Expanded metal and some of the uses to which it is put

Abstract

Sla/cd AI~elfnLG ()~ lo]~cr 25, 19oo. TIll,: USE (>l, BLAST FURNACt'; GASES l.x ()AS ENGINES. BY PROF. Jo.qEI,tT W. RICItARDS, .Member of the Institute. Practical gas engines were first put into operation by Otto, in I87 o. They were for many years made only of small powers, : to :o or, at most, 2o horsepower. The fuel used was illuminating gas, which has the high calorific power of 4,5oo to 5,ooo calories per cubic meter. About :885, experiments showed that weaker gas could be used, and that if the gas and air mixture was strongly compressed in the cylinder before explosion, the ignition never failed. This gave rise to the running of gas engines by producer gas, particularly that made by the auxiliary use of steam, and therefore carrying considerable hydrogen. Such gas is in reality a mixture of normal producer gas with water gas; it is sometimes called I)owson gas, after the Dowson producer. It :nay carry 5 to i5 per cent. of hydroyen, and its calorific power vary between I,ooo and T,SOO calories per cubic meter. The use of this gas in large engines, up to 2oo horsepower , gave an efficiency of I