MAKING GAS PRODUCER DN FLOW-ASSEMBLY LINES
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Over zoo Representatives of Chassis Makers, Fuel Suppliers and the Press View the Progress Made With the Brush-Koela Duo-Draught Equipment Elec
trical Engineering Co.„ Ltd., and directors of the Brush Elec the engineers concerned, are to be congratulated on the foresight and energy with which they have tackled the urgent problem of developing and placing on a production basis the Brush-Koela Duo-Draught gas plant.
Many people may learn with surprised interest that the work on this apparatus is being carried out on the moving-assembly-line system, thus indicating the preparations that are being made to meet the already large demand.
Last Monday. a party of well over a hundred representatives of well-known manufacturers, purveyors of fuel suitable for gas producers, and the technical Press were entertained to luncheon, and afterwards made a tour of the Brush Works at Loughborough. At the luncheon, Sir Ronald W. Matthews, J.P., chairman of the Brush concern and, incidentally, well known as a railway magnate, presided. He was supported by Mr. T. B. Keep, managing director, and Mr. Bosworth Monck: guests of note, including Colonel W. A. Bristow, and Messrs. R. D. Hardy, E. B. Johnson, A. P. Good, F. H. Dutson, A. J. W. Hancock, M. Platt, E. C. Ruffle, B. B. Winter, E. Twemlow and Ellis Smith, M.P.
A28 Sir Ronald Matthews said that the railway man must now take a broader view. There must be complete harmonization and development of all alternative forms of transport. The railways would welcome some relief from the tremendous burden of the first few months. The development of gas producers would lessen the pressure on many means for transport and on the demand for imported fuel.
Mr. Monck referred to the great interest of the vehicle manufacturers, and mentioned that representatives of the three leading fuels for producers
were present. He also thanked the technical Press for the assistance it had given.
Mr. Ellis Smith pointed out the urgent need for additional transport facilities. He mentioned the hardship on the public so often caused by excessive waiting for buses.
Colonel Bristow emphasized the enormous value of the new development. Construction and thermal efficiency had been so improved that the mileage per charge had been increased by 35-40 per cent. The cost of the fuel had been brought down and approximated a halfpenny per b.h.p.-hour, but it was essential to maintain a high standard of quality.
The Editor of The Commercial Motor responded on behalf of the Press, and suggested that the new combination of interests could be referred to as the Keep-Monck 'Tuyere " Plan, but he hoped that it would extend for much longer than two years—in fact/successful development might mean a great extension, even after the war.
Bedfords, Commers, Fordsons, Morris-Commercials, Austins and others have now been successfully equipped with the Brush-Koela plant, and some of these were available for demonstration purposes. The particular vehicle we tried out was a Commer. Starting from cold on petrol, the switch-over to gas was made in a minute or two, and although the short course did not include acclivities, it was difficult, if not impossible, to note any difference in running, as compared with petrol. Several brief stops had to be made for traffic, but there was no hesitation in pick-up, and the acceleration proved excellent.
The Brush-Koela unit incorporates many interesting features and improvements over earlier designs. The two main systems at present employed by the various makers are known as the up-draught and cross-draught, these expressions referring to the alternative methods of introducing air into the combustion zones of the producers.
In the Duo-Draught, a successful endeavour has been made to embody the best features of both systems. Engines may be started either on petrol or gas. For the latter purpose a hand or electric blower is fitted, or if a source of compressed air be handy, as in the case of a garage, this may be employed.
Starting is effected by using only the cross-draught blast pipe or tuyere. Incidentally, water-cooling is rendered unnecessary by utilizing, for the tuyere, a special compound of silicon and carbon, which will withstand a temperature of 1,800 degrees C. The engine is then run on the gas thus generated until the fire has spread through the generator, when, by means of the operation of a two-way valve mounted on the top of the preheater, a change to the up-draught system is made. Following this, the water drip is started, this requiring roughly three drops per second, which pass down a wire spiral. In this way superheated steam and air are fed through the pre-heater in order to hold the fire-bed temperature below the fusing temperature of the ash; clinker formation is thus avoided.
Teething troubles with grates have been overcome by employing a special type cast in high-quality, corrosionresisting steel with vertical fire bars. This is hung from its upper rim, so that air can circulate more freely about it. The refractory lining is formed as a simple cylinder with a wall of ample thickness. From the outlet the gas is led back around the outside of the preheater to two sets of filters. These are of a patented self-cleaning construction, which reduces to a few minutes daily the time required for maintenance. Each filter unit can be dismantled in a few moments by undoing a single butterfly nut, which enables the interior to be withdrawn in its entirety.
In each scrubber the gas passes up and down between and through metal baffles, which act as dust extractors, then through coconut matting and wood wool, which appear to be most effective.
The simple hopper on the latest model holds between 40-70 lb. of fuel, and it is claimed that one filling lasts between 40-70 miles, according to the type of fuel employed. From 12 to 14 lb. of fuel is equal to one gallon of petrol, and the cost is, roughly, equivalent to petrol at 5d. per gallon.
Demonstration vehicles for distributors and dealers are being equipped by the coachworks section of the Brush organization. A school for fitters and drivers has also been brought into operation, so that those who market the new producers can become conversant with their fitting, operation and maintenance.
The company is not leaving any stone unturned in its efforts to make a success of this latest undertaking. Thorough tests are being carried out in the well-equipped experimental section, where work is in progress not only on producers and cleaners, but also on various classes of fuel and on methods by which existing engines can be simply and effectively modified to improve the power output. Of considerable interest in this connection was an oil engine using producer gas without any alteration.
Other applications for such small and relatively cheap gas producers are under review in connection with shunting locomotives, the firing of annealing furnaces, etc., so that the scope may extend far beyond the large commercial-vehicle field.
The whole equipment is light and compact in comparison with the output —complete the No. 2 producer weighs 2i-3 cwt.--and there is little, if any.
loss of loading space. The present equipment is suitable for vehicles with carrying capacities from 1 to 5 tons.
A large number of distributors and dealers throughout the country has been appointed to sell, install and service these producers, and spare parts will be readily available through these.
The dimensions of the No. 2 producer are :—height (with hopper), 4 ft. 5 ins.; diameter, 1 ft. 2 ins. Each scrubber is 2 ft. 6 ins. by 14 ins. diameter. The price is 495 with full equipment.