The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-31
In Fuel Economy 1t Beats Even the
Diesel, Revolutionary Marvel
in Its Time.

gineers comparative data were sub
mitted for a vessel OF $500 tons dis
placement having either a single
steam engine or crude oil motors, the
first developing 4,400 horse power
and the three Diesel units producing
a total of $500 horsepower. Statistics
plainly showed the advantages of the
internal combustion installation.
AS Mr.. Morton brought out further:
"A motor ship, in sharp contrast to
the steamship. is always ready for
action, as no time is lost in getting up
steam. Moreover, fuel is consumed
only when the motors are running,
and the motor ship is capable OF
maintaining full speed as long as
there is a supply of fuel. AS there
is no need for stokers on a motor
ship the crew can be decreased about
10 per cent, and this. of course, per-
mits of corresponding saving in
provisions, water storage and quar-
ters."
Every ship owner knows that in the
days ahead there Is going to be the
closest sort OF competition among the
cargo carriers of the world, and good
profits are likely to be reaped only in
the employment of vessels that can be
run at good speeds and very economi-
cally. Therefore of craft Of a given
deadYeight capacity and speed,
freighters that will get the most out
OF every gallon Of liquid fuel will be
the ones to show the largest returns.
And this brings us to the gas-steam
engine, the Still engine, which now
promises to make the motor ship a
far more formidable rival of the
regular steamship.
sim Motors Advantages.
Our Vice-Consul at London lately
reported to the Department Of Com
merce tho broad advantages of tho
Still motor. AS he explained, with
the ordinary gas or oil engine, one OF
tho greatest mechanical problems is
the removal of the heat generated by
the combustion Of the fuel. and in
the majority of cases this heat is lost
or wasted in the sense that 1t is not
converted into useful work.
TN the new invention arrangements
are made to utilize the waste heat for
the generation of steam; and the
piston, after being driven in one d.
rection by gas or oil, is driven in the
other by steam. BY this means the
inventor hopes to increase the fuel
efficiency at least 20 per cent. and to
increase the elasticity of the engine
by storing steam in a reservoir so as
to sustain for a short time a large
overload, which would ordinarily stop
| the engine"
Without going into maze Of techi-
cal niceties. it will suffice to say that
| the energy of liquid fuel is due d.
| rectly to the measure Of heat devel-
oped during the period of combustion
and the problem of the engineer is tc
get work out of as much OF this heal
| as possible before the hot gases are
exhausted from the cylinders. In tbs
Diesel engine the propulsive oil is moi
| ignited by an electric spark, but Il
| fired by the high temperature of the
air compressed in the cylinder before
the admission of the oil. The com
J preston raises the temperature Of the
air TO approximately 1000 degrees
Fahrenheit, which is well above the
| fiashpoint of the oil.
| Unlike the gasolene motor there |!
no explosion in the cylinder. and thus
no violent shock when the fuel Il
lighted by contact with the highly