Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1917-10-31
GIVING KEROSENE
. TO GASOLINE ENGINES
ECOMOM|zESI IN FUEL
WEAVING" OF ENGINE FROM
USE OF GASOLINE SAVES
CONSUMER MONEY

USE OF GASOLINE SAVES
CONSUMER MONEY
With the price Of gasoline going up,
and prospects of much higher prices
in the future, everybody is searching
for ways to economic in the con-
sumption of the all-important fluid.
The most obvious thing to do is to
substitute kerosene, at least in part,
for the more costly gasoline. Time
was when the oil men threw away
gasoline or gave it away; at that
time there was no demand for it be-
cause there was very little use for it,
and it was kerosene that was in de-
mand.
Now the conditions are almost re-
versed. More gaoline is demanded
than is produced, whereas there is a
surplus of kerosene. This is because
in the distillation of petroleum per-
centage Of kerosene is unavoidably
produced, along with the gasoline and
other products. You will notice how
the Standard Oil Co., in recent years
has pushed oil stoves, oil lamps, etc,
by advertising, whereas nobody would
think of booming the consumption of
gasoline.
The automobile concerns are neg
lectful in not taking hold of the stu,
alton and perfecting carburetor
or mixing-valve. All that is neces-
and pipe supplying the kerosene to
the engine. 1t is necessary to start
the engine on gasoline, as usual, as
kerosene does not vaporize readily
enough. But after the engine has got
heated up there is nothing to prevent
shutting off the gasoline and making
the engine run on kerosene.
This is what is known as ''wean-
ing" an engine from gasoline to kero-
sene. Kerosene really contains more
heat units than the same quantity of
gasoline and even at the same price
it would be cheaper fuel; it now costs
less than half as much as gasoline,
but it has several objections. An
important one is that, as it contains
more carbon than gasoline, it does
not burn so freely and it leaves the
cylinders, spark-plugs and valves
fouled UP with a sooty deposit which
after TIME interferes with the work
ing Of the engine.
1t is possible TO minimize even this
difficulty, by introducing a tiny spray
of hot water or steam in TO the in
take pipe of the engine The steam
instead Of interfering with the action
of the engine improves it and allows
more power to be got out of the fuel.
Moreover, it combines with the carbon
in such way that it keeps it soft and
assists in carrying it out and getting
rid of it through the exhaust.
This method of "scavenging" Or
keeping the engine free of deposits is
adopted in the well-known Diesel en-
CINE. 1t would be impossible to use
gasoline or oil engines in submarines
ETC.. if it were necessary everN little
while to take the engines apart and
clean them. They have to be con-
structed so that they will run for days
or even weeks together without be-
cleaned.
The Introduction of steam is one
way of accomplishing this. Numerous
concerns are selling attachments for
automobiles by which a little steam
or water is admitted into the intake
manifold so as to keep the engine
free from carbon deposits. These lit
tie affairs, which cost only a few
cents to make, usually sell for 81 to
SO, and then they are not entirely
effective.
One experimentor> who has weaned
his gasoline engine onto kerosene re-
ports that he is able to run it for only
about one-third the cost per horse
power-hour that it costs when operat-
ing on gasoline. AS already explain
ed, all that is required is to provide
second tank. to hold kerosene, with
pipe running to the carburetor. Shut
off valves are placed on both the kero-
sene and gasoline pipes.
The engine is started on gasoline
and when it has become well warmed
up the gasoline is slowly shut off and
the kerosene is at the same time turn
ed on. The engine may grumble and
sputter little at first at this sub
stitute beverage, but it will come to
it when it finds it has to. 1t may be
necessary to change somewhat the
regulation Of the air supply to accom-
modate the heavier fuel
IL is better to have a carburetor
specially designed to handle kerosene,
and such carburetors will be on the
market when the demand for them
gets sufficient. But even the ordi-
nary carburetor will work very well.
Where engines are run for only few
minutes at time it doesn't pay to
bother with the kerosene but where
Ihey are hepI IufiilifiS lOT COnSlueTdDlt
periods, the kerosene arrangement
will pay. ~
Another important improvement is
to have the intake pipe so placed that
the vapor will be heated by the ex-
haust. This superheating of the fuel
vapor alone will develop considerably
more power out of either gasoline or
kerosene, and it helps to prevent the !
fouling up Of the engine. When the
vapor is thus heated to a high point
part of it is converted into gas, in
stead of being left in liquid or vapor
form, and its potential energy is in
creased.