GAS PRODUCERS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 2, 12 January 1942, Page 5

GAS PRODUCERS

MORE INTEREST EVINCED POPULAR SINCE CUT x Increased! interest in gas producers as an alternative motive power to benzine has followed the petrol cuts and one Auckland firm received orders for four dozen units in. three days. Interest in the gas. producers is older than the petrol re-» strictions and dates from the time of the first increase in the price) 61 motor spirit some years ago. Up to the last reduction in allow-> ances gas producer units were confined mainly- to commercial vehicles, such as heavy lorries and a few taxis the private motorist contenting himself with, the ration allowed by coupon and license. An engineer said that the lack of interest was apparently due- .partly to motorists laziness and the fact that producer gas obtained,- from carbonised coal was- less efficient - than .petrol and resulted in lower performance. Those who were reluctant to fit the? units had to realise that at present producer gas was the only available alternative, in spite of the disadvantages it possessed compared with petrol. With proper filters fitted and reasonable attention there was no reason why engine wear schould be-any greater than with the usual fuels. The use of balloon, containers filled with ordinary gas. from the mains w T as a measureadopted in Britain whieh had not! yet been tried in Auckland,, but this system had the disadvantage of re~t quiring frequent halts to", refill th© container unless this was made disproportionately large and unwieldy. Approximately 250 cubic feet of coalgas would be necessary to give tho same power output as one gallon, of benzine.