The evening times., 1900-02-27
IMPROVING STEAM POWER.
An Invention for Utilizing the Hen
of the Exhaust.

n 1ntthGton sAN
of the Exhaust.
Frank H. Mason, United States Consul
General to Berlin, has written the Depart
ment of State respecting the process Ior
increasing the efficiency of steam en-
gines." as follows:
THE recent centennial anniversary OF
the Royal Technical High School at Char
lottenburg was made the occasion OF sew
eral important announcements concerning
the work of that renowned institution,
which embodies in a remarkable degree the
advanced technical science which has done
SO much to push Germany forward into the
front rank Of manufacturing nations.
Among these, the first rank is by common
consent accorded TO the paper OF Prof. f.
Josse. head of the mechanical laboratory,
in which are described with elaborate de
tail the results CT his experiments witn an
original and highly interesting process FOR
increasing the efficiency of steam engines
by utilizing the heat OF the exhaust steam
for eyaporatiug another liquid having
lower boiling point than water.
''It is well known that the steam boiler
and engine twithstanding all improve
nents which il has undergone during tEe
past hundred years and its incaiculaDle
services 10 mankind. is neverless waste
full and eXtraya CANT -. zee for converting
the energy stored in fdel into mechanical
power. The ordinary simple high-pressure
engine. which. after passing steam through
one cylinder discharges it into tIe air,
utilizes hardly more than per cent Of the
value of the fuel consumed under its boiler.
The compound engine. in which the
steam, after passing successiyely through
! two. three or more cylinders. is cOndens-
ed, and the warm water OF condensation
restored to the boiler utilizes under fa-
vorable conditions Il to IL per cent of the
fuel energy. and there the economy ap-
pears 10 haze stopped. An eminent Ameri-
can engineer has recently published an ar
ticle reviewing the development OF the
steam engine and closes mis- essay with
the expressed opinion that with the COM
IouEd machines and improved cut-cff OF
recent years the practical limit OF ettici5n-
cy Of the steam engine has been reached.
The invention described by Prof. J0ssc in
trUduces a novel element into the problem
and OPENS new chapter in the record OF
steam-engine development
The process is the Joint discovery OF
Mr.. e. Behrend Hamburg engineer, and
DIR. Zimine-mann CT Ludwigshafen; and.
although first patented in 1889, il has only
recently been matured ard its application
| perfected by the employment of an auxil-
| iary engine which utilizing the heat con-
tanned in the exhaust steam. gains as bigl
as % per cent additional motive power
| without Increasing the expenditure of fuel.
! The principle and process invOleyd are
simple and may be briefly described. as fol-
lows
1t is plain that with all progress which
has hitherto been made in steam m-euginh
l.. II
heated steam. economical cut-offs. CT sue
cCesive cylinders. there is always an i'm
uortant and inevitable loss OF heat energy
/ y hen the steam having done its worh. is
DISCHARGED i-to tn" open air or changed
back 10 water BY contact with cold water
III q c5uderscr When the exhaust is into
the open air the steam has a temperature
of about 2l2 degrees Fahrenheit; when II
passes into condenser. the steam has 4
tetrneraiure Of 10 degrees TO le0 degrees
Fahrenheit according TO the vacuum.
The corresponding latent heat OF steam.
given Up upon change II form from steam
&c hct water. has hitherto run to waste IN
the CondCnsing or cooling water. or in the
air Nessrs Behrend and Zimmerman
attacked the problem OF utilizing this
wasted caIOric by employing II to create
new supply Of steam by ey2pOratinB some
| liquid which has lower boiling point than
1 wafer. ana IOf tiiS puTPOSS thtS CuNor'
| after MANY experiments. sulphuTous acid,
which is not only cheap and easily OBJ
tanned hut has the further advantage OF
! a viscOus consistency and lubricates the
! inner working surfaces of the machinery
| without corroding them.
Their demonstra tions, although not
practically conclusive. were so promising
| that Prof Jesse, as technical authority
| on this subject took up the problem, and
after several months OF highly satisfactory
/ laboratory experiment, caused to be con-
/ structed and connected with an ordinary
| working steam engine OF the compound
! tyne an additional condenser and auxili-
| airy engine. the power Of which could be
| exactly measured.
| The expense OF this Improvement is
practically all in the construction cost
| cf the vaporizer. condenser, and auxiliary
| engine itself and it's economy may be real
! lied from the fact that the exhaust steam
! from a 2.e00 horsepower centTal-station
| engine should furnish power 10 drive an
! additional 900 horsepower engine which
/ can be connected as an extra cylinder to
! the steam engine or run Independently.
| and thus increase by 20 per cent the power
| developed without adding a roInd to the
quantity of fuel consumed. When. in view
/ of the present coal famine throughout Eu-
| rore. il is remembered that the steam en-
! CINE energy of Germany alone, afioat and
| ashore. IS not less than 3,71T.264 horse
! power. the commercial Importance OF such
I will he readily aDDaTcut.'