380 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



bushels on the grate.' I have made no experiments myself, but it would 

 seem as if there should be more intense heat in the combustion if the air 

 was first .heated. There is a diflerence of opinion, however, among 

 authorities. 



The Chairman sug-g-ested that the volatile hydrocarbons passing- off from 

 crude petroleum and mixing with the air would produce an explosive com- 

 pound. This liquid fuel would be dangerous, not easily handled, and 

 always higher in price than coal. 



Mr. M. P. Coons then presented and explained his gas generator; with the 

 cheap hydrocarbons, he maintained that gas could be used economically 

 as fuel; the economy being in only burning the fuel while it was doing 

 useful work. 



It was the opinion of several members that when only a little fuel was 

 required, for instance, in making a drawing of tea, that it would be econo- 

 mical to burn gas; but for the general purpose of cooking and warming, 

 nothing would be found more cheap and cleanly than the American anthra- 

 cite coal. 



Mr. Charles A. Seely. — I have for the past two years been experimenting 

 upon the feasibility of obtaining intense heat by burning compressed gases, 

 or burning fuel in compressed air. 



The quantity of heat depends upon the amount of oxygen consumed, and 

 the intensity depends upon the amount consumed in a given space. If we 

 burn hydrogen gas in pure oxygen under the pressure of the atmosphere, 

 we obtain heat sufficiently intense to melt platinum, but by compressing 

 the gases into half the space we ought to have heat twice as intense. 



It is perfectly practicable to apply an additional pressure of fifteen pounds 

 to the inch, or one atmosphere, even in an ordinary furnace, and by proper 

 arrangements it may be carried to fifty atmospheres. This would give us 

 a new power to work with. We may perhaps volatilize all substances, in- 

 cluding platinum; and if carbon can be melted, and diamonds produced, 

 this is the way to do it. I see that within a few months three or four per- 

 sons in England claim to have invented or originated the plan of obtaining 

 a high heat by burning with compressed air, and I wish to revive the recof- 

 lections of the Association to my discussions of the subject. 



I proposed the subject of fuel, Mr. Chairman, as I stated at the time, with 

 the view of obtaining information in relation to the various new modes of 

 burning petroleum, and I have been much edified by the remarks which 

 have been called forth. 



I will add my share to the information elicited, by explaining an appara 

 ti^s which I have devised and tried. It consists of a cup to contain oil^ 

 with a number of tubes passing vertically through the bottom, and open at 

 both ends. The spaces between the tubes are filled 'with wicking, and of 

 the various substances which I have tried for this purpose, I prefer sand. 

 The oil is conducted by capillary attraction to the surface of the sand, where 

 it is lighted, and the air draws up through the tubes to maintain the com- 

 bustion throughout the whole body of the flame. It is in effect a combina- 

 tion of argand burners. If used without a chimney, a blast is required. I 

 was led to this plan by searches for some mode of burning petroleum in the 

 air engine, and in my opinion this will be found the best plan for that purpose. 



