New Gas-Producing Plant

Hokitika Guardian, 13 May 1921, Page 4

New Gas-Producing Plant

At the invitation of Mr F. G. Norton, owner of the trawler Ngaru, a party consisting of Mr W. T. Lester (Mayor of Lyttelton), Mr J. T. Norton, Mr R. Law (Smith and Smith, engineers), Mr Johnson (Anderson, Ltd), Mr J. L. Frew (Niven and C'o.), Mr A. C. Mitchell (superintendent-engineer for Niven and Co.), a number of other engineers and two newspaper representatives attended a trial trip outside the Lyttelton Heads last week to demonstrate the reliability and capabilities of the new gas-producing plant, which provides the necessary combustion gas to drive the four-cylinder 30 horse-power motor of the trawler at a speed of eight and a half knots an hour. For several months experiments and tests have been carried out, and at last success has been assured. The success of the plant lies in the fact that it is extremely economical to run, as has been proved during the past week. Previous to having the suction gas plant fitted, the Ngaru, which then carried a ‘24-27 horse-power petrol motor, used nineteen cases of benzine of a value of £2S Os fid in fiftyfour hours, whereas, with the present Cambridge gas suction plant to which several improvements have been made and patented, it consumed twenty-two and a half ewt of Kaitangata nuts of a total value of £2 19s 3|d, to do the same work, a saving of C 25 Os 2jd in four days, or equal to a saving of £IOO per month taking four days as a working week, or £I2OO a year. The plant which lias received a good* test, is stated by Mr Norton, owner of the trawler, and by the firm who installed the plant, to he an unqualified success. It is considered that this type of suction gas plant will provide a cheap system of marine navigating power, as 401 b of inferior coal will supply sufficient gas to drive the trawler for one hour. The gas is purified before it enters the cylinders and doe:; not carbonise tho cylinders to nearly the same extent as petrol. After the trial, which proved an unqualified success, during which the net was lowered and trawling operations were carried out, the visitors were entertained at afternoon tea by Mr Norton, speeches were made by the Mayor and Mr Norton and Mr Mitchell, who were of opinion that in vitfw of the low cost of the running of the plant it will he a big asset to fish trawler owners and will tend to make the price of fish cheaper.