boiling water by means of
gas"
How is the power produced?"
"a small tap is turned on and the
pressure in the tank forces the petro-
leum through the lower coil into the
burner below, where it forth
and is lighted by a taper. A circle of
flame is produced which warns up the
two coils. producing vapor. from the
lower one, which Immediately burns
with increased vigor. The spirit
which is contained in the upper and
larger coil is also converted into vapor
and passes on to the engine, which is
then ready to start. 1t requires from
three to five minutes to generate pow
er enough to start the engine. There
is no dirt or smoke whatever, and the
machinery is self-acting. The engine
is stopped by shutting off the petrole-
UNI supply.
Now, the peculiar fact is that the
engine can be worked automatically.
You see, a small pump on the engine
keeps the coil fully supplied with spir-
it, and just as long as the fame con-
t%inues, the engine and vapor-generator
work on automatically. Very little
force is lost, for the exhaust from the
passes to a ~condensing pipe,
and then in a liqid state finds its way
back to the small store tank placed in
the stern. The store of spirits in a
small reservoir is sufficient to last for
several weeks running. The vapor
produced is from a spirit possessing a
specific gravity of zoo, and the heating
power is obtained from ordinary pc
troleum having a specific gravity of
$50. The consumption of petroleum is
about n and one-half gallons per
hour for the burner of a f%our-horse
power engine. The entire center and
forward part of the boat is free from
machinery, and can be given up to
passengers. 1t may be the engine of
the future yet."-N. Y. Mail and Eu-