POWER PRODUCTION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1073, 11 March 1911, Page 10

POWER PRODUCTION.

AN. INTERESTING PIECE OF MACHINERY. A number of citizens, including the Mayor (Mr. C. Allison), the City Surveyor (Mr. A. D. Dobson), tho chairman of tho Christchurch Drainage Board (Mr. W. Hill), tho board's engineer (Mr. E. Cuthbertj, aud several members of,the City Council, accepted au invitation from Messrs. Scott Bros., of Christchurch, last Tuesday afternoon to inspcct a new gas-producing plant which tho firm has invented, and which is now in use at tho Atlas Biscuit Factory, in Duudas Street.

Tho principal recommendation of the invention is the claim that it will produce gas cheaply, as it can use cheap coal. By actual trial it ran for five hours and a hall', and used 1321b. of lignite, the cost being about one-twentieth of a penny per brake horse-power per hour, and tho cost of a 10 brake horse-power engine for a week would be about 7s. 3d. The plant was installed 011 tho previous Saturday, was run for an hour after work on that day, was put into harness on Monday, and has been running without a hiten ever sinco. The visitors, especially the experts, spoke very highly of tho invention.

Messrs. Scott Bros', producer consists of a vertical cylindrical furnace, into which fuel is fed through a hopper at tho top. In the new producer, a double draft is used, part of (ho air being admitted at the top of tho producer and part at the bottom, while the gas is led away at a point somewhat below the middle of the producer. The principal improvements, however, are certain patented arrangements for the admission to the producer of exhaust gases from tho gas engine for the purpose of regulating tho temperature of gas production, and preventing lhe formation of clinker, and, especially, for the purpose of supplying a perfectly regular quality of gas. It has been found that the formation of gas regular in quality has had a marked effect on the steadiness in rtuniVr.g of the engine, and has largely increased its power.

After the inspection, the visitors were entertained at afternoon tea by the members of the firm, and Dr. Thacker, on behalf of those present, thanked Mr. J. L. Scott and Mr. G. Scott for giving them an opportunity to see a very interesting piece of machinery. Later on, several of the visitors v;ero shown over (ho Atlas Factory.