Exclusive Test of New H.S.G. Vehicle
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"IN the use made of water lie the novelty, unorthodoxy and very essence of the patent, the practice of which .seems paradoxical and unsound." Thus does High Speed Gas (Great Britain), Ltd.., the parent -company of Gilfords (H.S.G.), Ltd., North -Circular Road, London, N.W:I0, and the holder of the patent referred to (No. 336,932), describe the principle on _ which its gas-producer depends. Paradoxical it may be to those versed in producer-gas technicalities, -but unsound it is not, as has now been proved incontrovertibly. Presumably the idea underlying the sentence quoted is to emphasize that the system differs markedly from others.
In order that our readers may have unbiased information on the performance of this producer, we have ourselves conducted, this week, a trial of the .latter company's latest product— the H.S.G. 6-tonner, model G6/1.
It is over three years ago that we first and exclusively described the forerunner .4 this machine, a converted
Ford van. At that time, although confident of the possibilities of the invention, we could not foreshadow the immense prospects that now, not without justification, come to our mind.
We do not propose to recapitulate the. principle of the producer, which was. fully described in our issue dated January. 20, 1933, but, in view of the fact that the name High Speed Gas is taken from a fundamental feature, this should be mentioned. Compared with other similar apparatus, the gas is generated With much greater rapidity, and, incidentally: at a higher tempera. ture. .A number of important advantages result from this fact.•
: H.S.G. vehicles can run on anthracite, low-temperature coke -or charcoal. Where peat is available, this substance, reduced to suitable form, may provide the fudl. Our test was -conducted with charcoal. Fuel costs about £2 a ton; that is, .214d. per lb. The 6-tonner, -weighing about 10 tons gross, uses roughly 2 lb. per mile. Therefore, the fuel costs per mile, per gross ton-mile and per payload ton-mile are respectively .428d., :043d. and .071d. For a 6-ton oiler the corresponding figures are .98d., .098d. and .163d.
Provided that the gas machine be not inferior to the other types in other respects, and that suitable fuel be ohtaMable in sufficient quantities, ttne would logically expect it to enjoy wide popularity among operators who desire to save money.
Our tests revealed no disadvantages. We set out from the works at Park Royal, and drove via Brockley and Cocks Hills (our customary North London road test gradients), and the Barnet by-pass to the North Orbital Road, returning -by a slightly more direct route. The distance was 43.5 miles and the fuel used was 80 lb., which works out at a consumption rate of 1.84 lb. per mile.
The 4-,mile of 1-in4gradient afforded by Brockley Hill was climbed 2.4 minutes--at about 6.5 zu
This speed on 1 in 8i is about up to standard. A restart was made on a 14n,6 slope with ease. The acceleration of which the vehicle is cateble
shown in an accompanying graph, and is comparable with an average curve which we have compiled from the results of a number of road tests of 6-ton petrol and oil vehicles.
The power-to-weight ratio of the vehicle, as tested, is .3 b.h.p. per cwt., the total weight being made up as follows:—Chassis, 2 tons 15 cwt.; gas plant, 4 cwt.; body, 15 cvst.; payload, 6 tons; personnel, 21 cwt.; equipWent, 3/ cwt.
Prior to setting out, the engine was started up from cold 11 minute after switching on the blower, which, by drawing in the flame from a paraffin torch, kindles the fire in the producer. On anthracite the corresponding time would be 2-3 minutes.
The behaviour of the vehicle on the road hardly differs from that of a petrol machine. In the course of our trial, a -hour stop was made, but afterwards the power unit fired almost immediately the starter had got it into motion, and after a few minutes' running fully to draw up the fire, was ready for the road.
The producer can accommodate 462 lb. of anthracite, enough for 160 miles, or 164 lb. of charcoal. During our 43.5-mile run none was added and 84 lb. extracted subsequently. No slag formed in the course of our trial, but about every 89 miles it is normally necessary to remove this, which shows its presence by a rise in the vacuum of the system. Provision is made to render this operation simple.
The chassis is based on the old Gilford design. It has the producer mounted in front of the radiator and the gas cleaners and coolers on each side of the frame.The power unit is built for the H.S.G. concern by the 'Coventry Climax company.
.01 5.33 litres capacity, this has side valves and four cylinders with a bore and stroke of 41 ins. and 5i ins. respectively. The head Is of aluminium and a compression of 8 to 1 is used. Despite this last-named fact, we detected no pinking throughout the trial.
Power is transmitted' through a Borg and Beck 12-in, clutch to a Clark fivespeed gearbox, giving overall ratios of approximately 59, 34, 114.5, 11.5 and 7.75 to 1. Behind this is a Layrub universal joint, whence a two-piece shaft, incorporating two Hardy-Spicerneedleroller joints, conveys the drive to an overhead-worm axle having fully float
ing half shafts. Braking is by the Dewandre triple-servo system, the front and rear drums being 16 ins, and 17 ins, in diameter respectively.
For convenience the 31-gallon water tank is placed with its filler near that of the radiator. On the near side of the dashboard are a paraffin tank, which feeds the starting torch, and a petrol tank for the small Solex carburetter, provided solely to avoid the need for starting up the producer when it is wished to move the vehicle only a, short distance.
Driven independently by an electriQ motor, the starting blower (a centrifugal device) is so arranged that it draws air through the system, discharging from what is normally the engine air-intake pipe. Its speed can be regulated by a variable resistance, so that, if it be desired to leave the vehicle for more than about 11 hour, it can be set to run slowly to maintain a draught through the producer.
The main air control is automatically operated by the accelerator pedal, the proportion being set, for the conditions obtaining, by a lever mounted beside the driver. In addition, there is an . extra-air intake, controllable by a second lever which permits an independent mixture adjustment to be made. This 6-tonner, the first of its type to be built, is not primarily designed for the British market, and is destined for Australia. A 4-tonner, however, weighing under 50 cwt., unladen, is nearing completion, and this model, intended for service in this country, which in due course will be the "production job," we hope to subject to our full standardized road-test at an early date.