Novel Features in New B.V.P. Gas Producer
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THE B.V.P. producer-gas plant for motor vehicles, now in regular production at Rotherham by British Vehicle Producer Gas, Ltd., is stated to give an average run of about 200 miles on a 3-cwt. charge of the special B.V.P. coke fuel made for use with it.
This plant, which has a crossdraught generator, has a layout which aims at maximum space for the cooling and cleansing of the gas. In the case of lorries, the generator is placed on the off side immediately behind the cab. From there the gas is passed through steel tubing along the vehicle's off side to the expansion chamber and dust box placed across the rear of the chassis, and then it is conveyed forward to the filter at the rear of the cab on the near side. From the filter, a flexible tube carries the gas via an air and gas mixing chamber to the engine.
Durability combined with a minimum of weight and bulk have been' sought in the design of the generator. which is 4 ft. 6 ins, high and 1 ft. 6 ins. in diameter. The main feature of the B.V.F. system lies in the design of the carburetter air-injection tube, combined with the water carburetter for the atomization of the reactive fluids for increasing the gas calorific value.
The filter is of vertical type and is 4 ft. high and 1 ft. 3 ins, in diameter.
The air and gas mixing chamber, near the engine, is controlled by means of two throttle valves, whereby the proportions can he regulated.
For the start from cold, the alternative petrol supply is turned on by means of a hand throttle. Then, after the generator fire has been lighted and a brief period allowed for the beginning of generation, the driver tests the gas flow by means of the accelerator pedal,
which controls it. Having satisfied himself that generation is adequate, he turns off the petrol by the hand throttle and continues running on gas.
From the cold start at the beginning of the recent Leeds tests, reported in The Commercial Motor last week, it was possible to switch the engine over from petrol to gas after 2iminutes.
The price of the B.V.P. plant is approximately £115, including the cost of fitting to the vehicle converted.