Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-12-21
External Combustion
Engine Tested by Navy
Invention Neglected for Century
Found Having Great Advantages
By Thomas r. Henry

By Thomas X. Henry
ANNAPOLIS, Dec. 21-An external COM
bustion engine" based on an invention
abandoned and forgotten for a century, is
being tested at the Naval Engineering Ex-
pertinent Station here.
It has certain great advantages over the
internal combustion engine-almost absolute
silence in operation, adaptation to extremely
low temperatures, and ability to use nearly
any kind of fuel.
This is essentially hot-air engine. It
differs from ordinary engines in that the
burning of fuel takes place entirely outside
the cylinder. Inside the cylinder only air is
used. 1t can burn coal or wood. The prin-
ciple is quite different, however, from that Of
the woodworking automobiles common all
over Europe during the war. These were in
ternal combustion engines, depending on the
combustion of gases obtained from the fuel.
The external combustion engine depends only
on the heated air.
First Developed in 1915.
This engine was first developed by Scot
fish clergyman in 1916. Little attention was
paid to it. First, 1t was quite inefficient and
clumsy. This was time when steam en-
gines were undergoing great improvement.
The need for a combustion engine was not
apparent and by the time one was needed the
internal combustion model appeared.
Perhaps the major difficulty was lack Of
suitable materials. These, it is believed now
are available. The Scottish invention was
resurrected in 1889 by the Philips Co. Of
Eindhoven, Holland. Modern engineering
developments were applied until the work
was stopped by the war. In January. 1916,
work was started on Navy contract, with
technicians loaned by the Dutch company.
The engine now being studied here is
result Of that contract. It is being developed
primarily to determine its capabilities. An
immediate practical purpose, however, is
as a portable generator for wartime front
line radio work. This is indicated by the
silence of its operation. 1t is no louder
than a sewing machine.
No Starting Problem.
Another advantage is the adaptability to
operation under extreme low temperature.
There is no starting problem as in ordinary
Diesels or gasoline engines.
The model here is rated only at a quarter
horsepower, and would be useful only for
small generator set. There is no larger
size in this country at present, but engines
up to so horsepower have been built In
Holland.
A major disadvantage Of the earlier design
Of hot-air engines was that they were ex-
tremely large and heavy for the amount
Of power they developed. Modern engineer
ing has taken care of the size and weight,
but one disadvantage still remains. It re-
quires several minutes after lighting the fire
before the engine is ready to start running.
On what day of the week did your tenth,
seventh and fourth birthdays fall?
On what day Of the week was Christmas,
1881?
Obviously nobody can answer such ques-
lions ofhand except by lucky guess or
unless there is some exceptionally vivid as
ISOLATION with Christmas Of certain year
which fixes the day of the week In mind for
lifetime.
Yet out Of so persons put in deep hypnosis
DR.. Robert M. True Of the University Of
Vermont Medical College was able to get
more than 80 per cent correct answers to all
these questions, he has reported to the
American Association for the Advancement
of Science.
Neurotic Patients.
All the subjects were neurotic patients be-
tween the ages of 20 and "a. They had
no better than average memories of the
dates of recent events. Most of their answers
to such questions as the day on which
Christmas fell two years ago were mere
gueSseS and wrong.
DR.. True was testing hypothesis Of psy-
chotherapy that nothing actually is forgotten
but only slowed away in the brain and that
seemingly forgotten events Of early child
hood can be recalled through life.
All the answers were checked by the
calendar. They seem, DR.. True says, to
support the hypothesis that there is little
real forgetting in life.