Gas Burners Old and New: A historical and descriptive treatise on the progress of invention in gas lighting, embracing an account of the theory of luminous combustion — John Shaqi
Gas Burners Old and New: A historical and descriptive treatise on the progress of invention in gas lighting, embracing an account of the theory of luminous combustionMerriman, Owen
History
Gas Burners Old and New: A historical and descriptive treatise on the progress of invention in gas lighting, embracing an account of the theory of luminous combustion
Merriman, Owen
Gas-burners
Two varieties of each class of burner were made by Mr. Leoni. In the
one burner, the "adamas" tip was inserted into an iron stem; in the
other, the tip was inserted in a brass body, which fitted on to the
iron stem. Between the brass body and the iron stem of the latter
burner there was affixed a layer of wool, designed to check the
pressure at which the gas was supplied. Owing, very probably, to the
unsuitability of the material (wool) used for this purpose, the result
was not satisfactory; as, according to the statements of Messrs. Webber
and Rowden, in the report previously cited, no difference could be
detected, in many experiments, between the results yielded by the
burner with or without the layer of wool. Some light is shed upon this
apparent anomaly by certain experiments made by the writer to determine
the pressure at which gas issues from various burners. With one of
Leoni's No. 4 union-jets, under an initial pressure of 1 inch (the
pressure at the inlet when the burner is in operation), the pressure at
the outlet of the burner, when the layer of wool was employed, was 0·11
inch; but from the same burner, when the layer of wool was removed, the
gas issued at a pressure of only 0·07 inch. Thus the effect of
inserting the layer of wool in the burner was exactly the opposite of
that which it was intended to produce; the pressure of the issuing gas
stream being increased instead of diminished.
BRÖNNER'S BURNERS.
The credit of having produced the first flat-flame burners designed
upon scientifically correct principles belongs undoubtedly to Herr
Julius Brönner, of Frankfort-on-the-Maine. Long before the date of his
invention, efforts had been made to reduce the pressure of the gas
within the burner. But these endeavours were carried out in so
hap-hazard a fashion as to lead to the belief that no definite
conception was entertained as to what was really required. As we have
seen, layers of wool had been employed; but the area of the
interstices, or the gas-way through the material, was a matter of the
merest accident. And there was not the slightest guarantee that the
same conditions should prevail in any two burners. Herr Brönner
shrewdly detected the cause of former failures, as he clearly perceived
the end which it was requisite to attain, and towards which previous
inventors had been but blindly groping. Having formed a right estimate
of the requirements to be fulfilled, and the difficulties to be
surmounted, he set about accomplishing the desired result by other
means. There were two causes which had chiefly contributed to the
unsuccessful issues of previous attempts. One was the uncertain and
indefinite operation of the means employed for diminishing the
pressure; the other was the inadequate provision for enabling the gas
to lose the current, or swirl, acquired in passing the diminishing
arrangement, and come to a state of comparative rest before issuing
into the atmosphere. Both these errors were successfully avoided in
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