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The Limitations of Paraffin Fuel.

1st October 1914, Page 14
1st October 1914
Page 14
Page 15
Page 14, 1st October 1914 — The Limitations of Paraffin Fuel.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

The Function of the Sinks Carburetter, which Avoids the Use of Paraffin on all but Wide Throttle Opening.

The problem of the efficient paraffin vaporizer is as much with us to-day as it was, shall we say, ten years ago. Innumerable have been the attempts to solve it. It is disappointing to have to admit that even to-day, despite all the ingenuity which has been expended in the endeavours to provide a means for the suitable automatic preparation of paraffin for consumption in internal-combustion engines, it would indeed be difficult, under penalty, to point without reservation to one of the many de.vices which are offered that might be expected to be on its best behaviour under all conditions at all times.

The Varying Conditions in Use.

We know of individual paraffin carburetters which are giving results in skilled hand S which areyielding economies, and therc is no reason why such examples should not be multiplied, providing the conditions remain the same. But we repeat, we are still looking for the paraffin vaporizer which can be fitted with confidence _te any type of commercial-vehicle' petrol engine, and be, relied upon to adapt itself satisfae-, torily to the many varied and constantly-altering conditions of business operation.

When the Average Vaporizer Fails.

It is Dot altogether difficult to summarize the difficulties with which inventors have to contend. The results that have been achieved with the manY different classes of device, all intended to attain the same end, collectively have proved with more or less certainty that, whilst it is possible in a variety of ways to secure proper and consistent running on paraffin, when the working conditions include amongst others that of a hot engine, a consistentlymaintained load, and an absence of load-variation factors, attempts to insure similar success, when load and atmospheric factors are changing rapidly, are not on the whole satisfactory.

Cutting Out the Difficulties.

It would appear that Mr. C. Binks, of C. Finks, Ltd., Eccles, near Manchester, has, after a number of years of experimenting with carburetters and vaporizers of all kinds, boldly admitted this limitation, and has decided no longer to attempt to produce a paraffin vaporizer which shall perform equally well under all conditions. He has at a stroke cut out the most difficult part of the whole paraffin-vaporizer problem, and has substituted for it a, method as to i33.2

the efficiency of which there can be no doubt. Directly conditions are imposed upon the Binks system of vaporization which, were paraffin relied upon solely, would, in nine eases out of ten, yield doubtful results, then automatically is the operation of the whole paraffin system suspended and petrol feed substituted in all its simplicity.

We recently took an opportunity to see how this two-fuel method worked out according to Mr. Finks' ideas in actual practice. We hope, with the assistance of the inventor, shortly to test the whole system on a heavily-loaded lorry of considerable capacity. For the present we have had to be satisfied with a short run in the congested traffic of Manchester, and, in a word, we were pleased with the 'results.

The Special Forms of "Heater."

We reproduce sketches which we have had made specially in order to demonstrate the basic ideas of the Binks system. First of all a special vaporizer of what is called the centrifugal type, but which is• merely a heater-of special form, is employed to raise', the temperature of the paraffin in a way which is' more or less usual before it is drawn into the engine: Another type of vaporizer is also favoured by this maker ; it consists of a long spiral section enclosed suitably in a heating chamber. As to the efficiency, of either of such heaters, as heaters, we have little. doubt ; that part of the problem is not a difficult one: It is, -we consider, in the use of the simple form of two-fuel carburetter in conjunction with thi4. vaporizer that the most noteworthy step has been taken.

The Two-jet Carburetter.

Our drawing will probably suffice to explain more or less clearly the construction of the joint carburetter. Two Haat chambers are used, one for petrol, and one for paraffin, and there are two jets. That for petrol has a very small orifice, the paraffin one is of, normal bore. Over these jets a spring-controlled com-, -Joined choke and throttle valve is made to operate, and embodied in this device are suitable stops, which

are made to seat directly on the tops of the jets as and when •desired, and so hermetically sealing the outflow of paraffin or petrol as the case may be. The relative adjirstrtrents of these stops, the one to the other, are such that the paraffin jet is sealed when the throttle is only partly open, and the paraffin is only released as the valve is lifted, and as the demand from the engine increases.

Paraffin Automatically Cut Off.

Similarly, after a period of full throttle work when both jets are uncovered, although, owing to the relative orifices and choke arrangements the call upon the petrol as compared with that upon the paraffin is only as one is to eight or thereabouts, when the throttle is gradually closed down this automatically cuts off the paraffin and again brings in petrol. There is no need to do more than to indicate the broad lines upon which Mr. Binks has developed his ideas. It will be seen that he has boldly eliminated all the insistent causes of trouble which have so long bothered experimenters in this direction. From our short run on an old type of touring car, to which an example of the complete outfit hall been attached, we found that the paraffin yielded plenty of power, that the engine ran smoothly on it and without smoke, and that the change over from petrol to paraffin or vice versa was effected without it being possible to detect any alteration in the supply. The ability with which the engine conld be controlled, as from full throttle to stop, and stop to full throttle, in the always more or less muddled traffic conditions of Manchester streets, was certainly noteworthy. If the performance yielded in this short trip can be repeated in connection with our suggested test on a heavy petrol lorry, we shall consider that Mr. Binks has done much to solve the paraffin problem by astutely avoiding its most difficult features.

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People: C. Binks
Locations: Manchester

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