ANOTHER HOME-PRODUCED FUEL.
Page 15
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Peat Proves Satisfactory with Smith Producer-gas Plant.
DEL1VERY will very shortly be made of the Smith producerirgas plant in various sizes. Mr. Stenson Cooke, we believe, already has his, fitted to a Ford car, on which it is undergoing testa for the benefit of members of the A.A. Others for Fords and for other types and sizes of chassis are rapidly approaching completion. 'Meantime, the inventor is riot finding that time recta to heavily inn his hands; We were invited recently Ao observe a test of th3 old plant using a new fuel—compressed, dried peat, as a matter of fact, instead of anthracite. As the present price of the peat is 16s. per ton, the reason for experimenting with it for this purpose is not far to seek. About one-half of the 60 odd per cent. of volatiles had been removed from the peat during the prooess of drying, compressing and carbonizing to which it had been subjected, but sufficient still remained to provide a heavy but harmless cloud of vapour when the fire was lit. This vapour was peculiar, too, as, on the application of a lighted match, it .burnt
harmlessly away with a strongly luminous flame.
The morning of the test was a foggy one, just such a one as might have been expected to cause starting troubles in connection with the plant. None occurrerichov.-ever3 the fire merely had to be encouraged by 20 strokes. of the blower, and the engine started strongly at the first turn of the starting handle. Our test was made simply with the object of ascertaining that neat could 'be satisfactorily used as a fuel. in a portable producer, and the conclusions to which we came are all in favour, provided the peat is dried and carbonized to some degree approximating to that of the sample which we tried.
From the mechanical standpoint, the particular plant which we used—it was, by the way, the old experimental set which has been M useall the time, and which has really been ear-marked for the scrap bean for a long time—had its defects. It was designed, and has in the main been used, for burning anthracite. Peat is, of course, a much lighter, or bulkier, fuel, and, consequently, the feed mechanism was not fast.ertough it therefore had to be manipulated by hand from time to time. It was discovered, too, that the fire, using peat, could be kept much thinner than with anthracite. It is, therefore, anticipated thatia mailer producer will suffice when it is intended to use peat only. More power is available from the gas which is obtained from peat than from coal. on account of the bigger percentage or hydrogen which it contains. An important point to consider, of course. is -the extent to which this fuel will be available. We are informed that arrangements are in hand for its production in larger quantities, and it ' is honed that these will be supplemented by efficient means of distribution. We understand that,the present price is 16s. per ton, as we have said, buti, assuming for the sake of argument that it advances to .£1 a ton, and taking as a basis for our calculations the consumption which has been recorded, for anthracite, then it appears that this fuel is equivalent to petrol at about 2d. per gallon.