Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1907-08-25
GERMAN GoVERNM EMIT CON-
= DUCTS TESTS OF FUEL
MAY sUPERsEpE GASOLINE FOR
USE IN AUTOS
Engines viii Have to Be Changed and
Cylinders Adjusted, as Heating
the Mixture Is Diff
ficut
BY HAINEs w. REED

The scarcity of fuel for automobiles
the high price and poor quality of gas
oline have led automobilists during the
last few years to investigate the possi-
bilities of alcohol as fuel. These ex-
periments have been carried on most
extensively in European countries, where
alcohol is cheaper than in the United
States and where gasoline lis not so
plentiful.
The German government has done
everything in it's power to promote the
use of alcohol as a fuel for automobiles,
with the result that there are several
models of machines in Germany de-
signed for consumption of alcohol.
These, however, are not the most pop
ular machines.
In France the technical committee of
the Automobile club of France has been
conducting experiments with alcohol for
fuel. They found that large six-cylinder
machines would develop more power on
alcohol than on gasoline. Unfortunately
the machines experimental with were
designed for the use of. gasoline; If they
had been specially designed for alcohol
the results might have been even more
favorable to the new fuel
In comparing the relative merits of
alcohol and gasoline 1t is found that
alcohol is volatile at much higher rate
than gasoline The latter will volatilize
at blood heat (9S.5 F), while alcohol
requires 1853 to 176 F. This means that
some special attachment would be re-
quired to heat the alcohol when starting
the machine; after starting 1t could be
volatilized with the heat generated.
Different Cylinder Adjustment
The compressibility of alcohol vapor
is much greater than gasoline. This
would mean that cylinders would have
to be adjusted differently for alcohol
fuel. Alcohol would require smaller
mixture of air, which means that more
fuel would be consumed. The increased
compressibility of alcohol would prob
ably offset this disadvantage.
The combustion of alcohol is more
complete than that of gasoline This is
an advantage that can be claimed by
those who favor alcohol as fuel.
There Is some dispute over the effect
of the alcoholic vapors on the parts OF
the engine Some claim that 1t causes
oxidation and would necessitate fire.
quent cleaning out of the cylinders and
pistons. This disadvantage has not been
found to be very great in machines de-
signed for use of alcohol
In most of the experiments in the
United States alcohol has been tried in
machines designed for use of gasoline.
Carbide mixtures have been added to the
alcohol to make the alconol volatile
enough for starting the machine. More
water can be allowed in the mixture
when acetyline is introduced, and an
economy in fuel results. Then the cyl
inders do not have to be adjusted to
secure greater compressibility.
One system proposes the mixture of
one-half pound of carbide to one gallon
of alcohol containing IS per cent to 20
per cent water. This mixture is advo-
Gated for use in present motors.
But it is probable alcohol will not
replace gasoline to any great extent
until the price of alcohol has been con-
siderably reduced or the price of gas
oline advanced much beyond the present
price, Even in France, where alcohol
power machines are more used than in
England and the United States, only 800
out of 5000 carbureters on the market
are designed for alcohol.
When alcohol, 95 per cent pure, is re-
duced to % cents per gallon then it can
be used advanta geously as fuel for
automobiles. Then specially constructed
machines will be designed for Its use.
An acetylene mixture may be found
which will enable present machines to
be utilized with alcohol fuel, but 1t is
probable that greater success will be
obtained with a specially constructed
engine