Great Facts: A Popular History and Description of the Most Remarkable Inventions During the Present CenturyBakewell, Frederick C. (Frederick Collier)
History
Great Facts: A Popular History and Description of the Most Remarkable Inventions During the Present Century
Bakewell, Frederick C. (Frederick Collier)
Inventions
In one of the favourable notices of Mr. Ericsson's engine in an
American publication, it is thus described:--"Two caloric engines have
been constructed in New York, one of 5-horse power, the other of 60.
The latter has four cylinders; two of 6 feet diameter, placed side by
side, surmounted by two of much smaller size. Within are pistons, so
connected that those in the lower and upper cylinders move together.
A fire is placed under the bottom of the large cylinders, called the
working cylinders; those above are called the supply cylinders. As
the piston in the supply cylinder moves down, valves at the top admit
the air. As they rise, those valves close, and the air passes into
a receiver and regenerator, where it is heated to about 450°, and
entering the next working cylinder, it is further heated by a fire
underneath to 485°. The air is thus expanded to double its volume;
and supposing the supply cylinder to be half the size of the other,
the air, when expanded, will completely fill the larger cylinder. As
the area of the piston of the smaller cylinder will be only half that
of the larger, and as the air will be of the same pressure in both,
the total pressure on the piston of the large cylinder will be double
that on the small one. This surplus furnishes the working power of
the engine. After the air in the working cylinder has forced up the
piston within it, a valve opens; and as the air passes out, the piston
descends by gravity, and cold air rushes in, and fills the supply
cylinder.
"The most striking feature is the regenerator. It is composed of wire
net, placed together to a thickness of about 12 inches. The side
of the regenerator, near the working cylinder, is heated to a high
temperature. The air passes through it before entering the working
cylinder, and becomes heated to 450°. The additional heat of 30° is
communicated by the fire underneath to the large cylinder. The expanded
air forces the cylinder upwards, valves open, and it passes from the
cylinder, and again enters the regenerator. One side of the regenerator
is kept cool by the air on its entering in the opposite direction at
each stroke of the piston; consequently, as the air of the working
cylinder passes out, the wires abstract its heat so effectually, that
when it leaves the regenerator, it has been robbed of all except about
30°. In other words, as the air passes into the working cylinder, it
gradually receives from the regenerator about 450° of heat; and as it
passes out, this is returned to the wires, and it is thus used over and
over again; the only purpose of the fires beneath the cylinders being
to supply the 30° of heat which are lost by radiation and expansion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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