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Show Charcoal Gas Is Fair Gasoline Substitute SubstituteTests , . Tests - Show . ; Could Be Usedon Used on Farms Advantage ? , Defects DefectsRevealed DefectsRevealed Revealed $ by y 8JO-Mile 8JO Mile 800-Mile 800 - 800Milerrial 800-Milerrial 800 Milerrial ) - rriatJourney rrial _ Journey in CarThe Car CarThe The present scarcity of gas gas- gaslIme gasDime gasoline - ! oline lIme Dime has turned attention to toDossible toaossible tooossible Dossible aossible substitutes One of ofthe ofthe ofthe the most practical is 1s the gas gasgenerated gasgenerated gasgenerated generated from charcoal or orwood orwood orwood wood by a high temperature temperatureburner temperatureburner temperatureourner burner These devices , whIch whIchare whichare whichare are common in m Europe , are arerare arerare arerare rare in m the United Umted States , and andIf andif andIf If the wartime stringency m in mmotor inmotor inmotor motor fuel had not developed developedthey , they would probably have re- re remamed remained re remained - mained mamed curiosities If gaso gasolIne gasoline gasoline lIne becomes expensive and andscarce andscarce andscarce scarce in m the postwar years yearshowever , however , the gas generators generatorsMIl generatorswill generatorswill MIl will probably come into mto use useat , at least for some purposes purposessuch , such suchas as stationary engmes engines engmesIlnd enginesand enginesand Ilnd and farm machinery machmery machineryThe machmeryThe The charcoal burned in m the gen generator generator , era erator tor can.be canbe can . .be be . be made from any kind kindi kindDf kindof i Df wood or dried plant fiber such suchI suchas suchas suchas I as pressed out sugar cane " " 'Here Here "Here ' is ispossible ispossible ispossible possible future market for farm farm'products farmproducts farmproducts 'products products ' that are now wastes All Allthis Allthis Allthis this h.owever however however . depends on the ade adequacy adequacy adeguacy quacy of our petroleum reserve reserveIf reservesIt ; If gasoline is once again agam tllentlful plentiful tllentlfuland plentifuland plentifuland and cheap there is little hkellhood likelihood hkellhoodthat likelihoodthat likelihoodthat that the gas generator will be WIde WIdeiy widely widely iy ly employed for at its present presentstage presentstage presentstage stage it does not give as satlstac satisfac satlstactory satisfactory satisfactory tory service as gasoline gasolme doesTo doesTo does doesTo To investigate mvestlgate the possibilities of ofusmg ofusing ofusing usmg using gas generators on their de delivery delivery delivery livery cars as well as to obtain obtainmaterial obtainmaterial obtainmaterial material lor for an informative article articleNewsweek articleNewsweek articleNewsweek Newsweek magazine had one of its itssmall itssmall itssmall small station wagons fitted with a agenerator agenerator agenerator generator and driven drfven on an 800 800mile 800mile 800mile mile test trip The journey began beganin beganin beganIn in Kalamazoo Mich Mlch where the thecharcoal thecharcoal thecharcoal charcoal burning burnmg gas producer producerknown , known commercially as the Gaso Gasogene Gasogene Gasogene gene was attached at the manufac maniac maniacturer manufacturer manufacturer turer s plant and ended In New NewYork NewYork NewYork York city The route traversed the theAllegheny theAllegheny theAllegheny Allegheny mountains mountams where steep steepgrades steepgrades grades forced the car to give its itsbest itsbest best possible possIQle performance MIlton MIltonVan MiltonVan MiltonVan Van Slyck associate editor super supervised supervised supervised vised the experiment experlIDent experimentOn experlIDentOn On the June morning mornmg when the thetrip thetrip thetrip trip was to start Mr Van Slyck Slyckpoured Slyckpoured Slyckpoured poured 170 pounds of charcoal IIlto into IIltothe intothe intothe the hopper of the gasogene He then thenstarted thenstarted started the motor of the car with withgasoline withgasoline withgasoline gasoline Next he stepped around to toI tothe tothe tothe the rear opened the small smaU fire door doorand doorand doorand I and ht lit the burner with a twist of of'paper ofpaper ofpaper 'paper paper ' The suction of the motor motordrew motordrew motordrew drew the flame right in and in a afew afew afew few seconds the fire fie was nearly nearlywlute nearlywhite nearlywhite wlute white hot . . In one minute mmute fifteen tlfteen sec seconds seconds seconds onds after he poured the charcogl charcoal charcoglthey charcoalthey charcoalthey they rolled out of the shop down the thelughway thehighway thehighway lughway highway Within Wlthm a couple of min mini minutes miniutes minutes utes they turned off the gasoline gasolinecompletely gasolinecompletely gasolinecompletely completely In about eight mmutes minutes mmutesaU minutesall minutesall aU all told the gasogene was was .vas vas . dehvermg delivering deliveringits dehvermgits its full power which is about 65 per percent percent percent cent of that obtained obtamed from trom gasolIneThis gasolineThis gasoline gasolineThis This did not mean that the station stationwagon stationwagon stationwagon wagon could go only 65 per cent of d t F as .t t . , ' ti tias 1 1'Mw ' } 'Mw Mw * sta H H'fp i 'fp fp 'fpi ' k h ( h d 1.a 1a . f 4 4.tom .tom tom . .tomN N 4 l tiw " r ikk " 'v v ' y yThis This is the small station station wagon equipped with a gasogene gasogen a that thatmade I Imade made the 800 mile experunental experimental run from Kalamazoo 1\Ich 1 Ich Mich \ ! to New NewYork NewYork York city The trip was a rigorous test . ror for the efficiency of gas fuel for forthe forthe the route led over the steep grades of tbe the Allegheny mountains the speed it would be capable of ofwith ofwith ofwith with gasoline gasollne In speed tests given giventime giventime giventime time to work up momentum ( about aboutthree aboutthree aboutthree three times that ordinarily ordmarily needed neededfor neededfor neededtor for gasoline gasolme ) it reached 70 miles an anhour anhour anhour hour for a brief run There was no noZip nozip nozip Zip in m pickup On the hills the lack lackof lackof lackof of horsepower showed up more al although although although though they encountered none that thatcould thatcould thatcould could not be made in m low As a arule arule arule rule of thumb a hill on which a agasolme agasoline agasoline gasolme gasoline engine engme would balk a l1ttle little l1ttlein littlein littlein in high required requU"ed requUed " second speed with withlhe withthe withthe lhe the gas gasogene ogene one that made a agasoline agasoline agasoline gasoline car use second required requiredlow requiredlow requiredlow requiredlowShaking low lowShaking lowShaking Shaking Down the Ashes AshesThe AshesThe AshesThe The cross country run was made madeWithOUt madewithout madewithout WithOUt mishap One night a truck truckdriver truckdriver truckdriver driver air braked his big van to a astop astop astop stop and tore over with a fire fie ex extmgUlsher extingursher extmguisher tmgUlsher tingursher when they paused at theroadside the theroadside theroadside roadside to shake down the ashes ashesthis ashesthis ashesthis ( this was done twice in m the 800 r s sz z 8 8r , . . > r ) k kt kwr wr t 1 . kIL : " , t " _ M Mi _ - .ts ts . .tsi . _ . i . . i t > t , The gasogene generates gas ( prmclpally principally carbon monoxide ) by bying burn burning ing charcoal at high temperatures The hopper holds 1'10 110 170 ' pounds poundsbest It Is Isbest best to reruel refuel it every 50 to 15 75 ' miles miles ) Curiosity appeal was high highMotorists highMotorists highMotorists Motorists seeing seemg the device as they theyapproached theyapproached theyapproached approached from the rear would wouldpull wouldpull wouldpull pull up and sometimes tail them themfor themfor themfor for miles 1I111es In towns small crowds crowdsgathered crowdsgathered crowdsgathered gathered to look and ask questionsThough questionsThough questions questionsThough Though the fuel hopper holds 170 170pounds 170pounds 170pounds pounds it was found best to refue1 refuel refuelevery refue1every refuelevery every 50 to 75 miles Fresh fuel is isput isput isput put in m through the hatch on top of ofthe ofthe ofthe the generator a dusty dirty two to tothree tothreeminute tothree three threeminute minute mmute job lob Usually at the thesame thesame thesame same time Mr Van Slyck took a acouple acouple acouple couple more minutes out to look at atthe atthe atthe the security filter a smalllcreen small /lcreen lcreen screen lcreenwhich screenwhich / screenwhich which is the last cleaning clearong stage stageTwenty stageTwenty stageTwenty Twenty Cents for 15 MilesThey MilesThey Miles MilesThey They averaged close to 30 miles milesan milesan milesan an hour tor for the 800 miles and burned bumed600 600 pounds of charcoal Put into its itsgasolme itsgasoline itsgasoline gasolme gasoline equivalent ( (15 15 ( miles to the thegallon thegallon thegallon gallon ) this stacked up to about ahout 111/ 111 lit/4 lit 4 lit4pounds 111pounds 11 Vpounds / / * . pounds which at the rate of $35 35 $ a aton aton aton ton for charcoal , , meant nearly 20 20cents 20cents 20cents cents tor for 15 miles or within wlthm a apenny apenny apenny penny or two of gasoline gasolwe costThe costThe cost costThe The whole system is entirely enUrely ra rational rational rational tional there is nothing nothmg mysterious mysteriousabout mysteriousabout mysteriousabout about it The regular carburetor IS ISused isused isused used when the motor operates on ongasolIne ongasoline ongasoline gasolIne A carbo charger feeds gas gasmto gasinto gasinto mto into the cylinders cylmders in the gasogene gasogeneoperation gasogeneoperation gasogeneoperation gasogeneoperationThe operation operationThe The main mam difference dlfference is that the thegasogene thegasogene thegasogene gasogene gas ( principally prmclpally carbon carbonmonoxide carbonmonoxide carbonmonoxide monoxide ) must be manufactured In Inthe inthe inI the generator before it can be beburned beburned beburned burned gasoline gasolme in 10 the tank is ready readyfor readyfor readytor for use With 1gas a 1\ 1 \ gas gasogene ogene it is ne/es ne es neCes neCessary neessary necessary / : sary to keep the engine engme tummg turning tummgover turningover turningover over a little faster than usual in or- or order or order . - der to manufacture gas It If the en englIle engore engine glIle gore Is run too slov slowly . ly on a hill hillwhere hillwhere hillwhere where power is needed the fire may maydie maydie maydie die down reducing reducmg speedThe speedThe speed speedThe The fire requires relighting only onlyafter onlyafter onlyafter after long Intervals of parkmg parking parkmgAfter parkingAfter parkingAfter After only two or three hours of ofdisuse ofdisuse ofdisuse disuse the motor will start on gaso gasogene gasogene gasogene gene direct After three or four fourhours fourhours fourhours hours it is necessary to use a little lIttie I gasoline gasolme m in the motor to get the draft draftgoing draftgoing ' gomg going through the firebox and build buildup buildup buildup up a good fireThe fieThe fire fie fireThe The gasogene used less than 2 2quarts 2quarts ' quarts of gasoline gasolme tor for 800 miles milesbetter milesbetter milesbetter better than 1 600 miles to the gal galIon galion galIon Ion IonWhat ionWhat What It CostsThe CostsThe Costs CostsThe The cost of the gasogene at attachment attachment attachment tachment varies For this expert experi expertmental experimental experimental mental unit umt was about $700 700 $ on ontrucks ontrucks ontrucks trucks with a simpler IIlstallatlon installation IIlstallatlonJob installationjob installationjob Job the cost would be perhaps $100 100 $100lower $100lower $100lower 100lower $ lower In South America Ameripa they are aresomewhat aresomewhat aresomewhat somewhat less Mass production na naturally naturally naturally turally would bring brmg economies At Atpresent Atpresent Atpresent present gasogenes are not made in inthis inthis Inthis this country for unrestricted cIvilian cIvilianuse civilianuse civilianuse use though no priorities tor for the pur purchaser purchaser purchaser chaser would be required if a manu manufacturer manufacturer manutacturer facturer were able to get clearance clearanceon ' on materials from the War Produc Production Production tion board and on manpower from fromthe fromthe fromthe the War Manpower commission a a v A The gasogene outfit requires some someattenlion somet someattention operatingI t attenlion attention that machines operating operatingon I on gasoline do not since SIDCC the gaso gasogcue gasox gasogene x ? gcue gene burns charcoal or other sohd soled sohdfuel soledfuel soliduel fuel ( It Is necessary to shake out the theashes theashes theashes weekb ashes perhaps once a wcekThen week wcek weekThen b r rThen Then there are two filters fiiters thatrr that thatmuot thatmubt 3 rJ rJt rJx t /x x / , " muot must ! be taken laken out and clean cleaned cd perl pert perlodlcally pertrya perodically ! rr rya t ii odlcally odically One Olle Is the radical tinned finned tinnedfilter finnedfilter finnedfilter filter ( right rljht ; ) This was serviced servicedonce servicedonce servicedonce once on the trip The other Is the thesecurity thesecurity ' security thoughtbest filer flier left ( ( left ) It was thought theyfilled they611c4 best to look at this every time they 611c4 filled t the charcoal hopper I More than 1 1000000 1000 000 000 passenger passengercars passengercars passengercars cars and trucks throughout the theworld theworld theworld world use various vanous forms of gas gasgenerators gasgenerators gasgenerators generators Recently reports have havecome havecome havecome come that the oil famished NazIS NazISare Nazisare Nazisare are operating operatmg war machines Inc1ud inelud Inc1udmg ineludmg includmg mg training tanks on gasogenes In Inthis Inthis Inthis this country the army and other gov government government government ernment branches ( Bureau of stand standards standards standards ards Forest service service"ot serviceot servlce"of servlceof " of the depart department department department ment of agriculture agnculture Tennessee Val Valley Valley Valley ley authority authonty ) have made or still stillare stillare stillare are conducting conductmg exhaustive testsWhen testsWhen tests testsWhen When the German suhmarme submarine suhmarmecampaign submarinecampaign submarinecampaign campaign threatened to cut the sea sealanes sealanes sealanes lanes to our fronts the army stepped steppedup steppedup up the gasogene experiments It Ithad ithad ithad had started three years ago Seek Seekmg Seeking Seeking mg ing a satisfactory gasoline gasolme sub substltute substitute substatute stltute stitute nearly every conceivable conceivablefuel conceivablefuel conceivablefuel fuel was subjected to tests even evendried evendried evendried dried camel dung which worked workedOK workedOK workedOK workedOKNow OK - OKNow Now with shipping shippmg lanes opened openedthe openedthe openedthe the " army IU"my IUmy is not so interested mterested But Butit Butit Butit it did find that ( , the gas gasogene ogene gas gaswas gaswas gaswas was a satisfactory substitute for forgasolwe forgasoline torgasoline gasolwe gasoline under certain conditions al although although although though it gave less power and the themechamsm themechanism themechanism mechamsm mechanism was harder to main maintain maintamn maintain tain tamn The possibility of using the thegas thegasogene thegasogene gas gasogene ogene when the Burma road is isreopened isreopened Isreopened reopened is not yet definitely ruled ruledout ruledout ruledoutArmy out outArmy Army and other ether experiments plus plussome plussome plussome some Canadian |