Two-fuel Carburetters and Fittings. XVI.
Page 13
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A Simple and Cheap Device Introduced by a Cardiff Company Which Has Had an Extensive Experience of the Use of Paraffin.
The devices on the market designed to enable the motorist to utilize paraffin as an alternative fuel, or to use it for the major part of his running, having petrol available for starting purposes only, are as varied in their comprehensiveness as in the principle of their design. On the one hand, we have the very complete device incorporating a special carburetter, an arrangement for pre-heating the paraffin before it enters the float chamber, as well as means for keeping it hot while in that chamber, and, in. addition, a vaporizer, the purpose of which is to ensure that there is no condensation of the fuel in transit from carburetter to cylinder ; in several cases also, water injection has been used with a view further to increase the efficiency of the apparatus as a whole. At the other end of the scale, we have the arrangement which necessitates only the addition of some means for heating the induction pipe ; in such a case, the existing carburetter is used with the addition of a two-way tap for admitting either of the two fuels.
As it is the view of many users that the expediency of considering paraffin is a passing phase—with which view we do not entirely concur—there is a. tendency rather to look with the most favourable eye on the simplest, device that is offered. In any case, that which can be most readily fitted and with the least loss of time has the advantage. One of these in which, without losing sight of the necessity for efficiency in operation, attention has nevertheless been paid strictly to the attainment of simplicity, is the vaporizer marketed by the United
Induction Pipe Co., of 8, Penarth Road, Cardiff. This company is the successor to one which has been closely interested in the utilization of paraffin for many years. It can, therefore, safely be stated that it brings to bear on the matter a considerable amount of accumulated experience.
We have not had the pleasure of making a personal test of this •device, but we have had some figures placed before us which would indicate that it is, to use .a colloquialism, "well up to its work." The.drawings, whicht we reproduce on this page, are almost sufficient in themselves to enable the reader fully to understand its construction and working. They illustrate the device as fitted to a Pierce-Arrow engine. It will be gathered that a special induction pipe is provided, taking the place of that ordinarily found on the engine. This pipe is insulated to a certain de gree from the effects of temperature variations in the outside air, by means ..of an air space included between the outside of the pipe and the inside of a jacket which surroundstit. The pipe itself is a little largertthan generally used, and through its centre
runs a gilled tube, the ends of which are connected to the engine exhaust pipe and to the silencer respectively, and inside which a portion of the exhaust gases passes. The mixture of paraffin and air is, therefore7 in the course of its passage to the engine brought into close contact with the gills and outer surface of this tube, and is on that account heated,
i so that the paraffin s thoroughly vaporized. As this induction pipe or vaporizer is bolted directly to the engine induction ports, there is no possibility of condensation between the vaporizer and the cylinder. The amount of heat which is taken through the central tube can be regulated by means of the small wing valve which is placed in the outlet. Connections from exhaust pipe to vaporizer and from vaporizer to silencer are by means of flexible tubing. The existing carburetter is used, a supplementary tank, of course, being necessary for petrol. It should be stated that the company recommends the use as a staple fuel with this vaporizer a mixture of three parts paraffin to one of petrol. The price for this induction pipe with fittings is 212 12s.