Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-09-25
AUTOS PROMISED
ECONOMY CHANGES
Improvements May Extend
to All Types of Motor
Vehicles.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star
DETROIT, September 24.-Demands
Of economy promise to bring changes
in future power plants built for motor
cars. The changes may extend to all
types of autOmotive vehicles.
For years 1t has been conceded that
the modern car cost too much to
operate because a large amount of the
power generated in the engine is allowed
to 60 to waste.
Look to Diesels.
With the aim of cutting down fuel
expense, certain companies look to
Diesel engine development to make
crude oil take the place of gasoline
first in commercial cars and later in
passenger cars should the idea prove
feasible.
Sentiment favoring Diesel has led the
Department of Commerce to plan a
survey OF its possibilities. Coupled with
this has come a pronouncement from
Charles L. LaWrance, designer Of the
air cooled engine that carried Col.
Lindbergh from New York to Paris. Mr.
Lawrance now engaged in research
work, says the present type Of aircraft
and automobile engine is passing. In
their place will come new and improved
types which will lower the cost of COM
mercial transportation and increase its
speed and efficiency.
Mr.. LaWrance adds that we are APP
preaching the time when notifications
will take place which may result in
ccmpreSsion-ignition types like the
DIESEL superseding the spark-ignition,
carburetor power plants that burn gas.
Some automotive engineers, however,
held that the spark-igritiCn, carburetor
engine has reached such degree Of
perfection that it will be difficult to
induce the public to accept anything
else
Supercnargers, Mr.. Lawrance points
out. are becoming popular m aircraft
engines and even IN some high
motor cars. Other engineering belief,
more prevalent in Europe than here, is
that the compression Ignition engine Is
the coming power plant for all automo-
tive vehicles. This is manifested in the
United States most strongly in expert
ments on motor trucks and motor
coaches in which the Diesel or COM
pression-ignition types are being substi-
tuted for the older type.
Criticizes Cooling Methods.
As demonstrating the need for prog
resS along these lines. view expressed
recently by Louis Schwitzer, Indian
apolis engineer, criticizeS the way exist
ing automotive power plants are cooled.
Mr.. Schwitzer acts as chairman Of the
Technical Committee exercising super
vision of cars entered in the annual
500-mile race at the Indianapolis
chargers used for the Packard engines
with which Gar Wood powered Miss
America y to beat Kaye Don's world
sneed boat record recentlV
The superchargers Mr.. Schwitzer de-
vised were credited with boosting the
power of the four engines in Woods
boat from 800 to 1000 horsepower.
On engine cooling. Mr.. Schwitzer's
contention is that only a small percen-
tage of the fuel-air mixture indicted
into an internal combustion engine Is
usefully employed. About 80 to 40 per
cent is carried off by the exhaust gases;
4 to per cent is lost by direct rad1a-
from Is to IS Der cent must be elimi-
mated by the cooling system.
THAT the fuel energy dissipated by
the cooling system must be wasted" he
says, SIS unfortunate, since energy must
be spent to accomplish this waste.
Mechanical limitations, however, make
imperative the deWsing Of a cooling
system that will maintain cylinder and
combustion chamber wall pressures and
assure satisfactory and continuous OPP
Grafton of an engine"
To this end, he has made studies
of fans, fuel pumps and oil temperature.
Added Competition Seen.
Additional competition IN the small
car field is forecast in talk w. r. An
CELL. president Of Continental Motors
Corporation, gave at Muskegon, Mich.
He intimated that his company, which
has plants both in Detroit and in
Muskegon. might re-employ several
thousand men in the next three months
The reports are this means COM
parlion car in the low-priced division
to be teamed up with the Continental
De Vaux six now being built in Grand
Rapids in the factory that recently
passed into Continental's control.
1t was this move that prompted the