A New Vaporizer
Page 43
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for Oil Fuel
A N apparatus, the installation of which demands no 21.alterations to the engine or carburetter, and which is claimed to enable the petrol engine to run without loss of efficiency and with greatly increased economy, on oil instead of petrol, is now in production, by the Burtonwood Motor Engineering Co., Ltd., Collins Green, near Warrington, Lance, and Woodside Grove, North Finchley, London, N.12.
The accompanying drawing shows the B.M.E. vaporizer, as it is called, of the type made for certain Leyland engines. and indicates the general layout of the apparatus. It will be observed that it consists of a jacketed induction manifold which replaces the standard unit; a heated atomizer, interposed between the carburetter and the manifold; an exhaust trap, and the incidental piping, fuel tap, etc.
The exhaust trap deflects gases into the pipe to the atomizer, which is a plain jacketed venturi, having a number of short transverse pipes, each one above and at an angle to that below it, set across the bore and in communication with the jacket. From the atomizer a branch pipe conveys the gas to one end of the jacket of the mani fold, the length of which it traverses before returning to the exhaust pipe, immediately behind the point whence it was extracted. An air inlet is incorporated in the manifold.
We understand that B.M.B. vaporizers can now be supplied for certain Leyland models, and for new-type 14 h.p. and 24 h.p. Fords, and that they will shortly be available for Bedfords. The device, complete, for the first-named make costs £35.
We are informed that a number of prominent hauliers in the north of England has installed the apparatus and is experiencing a high degree of satisfaction from its use.
A consumption of fuel equivalent to a return of 8.89 m.p.g. is reported to have been obtained with a Leyland HQ2-type 11-ton articulated conversion, equipped with the vaporizer and running on R.V.O., the price of which is taken as 4+1.
per gallon. This is stated to represent an increase of 41.4 per cent, on the results obtained with petrol.
The period occupied from starting up on petrol from cold to changing over to oil varies from four to six minutes. It appears that no loss of efficiency results from the use of the vaporizer, and the success of the apparatus in this respect is, to some extent, attributed to the admission of cold air to the hot mixture in the manifold, and to the fact that the design of the exhaust trap actually causes a slight depression in the exhaust pipe, which aids scavenging and improves the volumetric efficiency of the engine. Furthermore, no dilution of the lubricant, resulting from the use of oil, is detectable.