The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-28


One Of the leading questions In mechan!-
cal engineering Of the present DAY Is tho
extent to which the steam en- CINE VIII DO
supplant ted by the internal combustion
motor, In which tho explosive force OF the
gases produced by the vaporization or de-
composition OF the fuel Is used instead
of the expansive force Of tho steam pro.
duoed by the heat Of combustion acting
on water.
In motor or power boats and automobile
vehicles, where LIQUID fuel is available
the internal combustion engine has OBJ
tanned recognized supremacy. while tho
gas en- CINE burning blast furnace gases or
illuminating or fuel gas, or producer gas
made in adjacent apparatus, shows under
some conditions great economy and In
certain favorable instances requires only
half the amount OF fuel demanded by steam
10 produce a given output Of power
Such success has been secured already
with gas engines that it 10 now demon
strated that it is far more economical to
use a so-called producer plant to trans
form coal into gas and then use tho gas
in gas motor than to burn the fuel under
the boiler Of steam emf CINE. Accordip ely,
with the experien ce gained from construct
ing large gas engines for power plants
on land, It was but natural that en- gineers
should consider whether the same efficiency
could not be secured in marine gas en- gines.
II the conditions demanded in this
class Of machinery could be met the adj
vantages Of the gas engine would be even
more striking than on land. Thus tho
absence Of smoke would be as valuable
for a naval vessel as it would be agree
able for the passengers on a liner, while
the fact that pound Of fuel would carry
. gas propelled steamer twice as far a. one
using steam, would increase the radius
Of action OF a war vessel and would result
In substantial econ omiee for the merchant
man.
Furthermore, there would be no need
OF force Of stokers for the furnaces on
the gas propelled ship, as the little handling
Of fuel could be done largely with ma
chinery. Even more important would
be the great saving in weight, since while
the gas engine may be slightly heavier
than a reciprocating steam en- CINE, the
producer weighs less than the boilers
and there is a great gain in the weight Of
water saved.
There Is also . saving In space, and this
saving as well as that in weight and in
fuel acts In two ways: either more space
is released for cargo transportation, with q
consequent increase in earning capacity,
or more fuel. bought at a cheaper market,
can be carried.
With the gas engine there Is no greater
amount Of auxiliary machinery required
than with steam. and such as there u is
far less complicated. Tho pumps are
driven by electricity. and this same form
Of energy Ia utilized for power and for
illumination, in tho case Of the pumps
being much more economical than steam.
That such considerations should prove
attractive to engineers is apparent at first
glance and accordingly it Is not difficult
to understand why In England and Ger
many considerable attention recently has
been paid to the designing Of marine en-
gines in which . producer plant and gas
motor take the place Of boilers and re-
ciprocating engines or turbines. In Ger
many the most important work in this
field, perhaps, has been done by E.
Capitaine, who has spent many years in
the study Of the gas engine and producer
md has carried on a large number Of ex-
periments Of great practical value.
He has prepared designs for several
vessels Of considerable size and has actually
constructed launches and barges in which
his engines have been tested. His method
Is to use a number Of single acting cylin-
ders, as in gas engines a number OF small
Units are more economical than a single
cylinder and piston Of large size.
The incipal advantage asserted for
fvtr~ A,,Hk E - 49,
1t can be operated at a comparatively
high rate Of speed, while at the same time
the reciprocating parts and the hywheels
are OF smaller mass. Furthermore. such
engines are more susceptible Of regulation
and involve a smaller initial outlay. Tho
individual parts of the motor are small and
are accessible for cleaning and repairs.
The gas from the producer consists Of
carbon monoxid (24 per oent.), carbon
dioxid Is per cent?. hydrogen az per
cent? and nitrogen "a per cent?. It can
be made from anthracite coal or coke In |
the smaller sizes, or from lump coal, and |
1t Is interesting to note that certain of the
leaner Goals that are deficient In steam |
producing properties can be employed |
most Autobiography in the gas producer.
The action OF the producer consists in |
''A'o'h6 w ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ny means OF an |
air blast the fuel at the bottom OF the
producer so that by combustion carbon
dioxid resu is. This passes through the
heated coal and becomes carbon monoxid,
which is combustible gas.
Steam from a small boiler may be intro
duced at the CRATE, and this on passing
through the coal becomes deoomposed, it's
hydrogen going to enrich the carbon
monoxid, while its oxygen combines with
the carbon and eventually forms carbon
monoxid. The gas is washed, cooled and |
purified, and after being mixed with air |
forms an explosive compound which is |
used in the cylinder.
The effect Of suction in the cylinder is to |
draw from the producer an even supply |
Of gas and the successful use that has been |
made Of this idea has increased largely the
efficiency OF the gas engine. The con-
sumption OF coal in a gas engine amounts
to from one to two or more pounds per
horsepower per hour. and when 1t is real
lied that the same amount OF power gem