HYDROGEN-MAKING PLANT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 25, 17 November 1944, Page 3

HYDROGEN-MAKING PLANT

FILLING THE BARRAGE BALLOONS OPERATION ON FRONT LINE Louisville Ky. Sept. 6. The huge clumsy-appearing machine looks like a portable distillery ? without barrels or alcoholic product—but it actually is one "of the wonders of war production. It's a hydrogen-making plant, and where such a plant formerly covered three-quarters of an acre this condensed version is the, size of "a boxcar. Its the. Girlder Corporation developed the plant to give the Army something that could be rolled right up to the front lines to inflate barrage balloons eliminating the. need of. hauling the gas in cans. T\vcnt3'-seven of th c units designed for the U.S. Engineer Corps now are being constructed under a 1,000,000 dollar contract. Walter; Bc.rlo > General Foreman in charge of the unit's construction says seven already have been delivered to the fighting fronts. The rolling gas plant, mounted on a 16-ton Army trailer forms hydrogen and carbon dioxide, by the reaction of plain water and alcohol aided by a high temperature catalytic conversion chamber and with the help of pumps blower fans, and a high-pressure compressor. The unit can fill a barrage balloon in less time than it takes to inilate a balloon tyre with a hand pump. Twenty-three feet long, 8% feet wide and weighing 36,000 pounds the plant also is a very versatile piece of machinery. Called the "Rube Goldberg," it can Jjc- used as a fire-lighting unit because of its carbon dioxide feature or can be used for making carbonated water for beverages for cooling a case of soft drinks or for freezing ice. cream.