New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-21
GAS ENGINE PROGRESS.
RECENT IMPROVEMENTS MADE BY MR..
WESTINGHOUSE.
THEIR VALUE RECOGNIZED By LORD KELVIN
IMPORTANT COMMERCIAL INTERESTS IN

IMPORTANT COMMERCIAL INTERESTS IN
voLvED-EcoNoMY OF POWER.
The New-York correspondent OF The Phi,adel-
pha Press" Holland" In an interview which he had
with Lord Kelvin, learned that the distinguished
scientist very much impressed. while upon
MS WISH 10 the various works OF the Westinghouse
interests AT East Pitsburg, with the perfected gas
e'sne' vi winch number, OF various power
paci'es. were In operation during that visit Lord
heNh leit free to say that In this apparatus he
saw great possibility for Industrial changes of
vast consequence, because they would cheaper the
cost OF production and thus reduce the cost of the
product perhaps In almost all Industrial undertake
| ings.
As result of this information Of Lord Kclvin's
the correspondent visited the Westinghouse works
recently. and describes that visit In long letter
to The Philadelphia Press" The gas engines
which he saw In operation ranged In power from
% horsepower to $50 horsepower, but others
are In course OF construction which will de-
veop even as small power as five horse power, and
two others are partly constructed r planned for
one Of which will develop $50 power and the
other 600 horsepower.
These engines. the correspondent states appear
10 have solved n problem which has occupied the
attention Of many mechanical engineers and SCI
en;ists since gas came Into universal There
have been numerous attempts 10 construct gas
gines but with comparatively limited success AZ
least so far as their adaptablity to commercial
Is concerned. The difficulty has been chiefly that
X impossible to perfect regula ton with
out which no machinery can be successfully
ployed In the production OF power for manufactur-
ing purposes.
Ten years ago Mr. Westinghouse determined
that there should be begun and continued under
his direction and at the shops which his various
companies control experiments. scientific and
chanical which would be continued at any cost
necessary and with all the patience required until
the perfect gas engine had been constructed. The
Westinghouse works were peculiarly adapted for
conducting these experiments. Within convenient
proximity were the great shops where the Westng-
house airbrakes made shops IN which every
thing that Is known or possible to know about the
construction values and the commercial relations
Of compressed air have long been understood. Then
near by. the electric shops. where the
Westinghouse dynamos and incandescent lamps
are manufactured. and tho gas engine
pected to be OF immediate commercial importance
a means OF furnishing power for driving dyna
mos. OF course 1t was convenient TO make all ex-
perimcnts necessary 10 establish that relation In
those shops Then too there were the great ma
chine shops. and over all these the supreme
authority and influence OF Mr.. Westinghouse him
mno wbsb bear bis on e III
Two years ago the experiments had been so far
ns Sss b and pnt into ens
operation. II was not perfect: II had not overcome
come in order to make the gas engine commercially
ayaabe /! pointed the gqy hOwsyGr to the
in the last two years 10 bring forth In these shops
engines which By the use OF the explosive force OF
gas. may be- driven automatically. smoothly. rhyth-
mcally, wlthou. any appreciabla variation. no mat
ter what the load may be-englnes which, Il Is be.
the steam engine for stationary power purposes and
for the creation OF the current for electric light
Ing. The regulation has been so perfected that the
Indicator when the engine Is under operation. points
with perfect steadlness 10 the figure denoting the
The chief advantage commercially. which 1t is
expected these engines will give will be that which
viii secure The best types of steam engines Involve
a wastage Of energy amounting to about % per
larger than In those OF greater power. The gas en-
CINE involves n wastage OF between 20 and 30 per
vast Increase OF economy OF the prohu ton OF
power which these perfected machines ms'e posi-
bic. In reducing the cost OF power production the
duccd. and the expectation is that when these en-.
gnes come into general use for the production o,
lighting will be considerably lessened.
The perfection OF these engines also opens sreat
cases for the driving OF these perfected gas en-
gines. and It has been constantly employed In the
Westinghouse works in the operation OF the en-
gnes already built there. and In the tests made
while they have been under construction.
the Industrial changes TO be effected by the intro
duction OF the gas engine IS that which vii be due
to the fact that II Is unnecessary TO establish any
plant. In cities where there are already gasworks
all that Is necessary 10 be done s 10 connect the en-
CINE with the main. In this respect the gas en-
CINE Is vast advance over the systems now in use
Tor the distribution u electric power systems. which
involve In many cases great expense because or the
high cos; OF the distributing agency.
The correspondent saw enough In his Visit 10 the
Westinghouse works to justify him In saying that
Lord Kelvin clearly had broader conviction as
cheapenlng the cos, OF production than he FELT en-
tlrcly free TO express.