GAS ENGINES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20112, 5 December 1939, Page 14

GAS ENGINES

OVERSEAS PROGRESS

DEVELOPMENT WATCHED INTEREST IN GISBORNE IMPROVEMENT ON 1918 Although a great deal is being heard at present about the conversion of motor vehicles to the use of coal gas, or producer gas, the idea is not a new one, and is an improvement of a development in tiie Great War. Since the outbreak of hostilities this year, interest in the use of coal gas lias been revived in New Zealand, and it is understood that the authorities are watching modern developments closely in the event of the Dominion being short of petrol.

Attention to the possibilities of coal gas is being given by Mr. K. F. Jones, engineer for the Cook County Council, who has spent, some time studying the latest developments and making inquiries among others who have been using gas generators on their vehicles.

Reviewing the position, Mr. Jones stated to-day that Germany, 'ltaly and Russia, particularly Germany, had developed (he use of producer gas to a very high degree, and people in England were readily recognising the value of this type of equipment. Several companies in England were I lying to develop (lie use of producer

gas equipment, but so far had not met with great success, in view of the convenience of petrol, and he did not think that the new system would be popular until there was either a distinct shortage of petrol or the apparatus could be used with the same convenience in quick starting and easy availability as petrol. During the Great War, when restrictions were enforced on the use of petrol, coal gas played an important part in fuel used by motor vehicles, and those in England at the time would remember the huge gas-con-taining bags strapped to the roofs of I he vehicles. Big st rides had been made in the use of producer gas since those days, and in many of the Northern Hemisphere countries lorries, agricultural tractors and small vessels were driven by it. As early as 1933, two one-ton vans made a journey through Damascus. Baghdad and Teheran to KaJbul, the capital of Afghanistan, using gas generated from charcoal bought on the route. The journey included a crossing of the Syrian Desert and the climbing of mountain roads to altitudes of 8000 ft. in Afghanistan. The development of the use of such gas has not proceeded as last in England as in Germany, where so much depended in war-time in securing a fuel supply for transport. Not a great deal was known of the extent of the technical progress in Germany, but the process was believed to be very highly developed and playing an important part in the war effort at present.