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H.S.G. Produces Up-draught Plant

7th August 1942, Page 23
7th August 1942
Page 23
Page 23, 7th August 1942 — H.S.G. Produces Up-draught Plant
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Apparatus for Small Engines Gives Good Results on Initial Test. Design Enables Fire to he Kept Alight when Vehicle is Standing

A MONG the distinguishing characteristics of up-draught and crossdraught gas producers is the fact that the fire, in the case of the former type, will keep alight for hours on end after the plant has been shut down, whilst, in the case of the latter, unless special precautions be taken, it will go out. With commercial vehicles of moderate or large loading capacity relighting the fire after a stop of relatively short period causes riffle inconvenience, but where small vans and, of course, private cars are concerned, it is generally regarded as troublesome. Possessing considerable experience of both types, Mr. C. G. Palmer, general manager, Messrs. High Speed Gas, 18-20, Brewery Road, London, NI, and Treforest Trading Estate, South Wales, was no doubt influenced by_this point when he decided to make a model for vehicles, powered by engines of as little as 8 h.p., which, whilst following H.S.G. design in most other respects, should function on the

• up-draught principle.

One of the first of these small plants to be completed was, installed on an 8 h.p.Ford, and is illustrated on this page. Its performance is regarded as most promising. On a journey from Wales to London, with a -load of 5-6 cwt., this vehicle proved capable of cruising it 30-40 m.p.h. and consumed Regco fuel at the satisfactory rate of I lb. per mile. As the producer can accommodate 33 lb.,. about 90 miles can be covered on a charge.

,The weight of the plant in its ultimate form, we are told,' will be 150 lb.

That part of the producer which forms the actual furnace is fire-brick lined. Under the fire is a steel plate with a large rectangular aperture in it. Below this again_ is the grate and a

device on the lower side of the fire bars controls the area exposed to the incoming air. This can be varied readily, as Can be the size of the offtake cone, which is -positioned concentric with the producer, over the fire zone. Thus, the one size of plant can without difficulty be rendved suitable for several sizes of small Ftigine.

There is an ash box under the grate, and the latter can be drawn forward and returned without interrupting the action. of the plant, if it be -desired to drop clinker or ash into the base compartment. , In the last:named is a horseshoeshaped 1--in, tube having its front ends (viewed from the rear of the vehicle) closed and its centre held by the leg of a T-piece of which the cross-arms are outside at the back of the producer. This tube is perforated and to* the two arms are fed water and air respectively.

A tank, mounted at a higher level on the front of the producer, supplies the water, which flows throtigh an accesebly placed Zenith filter and Enots sight drip-fee, whilst the air is drawn from a muff surrounding the gas offtake pipe.

By this pipe the gas is conveyed to the top of a large vertical cyclone cleaner, seen on the left in the accompanying pictures of the plant.. From the bottom of this it is taken .across, by a flexible rubber pipe, to the cleaner, on the right (off side of the vehicle).

Entering this in the middle of the base, it emerges from its pipe, about half-way up', Alto —a bell-like fitment, which deflects it downwards outside the inlet pipe. Then it escapes around the rim of the bell and continues its upward path, being encouraged to deposit solid particles by the sudden change in direction.

Above the bell is.a sisal pack, -which brings the filtering process to a high degree of efficiency, but after traversing this cleansing element, by which time the gas has reached the top of the container, it is sent down again and made to pass through an oil bath. Then it rises once more in the outermost annular compartment of the cleaner and is drawn off, together with a small quantity of oil mist, to the main pipe line. There is a filler for topping up the oil and a drain tap for dirty oil and condensate..

A gas-cock, discharging to atmosphere, is fitted in the highest part of the gas off-take pipe. When this is open, air will circulate through the producer and keep the fire burning slowly.

Under the bonnet, the gas pipe incorporates an air intake and a throttle, in that order approaching the engine. The former is independently hand controlled: the latter is coupled to the accelerator. A further hand control regulates the setting of the throttle stop from the closed position.

Flanged to the top of the elbow in the gas pipe, where it joins the manifold, is the down-draught petrol carburetter. Its throttle is hand operated, as is the choke. Incorporated in the petrol pipe is a tap, actuated by a control on the near side of the dashboard, the off position being marked " gas" and the on position "petrol." This avoids confusion, on the part of the' driver, when changing over, and virtually compels him to turn off the „petrol when be has got od to gas successfully.

'We write with intimate knbwledge of the apparatus when we state that it is very well made throughout and the whole layout, including ' the control gear, neatly executed.

Tags

Organisations: US Federal Reserve
People: C. G. Palmer
Locations: London

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