PETROL FROM COAL.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20282, 17 April 1934, Page 7

PETROL FROM COAL.

Increase in Royal Air Force Contract. The prospect of supplying the Royal Air Force entirely with petrol obtained from coal has been improved by the award of the new contract, announced by Sir Philip Sassoon, Under-Secretary of State for Air, in the House of Commons recently, states the aeronautical correspondent of “ The Times.” Last year one squadron used home-pro-duced petrol; this j r ear seven squadrons will be flying on this spirit. If the Air Ministry continues its policy of looking to coal for R.A.F. fuel, the output should be sufficient next year for 17 squadrons. The cost of this petrol to the Air Ministry is the same as that obtained from foreign sources. The producers are able to compete in this wav because their products is not subject to tax. They owe much to the Air Ministry for the encouragement given during the experimental period, but it is also to be noted that the fuel obtained by the Coalite low-temperature carbonisation process has given very satisfactory results in service. The new contract means that about 3,000,000 gallons of j ol will be produced for the R.A.F . ,m British coal financial year, and some 300,000 tons of coal will be used in the process. IV ith the object of increasing the supply two new works are to be equipped. These should be in full use about a year from now and their joint output should be sufficient to supplv fuel to 10 squadrons. If this also is taken by the Air Ministrv, rather more than a qtfhrter* of the home defence force will be flying on British coal. At the moment it is not certain how far this movement can be carried The r> a t*° f - a h ° me stl PP lv of fuel for the R.A.F, is so obvious that it might be assumed that Air Ministry policy should naturally be to develop the sources of supply. The arrival of the new supply has coincided with a change in the specifi. ca tion of the petrol for RA F. use! As f'l 81 i! eS i SU ! ta V ]e for operation on antiknock fuels become available, petrol doped with tetra-ethyl-lead is being supphed for them. Experiments ari now being made to discover the effect Petr °‘ obta,ne d from coal. Upon the results of those experiments the further extension of Ah Ministry contracts for this type of fuel Tn^nes Pe r d , The h ’ ghl >- supercharged 2 °* fast aircraft must have doped fuel in order to yield a reason able proportion of their power at ground level without the nTk of de from ra co*r h If ,, the extracted , on 3 coal should prove suita to P take ali m th y , P °V sible ultimatelv from^that^source. fUeI RAF ' r,,J bc 'Udustry so far has found a readv £ toT aII ,ts byproducts. Heavy HrSSSr" •y&SR-si