Electro-Mechanical Series GAS AND PETROLEUM ENGINES _TRANSLATED AND ADAPTED FROM THE FRENCH OF HENRY DE GRAFFIGNY_ AND EDITED BY A. G. ELLIOTT, B.Sc. LONDON WHITTAKER AND CO. 2 WHITE HART STREET, PATERNOSTER SQUARE NEW YORK: 66 FIFTH AVENUE 1898 RICHARD CLAY & SONS, LIMITED, LONDON & BUNGAY. PREFACE The great and increasing importance of internal combustion motors is perhaps scarcely realized by the general public. For industrial purposes they have for many years been steadily gaining favour, and now hold an assured position. It is only in the last few years, however, that we have begun to recognize the drawbacks of horse-drawn vehicles, and the immense advantage gained by propelling them mechanically. The suitability of oil engines for the purpose has awakened a widespread interest in them. The Editor therefore hopes that this little volume will be especially welcome to non-technical readers who like to keep ahead of the times in matters of such universal importance. One chapter deals exclusively with the theory of the gas engine, but the non-technical mind should have no fear, for mathematics have been as far as possible avoided. It may also serve to dispel wrongful notions concerning the practical limits of the efficiency of gas engines which, we are sorry to say, exist even among persons living in a scientific atmosphere. We have not spoken in the text of the extremely interesting results obtained from the oil engine invented by Herr Diesel of Berlin, because it has not yet been proved that this motor is strictly practicable. If, however, it turns out to be a commercial success, we hope to add a description of it at some future date. _May 1898._ CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE I. HISTORY OF THE GAS ENGINE 1 II. THE WORKING PRINCIPLES OF THE GAS ENGINE 13 III. DESCRIPTION OF EXISTING GAS ENGINES 23 IV. CARBURETTED AIR ENGINE 67 V. PETROLEUM ENGINES 77 VI. GAS GENERATING PLANT 103 VII. ENGINES FOR USE WITH POOR GASES 121 VIII. MAINTENANCE OF GAS AND OIL ENGINES 130 INDEX 139 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS