FUEL AT d. PER NET TON MILE.
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The Parker Suction Gas Producer Plant, with Which a Successful Demonstration was Given Recently, is now a Commercial Proposition.
AN INTERESTING demonstration ofthe capabilities of the Parker suctien gas .producer plant, as fitted to a commercial vehicle, was held last, week. The producer was fitted to an A.E.C. lorry, and the vehicle was tested loaded up 'Initzjohn's Avenue and the steepest portions of Xetherhall Gardens. During the whole of the running there was no sign of misfiring or hesitation, and the engine appeared to be able to develop remarkable ponaer.
It will .perhaps be remembered by our. readers that we dealt with the Parker producer in our issue dated. November 23rd, 1920, in this we described a short trial run which we had on a lorry of the same make fitted with an earlier plant. Previouslythe producer was in an experimental stage, but it has now become a commercial proposition, at a total cost, fitted, of i:150 for a petrol vehicle or tractor, and the partsfrom which it ii constructed have been standardized. It, has also now been designed so that it can be dismantled quite readily if this ever proves necessary. The whole of the firebox may be removed by simply undoing .a few nuts, so that in the event of the fire-resisting liner burning out• a spare can easily be fitted, and the burnt firebox can be relined at a cost of approximately 23. Many other parts of the producer have been improved, and the equipment now includes a very efficient combined/ duet extractor and cooler, and a scrubber con• taming a grid covered with moistened pebbles through which the gas is passed after being bubbled through water. The scrubber eliminates all volatile constituents which might, otherwise, gum up the engine. A great feature of the Parker plant, apart from its simplicity, is its compactness. It can be fitted to any existing commercial vehicle or farm tractor in such a manner as 'to occupy no space that, in the ordinary way, would be utilized for a useful load, nor -need any part'of the installation -project beyondthe body line of the vehicle. -• -1,-`••t • The general design ot the producer itself can be seen from the illustrations which we include with this article, It is constructed of, mild steel, plates with welded joints and surmounted by a hopper of similar material, from which the coke fuel is fed into the firebox. The refractory material, with which the latter is lined, is a special composition which resists heat to such a remarkable extent that an nay-acetylene blow-pipe flame has no destructive effect upon it. The fire grid supporting the incandescent fuel is a steel casting, and another point about the arrangement is that the bottom portion of the grid forms a trough containing water, which is kept at a constant level by means of a float feed, the water being carried in the tank which previously carried the petrol. This device not only prevents overheating of the fire grid, but also supplies the steam which is necessarr in making the producer gas. '7' • .; It should be clearly understood tnat no fuel other than, that put into the hopper is necessary and that the plant does
not include a boiler. The explosive medium, which usually consists of a mixture of petrol vapour and air, is replaced entirely by a mixture of suction gas and air. The air is admitted at the top of the producer, passes down a jacket between the outer wall and fire resisting lining and then, mixed with steam, passes up through the grate and so generates the gas. It is then conveyed by way of a large suctions pipe to the top of the dust box, where it passes under a baffle plate and, emerging from the front end of the box, is carried to the scrubber at the rear end of the chassis. From the scrubber it is taken along the offside of the chassis to the engine. An air valve situated on the dash enables the driver to regulates the strength of the mixture, and an ordinary throttle controls it. • Th.3 hopper contains enough coke to run the vehicle a distance of from 30. to 50 miles. A hand-operated blower, conveniently situated to the producer, is provided for starting, which process takes about 11 minutes from the time the fire is lit.
It is stated by the company that a 3 ton lorry, fitted with the Parker installa tion, will carry a full load at the same speed as with petrol for 100 miles on a consumption of 300 lb. of coke costing 10s. 9d. The same vehicle running on petrol and doing the same work will consume about 17 gallons of petrol costing 22 lls., thus in the aforementioned journey the saving in fuel is 22 Os. 3d.
Several3 ton lorries equipped with the plant have been in regular use for some time, and the fuel costs have worked out at 1,32d. per mile, and .35d. per net ton mile.
The weight of the plant, considering the economy effected, is not excessive, amounting to between 8 'and 10 lb. per b. h. p We believe that there is a great future for producer gas in connection with commercial vehicles and, in particular, with tractors. The use of a home-produced fuel, such as coke, supplies of which even during the present coal shortage are not restricted, should most certainly be encouraged, particularly as the economies effected are so considerable, and there are apparently no drawbacks, as sooting up or deterioration of the engine lubricating oil are unknown.
There would appear to be a very valuable field for the use of such plants in the Colonies and in other parts of the world where the obtaining of petrol is, either difficult or impossible. Other fuels than coke can be employed, and one of these is charcoal.
The company are manufacturing Parker producers to the order of the Crown Agents for the Colonies, and these plants are particularly designed to use charcoal as a fuel. They are for use on vehicles in Nigeria, where petrol Costs something like 15s. per gallon. It is interesting to !IOW that, in the near future, one of the Parker gas producers will be in use for bus work, the British Automobile Traction Co. having taken delivery of a set for this purpose ; also one large firm of hirers is contracting far 250 sets, and a big corporation has placed an order for 503 sets.
The plant is manufactured and sold by the Producer Gas Plants, Ltd., 166, Piccadilly, London, W. 1, the inventor sing Mr. J. W. Parker, and the de signer Mr. W. Bamber,
M.I.A.E., of 166, Piccadilly, London, W. 1.