SECRET ENGINE

Hokitika Guardian, 4 March 1933, Page 6

SECRET ENGINE

PRODUCTION IN ENGLAND

NEW ZEALAND PROJECT

OIL 'AND WATER GAS FUEL,

- ,r V .‘•n/'rot development d n ring the lajst few years of a new "continual

..,.wu«.vii hailed in British engineering circles as holding out exceptional promise for the future of the British motor-ca r industry, is of more than passing interest to New Zealand ens. The production of the engine has been financed by a N e w Zealand company, represented ‘ln 'Englrrd bv Mr T. Watson Artlhur, of Auckland, who returned by the Lurhn e on. Tueis day.

The new engine has been developed from designs first prepared locally for the Williams .rotary engine. Mr Arthur was commissioned by the local company to arrange for the production of the engin e in England-, but as a result of d’omissions with experts the design of the engine was materially changed. In itg present form it was almost en- . tirely designed by Air Joseph Maina, the original designer of SU' Miwconn Campbell’s “BIu e Bird” racing chaeois. “The leading experts in England are llvighly enthusiastic ove r the possibilities of th e new engine,” Mr Arthur said yesterday. “I do not intend to make wild 'promises and in consequence I am' keeping all details of construction entirely secret until everything is ready for the production of the engine on & commercial scale. SECRET EXPERIMENTS.

“.AH experiments during the last two years have been carried out at secret rese~rch stations in London ancTin the North of England. A complete experimental p'ant has been completed, and I have brought it to New Zealand for demonstration purposes. In addition, eight-cylinder engines are now being prepared for installation in motor-cars. ihio of these cars will be brought to New Zealand in the near .future, ‘‘Special features of the new engine are ijfis ability to eliminate carbon monoxide from the' exihaust gases by consuming it as part of its power, and also its economical performance. While using oil 1 in place of petrol, as is the ease in other compression ignition engines, the new motor actually burns a mixture of oil and water gas. “Two fuel tanks aiv> necessary for the engine-, one containing oil and the

other water. Both water and oil are projected into the combustion chamber through atomisers at a pressure of- 400 lb. to the -square inch, Th e mixture ignites in the combustion chamber ,ar.d at once raises th e pressure to -between 20001 b. and 40001 b to flhe square 'inch fop power producing purposes. ‘ The combustion does not take place in the Kpilj/T.ders, -but the high, temperah‘’te gas in fed to them from the combustion chamber and actuates tlieir pistons. FUEL AT 4d A GALLON. “For the present I do not intend to divulge details of the fuel consumption, as it" compared with the petrol' consumption of present motor-car although the heavy oil used 1 in succesfnl tests can be bought at 4d a gf Fen. We have used all classen of j’jeavy oils iri our experiments and investigation, s ni> being made into the suitability of oil obtained'- .from coal.

“The actual construct ion of the new engine simplifies engine manufacture in many . direction. We are confident that in production’ the engine will b" at least ,as cheap as anv manufactured' at present, and that in quantitative production it will 'bp even cheaper.” An article describing fehe general principles of the new engine appeared in the London Morn’ng Post on December 31. The paper’s engineering ex-

pert said there was no other motor similar to it in design. In the future it might easily revolutionise all ent glues' used for. cars, lorries, stationary power plants, motor-boats and t-hfe like, if only because there was- no carbon- ■ monoxide in' flhe exhaust gas.es. Mr Arthur said yesterday that experiments were already, in. progress in England to adapt th e new engine Ur general marine purposes, ‘even to the 'extent of developing tho principle of internal , oom'bufjtion and compression ignition for the engines of liners.