ALCOHOL ENGINES. 
accomplished in the space of a few minutes. The engine in this car 
was then primed with whisky, and also started, but it was found that it 
did not run regularly. For a road test, a tank for. carrying the methy- 
lated spirit was placed on the car and connected to the carburettor. The 
leather dise was punctured to allow sufficient air to be drawn to procure 
the correct mixture. Although this arrangement was of a rough nature, 
it served the purpose readily, and a satisfactory run for a few miles 
was obtained. 
Since the above experiments were carried out, tests have been con- 
ducted, through the courtesy of Professor Payne, at the Engineering 
Laboratory, Melbourne University, on starting commercial petrol 
engines on alcohol from cold, with the following results :— 
(any Kelly and Lewis” engine (made in Melbourne), single 
cylinder, 4-in. bore, 6-in. stroke, fitted with Zenith car- 
burettor, magneto ignition, speed 570 revolutions per 
minute, four-stroke cycle, about 6 B.H.P., with water cool- 
ing. This engine was regularly started from cold on 70 
consecutive mornings without fail at the first attempt, the 
atmospheric temperature being as low as 9 deg. C. 
(b) Other engines started from cold include the following water- 
cooled makes:—“ Sunshine,” “ Ford,’ and “ Perry,’ and 
the following air-cooled. types:—“ Rex,” “ Powerplus,” and 
“ Precision.” 
(c) The best results as regards facility in starting from cold are 
obtained under the following conditions :— 
1. The throttle must be a good fit, but not quite air- 
tight. 
. The extra air supply, if any, ‘must be completely shut. 
The engine should be primed with a small quantity of 
alcohol. =. 
4. It is advisable to draw the priming charge into the 
eylinder by slowly pulling the engine round; this 
method distributes the priming charge well over the 
inside of the cylinder. | 
On rotating the starting handle at a fair rate, the 
engine picks up on the third or fourth compression 
stroke. 
22 bo 
a 
The starting diagrams shown above were taken in the Kelly and 
Lewis engine referred to in paragraph (a). In the first diagram the 
engine was primed with 5cec..of alcohol. ‘This quantity appears to 
have been evenly distributed and volatilized in the cylinder. In the 
second diagram a priming charge of 10cc. was used. It will be seen 
that the graduation from the highest pressure (282 lbs.) is uneven, 
indicating that there were apparently small quantities of alcohol in 
the cylinder not volatilized at the first compression stroke when explo- 
sion took place. In both cases the engine started at the fourth com- 
pression stroke. 
In conclusion, it should be pointed out that the same results are 
obtained, as regards starting from cold, whether absolute alcohol or 
ordinary methylated spirit is used. 
85 
