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ECONOMIC ADVANTAGES OF ENGINE STARTERS.

5th February 1924
Page 21
Page 21, 5th February 1924 — ECONOMIC ADVANTAGES OF ENGINE STARTERS.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

A PAPER read before the Institution of Automobile Engineers recently by Mir. A. C. Burgaine (member) contained scone observations on the application of an electric starter to the large type of engine fitted in lorries and buses. The author remarked that their fuel consumption, when running light, is considerable, and on some services stops are frequent and of fairly long duration, and it is not at all unusual to see engines running idle for spells of 10 or 15 minutes while goods are being handled. If the light-load. consumption of an engine be no more than a gallon per hour, and the number of stops 10 per day, of an average duration of but 5 minutes, on 300 working days per annum, the fuel cost will ainount to approximately While this sum 'would pay handsomely for the interest on, And the upkeep of, a starter and battery, and for the extra size of dynamo required, there -Would be

a further gain owing to the reduced carbonization in the cylinders and to the lessened. wear and tear of 250 hours'

Tanning. It is during the of light. running that most of the oil As sucked u.p past the pistons, eventually to be carbonized and, finally, to be . scraped out at considerable expense in direct labour and loss of service, and if this could be reduced the saving would probably be quite as much again as the figure mentioned.

Objection may be raised that the ordinary lorry driver would not be able to look after a starting set, and that the parts would notstand up to the heavy work and excessive vibration to which they would be subjected. The author believes these objections to be without foundation, as a starter is a much simpler and more robust job thana a magneto, as also is a dynamo, while the driver could be relied upon to look after an accessory that could save him much

-hardi physical. work. Perhaps.1„the weake:sf link in the chain would be the battery, but. this would appear to be almost entirely a matter of correct design and good wOrkmanship, coupled with reasonably careful attention. Modern batteries will stand the -most brutal treatment, and as a few pounds weight would not be an insuperable objection on a lorry it should be possible to meet. the requirementswith success.


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