ALCOHOL 



31 



Quantity of Heat Yielded in the Com- 

 bustion of Alcohol 



It has been estimated that 1 gram (o) 

 of gasolene will yield on complete combus- 

 tion 11,000 calories, (6) and 1 gram of 

 pure alcohol 7,200 calories. No determin- 

 ation of the heat of combustion of ordi- 

 nary commercial gasolene of the grade 

 commonly used for fuel is found. Prod- 

 ucts of that nature appear to yield from 

 9,700 to 11,000 calories. In so far as 

 heating purposes are concerned, there- 

 fore, it is evident that gasolene, weight 

 for weight, is more valuable than alco- 

 hol. 



Alcohol Motors 



It is quite certain that the use of al- 

 cohol motors on the farm will become 

 quite common as soon as the technique 

 of construction is practically complete 

 and the price of alcohol is sufficiently 

 low. Alcohol can be used for all purposes 

 for which gasolene is employed, namely, 

 the driving of wagons, carriages, sta- 

 tionary motors, water pumps, mowing ma- 

 chines, plows, etc. Very little change 

 need be made in the engine of a motor 

 car designed to use gasoline to fit it for 

 the use of alcohol. Gasolene becomes 

 volatile at a temperature of blood heat 

 (98.5 degrees Fahrenheit), while a much 

 greater degree of heat (15S degrees to 

 176 degrees Fahrenheit) is necessary to 

 volatilize alcohol rapidly enough for mo- 

 tor purposes. This fact makes necessary 

 a change in the explosion chamber of the 

 engine when alcohol is to be used. This 

 adjustment is especially important in the 

 starting of the machine, as after it is in 

 action the temperature of combustion is 

 quite sufficient to easily produce the gasi- 

 fication necessarj'. 



In regard to heavy machines it may 

 be said that they probably would come 

 into use only on large farms where the 

 surface of the soil is practically level. 

 They would not be suitable for small 

 farms nor those in hilly sections. In this 

 connection attention is called to the fact 

 that steam plowing, although practicable 



a I CT'ani rrr 0.0.^.527 ounce, or In CTains. 



b A calorie is the amount of heat necessarv 

 to raise 1 ?ram of water 1" centierade {1.8° 

 Fahrenheit) . 



and profitable under certain conditions, 

 has not been practised to any great ex- 

 tent in this country, in fact, not nearly 

 so much as in England. It is not likely, 

 therefore, that plowing and harvesting by 

 alcohol motors will come into use very 

 soon, although the possibilities are worthy 

 of the consideration of the thoughtful 

 farmer. On the other hand, it seems prob- 

 able that small motors for driving ma- 

 chines for chopping and grinding cattle 

 food, pumping water, and similar pur- 

 poses may be brought into very general 

 use as soon as the denatured alcohol be- 

 comes cheap enough to render its use 

 practicable. 



In the driving of motor engines the 

 quantity of heat evolved is not always a 

 measure of efficiency. It is not the pur- 

 pose of this article to go into this subject 

 at all. only to say that the vapor of alco- 

 hol can be more highly compressed at any 

 given temperature without exploding than 

 can the vapor of gasolene. As the de- 

 creased volume of the mixture of the ex- 

 plosive vapor and air is to a certain extent 

 a measure of efficiency when engines are 

 driven by the expansion of gases, the high 

 degree of compressibility of the alcohol 

 vapor without danger of explosion may 

 compensate for the smaller quantity of 

 heat which is generated by its combus- 

 tion. 



The problems connected with the use 

 of alcohol for driving machinery are 

 somewhat technical, and it is only de- 

 sired to call attention to the possible ad- 

 vantages to the fai-mer froji this source 

 of power, and also to point out the diffi- 

 culties which must be overcome. In this 

 connection it seems that a word of cau- 

 tion is needed, as in the exploitation of 

 tax-free alcohol extravagant opinions re- 

 garding its possibilities have been ex- 

 pressed. These exaggerated statements 

 have been made without any intent to de- 

 ceive or mislead, but on account of in- 

 sufficient information. The natural tend- 

 ency in all such matters is to select those 

 points which are certain to be of great 

 benefit and publish them broadcast, and 

 to neglect the difficulties and dangers 

 which lie in the path of progress along 



