The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1908-02-20
USE OF FARM ENGINES|
po,, the Alcohol and Gasoline Type
Described.


The determination OF the position
OF the alcohol engine today involves
a forecast OF the future. and should II
be shown 20 he able to compete nov
II must inevitably reach n stronger
and more important industrial posi-
tion as time goes on. This ~ the
fact that has led governments to take
up the question. nni among them the
United States is the latest. Explod
ing engines operating on crude OIL
will average about $4,000 heat unite
per brake horsepower hour. which 4.
equivalent TO about 10 per cent ther-
NAL efficiency; engines using gasoline
should operate at q thermal efficiency
of about 19 per cent. under similar
operating conditions.
The efficiency of an alcohol engine
may be assumed at this time to be
unknown, but as alcohol can be burn
cd In engines designed for gasoline.
X may be assumed that such an en-
gine will have with alcohol fuel the
same thermal efficiency as with gas.
oline.
The first serious attempt to exam
inc into the possibility OF alcohol as
fuel In competition with petroleum
seems to have been made in 1894 IN
Lipzis, Germany, by Professor Hart
man. The engine used was built TO
operate on kerosene, and used 425
grams OF kerosene per hour per bralse
horsepower, which is equivalent to
0.935 pounds. or IL pints, approx
imately. This indicates for kerosene
a thermal efficiency Of 1876 per cent
When operating on alcohol the en-
gine used about twice as much. or
S39 grams. which with this kind of
alcohol was equivalent to n thermal
efficiency of 1872 per cent. or a little
less than with kerosene. The expert.
ment would seem to indicate that,
compared with kerosene, alcohol. as
a fuel. offered very little chance for
successful competition. In spite OF
this, Investigations were continued
and the results of this development;
may be summed up by stating tha,
the thermal efficiency has been raised
to something over thirty per cent
quite n remarkable showing, In com.
parison with the original figure. This
indicates that with a motor specially
constructed for alcohol, the price per
gallon might be twice as much as 70,
the Litter as for petroleum, and still
produce power for less money, a.
suming all other conditions, such as
cost of attendance. fabrication. etc,
being the same.
The Office of Experiment Stations
OF this Department. In connection
with its Irrigation and Drainage In
vestigations. has tested a number OF
different types Of gasoline engines
with alcohol and obtained figures
which show the comparative CON
sumption of gasoline and alcohol in
the same engine. The first tests
were made without any particular at
tempt at obtaining the best adjust
ment of the engine for each fuel, ami
showed consumption of alcohol two
or three times as great by weight per
horsepower hour as was necessary
with gasoline or kerosene. These
figures indicate the necessity or de-
stability of determining the proper
conditions of adjustment. because
these were found to have a serous in
huence on the amount of fuel con-
sumed. With care in adjusting the
engine so as to secure the most eco
nonical use OF the alcohol, 1t was
found that. under like conditions, a