Home-produced Fuel Comes Into Its Own
Page 28
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
By Major W. H. Goddard
QiJITE apart from the somewhat violent controversy now going on concerning the rights and wrongs of the rationing scheme, we must allow the fighting services first whack at the supplies of imported liquid fuel. Obviously this must imply considerable restriction in supplies available for our vital road transport services, but road transport must be kept going, and it can be kept going, by the use of home-produced fuel.
Producer-gas plants have been in use successfully for over 15 years in France, Germany and Italy, and there is no reason why they cannot also be used successfully in this country. By using home-produced fuel—anthracite coal specially prepared for this use is now available in quantities—we are keeping money in the country, helping the coal industry, avoiding the need for tankers, saving the Navy from protecting them on the ocean and helping the Government to keep the fighting forces well supplied with their fuel.
• No Real Conversion Difficulties •
There is no difficulty in converting a motor vehicle to producer gas—it can be carried •out in two or three days. Lorries, buses and cars can be converted, the last-named most easily by means of a small trailer which carries the plant. Calculating that 15 lb. of anthracite is about equivalent to one gallon of petrol, a bus or lorry carrying 5 cwt. of this fuel has the equal of 37 gallons of petrol—say, at 6 m.p.g., sufficient for al run of 220 miles. There is a little extra work in cleaning out the generator at night, but this is not difficult.
Whilst it is true that there is some loss of power, most vehicle engines are well on top of their work, and only in especially hilly districts will there be some delay. This can be overcome by the use of a blower. The great point is that there is a great saving in fuel costs— actually it domes to over 70 per cent., i.e., one is running at the equivalent of petrol at 5d. per gallon. .
Anthracite can be purchased in 7-ton lots, in bags of 56 lb., especially dried out, and in "peas," for 52s. 6d. ton at colliery. This means about 67s.—in such cities as Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford, etc.—but there is an allowance for empty bags returned which brings the price down to 62s. ton.
There are two main types of producer—the cross A26 draught (Gohin-Poulenc Patents)—and the up draught. The former seems to be the more popular, and does not use water on the fire, which is difficult to control on a motor vehicle. It is usual to fit the generator on the near side of the vehicle, the cooler and dust box at the rear, and the filter on the off side. The piping runs around the sides of the vehicle and helps to cool the gas. The cooler it is, the higher the volumetric efficiency. The carburetter and a small tank of petrol are employed to start up the engine, the suction drawing up the fire. A gas and air mixer is fitted in the induction pipe, and in four or five minutes, as soon as the gas is made, the petrol is cut off and the gas is used. A paraffin torch applied to the " tuyere " (air injector) is used to light up.
Compression-ignition engines can be converted just as easily as petrol engines, but they require some extra parts, the pumps and injectors being stripped. The sparking plugs fit into the injector apertures, with an extension to pass through the valve covers.
• Capital Outlay Soon Covered •
An important point for the haulier is that, with longdistance work, the whole cost of the plant and fitting can be recuperated in a matter of a few months. Consider a lorry running at 6 m.p.g. (petrol), doing 40,000 miles per year. The cost of petrol will be £500; whilst the cost of producer fuel would be only £140; allow £25 for extra labour, and the net result is a saving of £335. The cost of the producer plant, with fitting, will be about £160 to £170, and thus with six months' work the plant will be paid for, which is surely an attractive proposition.
The use of compressed gas is not so practicable, for, apart from the fact that there are few compressors available (there is only one in the North of England), the cylinders weigh 150 lb. each, and then carry only 35( cubic ft. of gas, equal to 1/ gallon of petrol. Thie system might be used in purely local work, where there happens to be a compressor, but a 6-ton lorry can carry only six cylinders, which means that his run is restricte to about 40 miles.