The Magnesia Gas Light.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 1471, 3 October 1885, Page 5 (Supplement)

The Magnesia Gas Light.

As the result of experiments carried on by » Swedish engineer, a vury beautiful lijjht is uhtained by incftndi^scence of magnesia, the great heat ol'taiucd on bitrtiiiig Strong's water gas S'lilicing for tin* purpose, li appears tlmt, so far, hiiuinino(i3 fuel has not be»»n used m this plant, and those m charge of it an-- apparently not disposed to look with f.ivor on tin*, gas thiic would be |>ro(.lncpd wh»»n iho "water became mixed with hydrocarbons frum the distil latiou of coal. It is stated for the parpose of lightr |ng> by in«ans of magnesia combs, the pure" water gas alone is suitable, and thit the 1 «f hfc would, be spoiled by admixture of common gas. The best results are obtained by using very thin ruds of magnesia, thinner than the leads m ordinary pencils. These are made by making magnesia into a paste with gum, or some such material, pressing out the little rods, and heating them to a very intense heat m crucibles m agas furnace. Th«y are hard and firm and of a serhiharceliiin nature. A number of these •are arranged m a -metal holder, m -double; rows, like the teeth of a conrsu comb ; this holder is secured over the flame obtained by bnrning water gas m an ordinaay gas burner After a few seconds, the magnesia rod emits a beautiful and steady white light. ijugineei-ing says the entire works ot Schultz, Knaudt, «fc Co, at Es^en, .Gei;niauyi are lighted m this manner. The pipes and burners previously used for ordinary illuminaurig jias are us«d for the water gas, each jet having one of the magnesia combs placed over it. 1 1 is stated that the jighiing of the Avorks is mn4 .excSllenX as; indeed a visit .to the works indicates. The ;itmbunt of light o-taiiicd hy the above ' means from an .ordinary sized wellmade burner is truly surprising, and its steadiness leaves^nothing to be deshed. The urraugenients for fixing^ the magnesia combs pri to a burner; arc of the simplest di'scriptibn. The rods of maghe-iiii are slowly consumed, one set lasting from SO to 100 hoiu-s iri use. Each comb costs, as supplied l»y the company ready for mixing, five cent--, so that the cost per night for illumination is very small indeed, considering the amount of light obtained from each comb,'during;al least .Bo hmirs.^^^ The gasplant at w6rk- j^roduces from 200,000 to 250,000 ciil >ie feet of water gas per twenty -four hours. The fuel used, as a'.iove described, yields are nearly as may be 16 cul»ic feet /of gas;|»er pound of fuel consumed. The cost of an appai'atus of the a hove capacity, that is, producer, two generator."', fan erigiue for ditto, and small boiler, with all valve gear and cooler, with gas holder of about 18;00Q cubic feet capacity, or roughly speaking, equalto two hours' gas production, all ready for work, is 10,500 dols. The, cu rreuc ', costs are very small, but little attendance being require^. It is stated -that the gas '■qtiM.-n at therate of 1 c«ut 150 culncfeetj charging Iv 25 dol:.; per ton for the fuel, aiid allowirfg,ls lier icent*. on the cost of j>lautfbr in terest und iimbrtisati()riw: . ; :