Coal
Cars? Part II
As the cost of
gasoline and other liquid fuels rises the demand will increase for a cheap
tractor fuel, particularly for farm operation. An investigation was therefore
carried out to determine the technical feasibility of burning char from low rank
Alberta coals in portable gas producers.
The
investigation was carried out by Dr. A. D. Hogg, lecturer in Mechanical
Engineering at the University of Alberta, assisted by regular members of the Research
Council staff. Most of the tests were carried out in a British Emergency
portable, cross draft, gas producer kindly loaned by the National Research
Council. Unfortunately, it was soon found out that this producer, although
satisfactory for use with a very low ash content fuel like charcoal, was not
adapted for coal char. It was not possible in the short time available, to
obtain the use of a more suitable producer; but some supplementary tests were
made in a simple, locally made producer, designed for studying some of the
factors involved. All the tests were made with stationary equipment, rather than
attached to a tractor, and were further handicapped because lack of a suitable
exhaust fan made it necessary to operate under pressure instead of under
suction.
Mixing a suitable
amount of steam, or steam mixed with carbon dioxide, to simulate feeding back
part of the exhaust from the engine, with the combustion air reduced the
clinkering to a negligible amount. It was also found that the ash in the fuel is
such that the fire required frequent cleaning. The heat value of the gas
produced compared favourably with that produced in producers of this type with
more commonly used fuels. It was concluded that, if the char is utilizable from
an economic standpoint, the results of the tests warranted further work with a
producer better suited to the fuel.
Alberta Research Council. [1945] Annual Report. With permission from the Alberta
Research Council.
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