Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1906-09-07
Alcohol AS a Fuel
From Casters Magazine.
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tne lueal lget IS liquid fuel OF a
nature TO be readily vaporlzed. II
the liquid be Of a limpid, non-vlseous
character, the difficulties found in
pipe line transportation with the
thick fuel oils will not stand in the
way Of such transportation and dis
tribution. We have in ethyl alcohol
an ideal fuel-eolorless Iimpid. of
moderate boiling point, about fifty
degrees below that Of water, nom
freezing. burning without smoke,
mixing with water in all proportions,
and therefore its flame extinguished
by water, cleanly, drying on COM
pletely when spilled, not attacking
rubber gaskets or packings, and nom
corrosive for metal tanks and hold
ers. The fact that the flame is blu
ish, or so-called non-luminous, means
that the fame is almost devoid Of
free carbon particles, with their in
tense heat radiating power a fact of
considerable Importance When gas
olene or heavy oils are burning. the
fame, loaded with free carbon or
SCOT, radiates heat to such a degree
that it is not possible to approach
near the eoniiagration, and combusti-
Bile surroundings are readily fired by
pure radiation of heat
The production Of alcohol on a
large scale is very simple, and the
raw materials already exist in con
siderable variety All saccharlne or
starchy growths are available. Sac
charine wastes are now largely used
in Cuba for alcohol production. At
present it is said that the low grades
Of molasses can be delivered at
American coast cities at about
three cents a gallon About three
gallons of this crude product
will be required to produce a gallon
of refined spirit. or ninety per cent.
alcohol, and the cost of production
may be estimated at from three to
four cents, making the cost Of the
alcohol a gallon about twelve cents
This alcohol will, in a properly Or
gsnized engine, equal, volume for
higher price in producing power.
Even in the immediate future, then it
is evident that alcohol has a large
field of usefulness. The farmer need
not depend on wood, coal or oil for
his power. His agricultural wastes
will furnish It. His fields need only
receive the sunshine and be given
sufficient water, and thence any crop
yielding starch or sugar, hpweve- un-
marketable otherwise. may be made
the source Of power. light and heat.
The use Of alcohol as a fuel and
as source of power will grow grad
ually. 1t would be i1ie to look for
any sudden revolution in methods
When we extend our vision into the
far future we can only speak of pos
sibilities or probabilities. There is
always a possibility of new dlscov-
cries modifying conditions to such
an extent that our best present judg-
ment may be in error; but, assuming
that increasing scarcity and cost of
mineral fuels will gradually stimu-
late the selection and use of sub
stitutes. It seems reasonable to pre-
dict that the one substitute which
possesses the most desirable quail
ties is ethyl alcohol The amount
that can be produced is practically
unlimited
A very important fact distinguish
ing alcohol production by agrieul-
ture from the production and ship
| ment out of the land of food pro-
ducts, meat, etc, or even wood. is
that in the former the land is not
impoverished, as the mineral and
heterogeneous matters can be returned
to ii, while in the food and wood car
ried away the richness of the land is
passing away too Alcohol contains
only carbon. hydrogen and oxygen,
| all of which come from the air it.
self The transformation is begun
in the earbonie acid and water Of the
air reaching the growing plant under
the influence of sunshine, and COM
pleted in the fermenting vat aud the
still under human direction Vigor-
Gus plant growth is a cooling process;
solar energy is rendered latent or po-
tential. It would even be possible
I
any growth or crop the proportion of
the solar energy stored up. Fer
mentation renders the energy stored
more available, and distiliation final
ly Yields a concentrated product
Il is not unreasonable to expect
that in large engines of the internal
combustion type, when highly de-
veloped, we may attain eficiencies of
thirty 10 forty per cent This means
that of the heat units potential in
the fuel and liberated when it is
burned with the oxygen of the air
about one-third may be converted
into available power. 1t may even be
that future invention will carry this
proportion up to about one-half
With alcohol at cost OF ten cents a
gallon-a price even now realized in
Cuba-the cost of the fuel per kilo-
watt hour would be about one cen
and quarter on an assumed Ell
cheney of thirty-three per cent. in the
engine
1t is not to be imagined thai where
coal or oil can be obtained at any
thing like the present costs there is
at present any possibility OF their re-
placement Neither is it likely that
water power, developed under favor
able conditions, can ever have as a
rival artiffcially produced fuel.
But inasmuch as the fuel cost is
only relatively small fraction OF the
total cost of operation of a great
system Of distribution. such as that
of an electric lighting plant or rail.
way, it is evident that. considering
the great convenience and adaptable
ty of the alcohol vapor Internal com
bustion engine, wide field may oper
for its application, as the cost of tn
fuel alone is a relatively unimportant
item. Certain it is that for isolated
small powers the alcohol motor car
soon be used with convenience and
economy in America, following tins
recent legislation there removing ths
onerous tax.
Among the Rocks.
Sarah Bernhard. reaching Parii