The Washington times., 1907-04-17
new POWER RATING
STANDARD ADOPTED
Automobile Manufacturers
Would Have All Uniform
System OF Tests.

A standard for horsepower rating and
alcohol acetyleue as a fuel were the
subjects taken up al the afternoon ses-
sion of the April meeting of the me-
chanicaI branch of the Association OF
Licensed Automobile Manufacturers held
last week The need OF q universal
method for computing horsepower was
discussed. and suggestions FOR The adop-
ton of an A. J. A. NJ, horsepower
standard recommended.
The horsepower of car under the
present ratings may mean anything a
salesman may say, as various formulas
for computing these ratings are used.
no two giving the same results. After
having tho ACCESSIBILITY of a universal
rating under consideration for several
months. the standards suggested by the
branch were TO be taken from brake
test at the fly wheel. in conjunction with
a formula TO be suggested by the test
committee.
Two units are to be used, the lower
being the actual rating from the brake
tests, as computed from an indicator at
1000 feet per minute piston speed, and
the higher number to be the maximum
horsepower developed from superior
workmanship or the results of a better
tyne motor For example, in a 2o-24-
horsepower. motor, the 20 would be the
actual horsepower al Loco feet per min
ute piston speed. and the "A the horse
power which would be developed when
not under normal conditions.
The value of this is readily seen, as
is would eliminate. in many cases. the
work Of statesmen or entrants in tests
In rating a car at 80 horsepower when
it would actually develop 90. thereby not
only incorporating the rating of a
car. but eliminating the advantage
gained by this Misrepresentation over
an entrant Of a car which gave the
actual rating.
The discussion Of alcohol acetylene as
a fuel developed some interesting mat
ter, the growing need of a substitute for
Easolene was realized, but whether
aeetylene-alcohol combination would
suppidnt the present fuel supply. is
problem YET unsOiVed. Atr. White, or
Barker & White, opponents Of the new
fuel gave a most interesting illustrated
talk on the subject Radical statements
were made by him as 10 the efficiency
OF the carbide alcohol mixture. Mr..
White predicted that by september !
alcohol could be obtained at a figure less
than 20 cents per gallon, and that
in certain places and In quantity car
hide could be purchased for this purpose
at i cent per pound
How to Use Alcohol.
He has proven that 10 get the best
results. a half-pound Of carbide should
be used to a gallon Of alcohol this
making the cost Of the new fuel slightly
over % cents a gallon to the con-
sumner. Every gallon Of denatuTed al
cOhOl contains about 10 per cent Of
water. which. it was found did not
work as well as alcohol containing
is or 20 per cent Of water, the addition
of this extra water increasing the COM
bustiou qualities of the mixture.
As engines are now built for the use
OF gasOlene, it would be much more
practical 10 adapt the fuel TO the en-
CINE than the engine 10 the fuel, II
seems, however, from experiments now
under way, that in a short time, gasO-
lene viii have one or two very strong
competitors as fuel for automobile pro-
pulsiOn.