DANEVIRKE WATER-GAS WORKS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XX, Issue XVI, 16 April 1898, Page 468

DANEVIRKE WATER-GAS WORKS.

The town of Danevirke recently gave an additional proof of its claim to l>e considered one of the most enterprising of colonial communities by the establishment of a gas works of very modern type. Usually towns of that size are content to depend on kerosene and candles for light, and on coal and firewood for heat and motive power ; and when the Water-Gas Engineering Company of Balclutha approached the Danevirke Borough Council some time ago, with a proposal that the Corporation should take up the venture the Council naturally hesitated to embark on a scheme that liesides being novel seemed a somewhat premature enterprise for Danevirke. But at the same time the Council agreed to grant certain concessions and powers if the Company would take up the project. This the Company agreed to do, with the ultimate result that about six weeks ago the Danevirke Water-Gas Works were formally opened. We are indebted to the Danevirke “ Bush Advocate ” for particulars of the new system, which is the invention of Mr J. \Vatt, and the present property of the Balclutha Water-Gas Engineering Company. By this system, known as the Watt Patent Hydro - Carbon or Water - Gas System, gas is produced from oil, water and air, whicYi are decomposed by heat and by-

being brought in contact with iron and steel, heated to the desired temperature, which contact decomposes the various bodies into the various gases required to produce the power of luminosity required. The illuminating power of this process is entirely under the control of the operator, and can be increased and diminished by simply altering the proportions of the air, steam oroil. The oil supply is contained in two four-hundred gallon iron tanks from which it is run into a smaller working supply measuring tank, which records the quantity of oil used per 1,000 feet of gas. From this the oil supply is led to the front of the retorts, in which are fitted a pair of oil taps for each retort. The steam is raised in a cross-tube boiler, 2A h.p., specially built to Mr Watt s order, is then passeil through a super-heater heated by the waste heat of the furnace, which renders the steam perfectly dry. It then enters the injector immediately behind the oil supply, where, in conjunction with a jet of air under pressure it injects the oil into the inside of the retorts in a sprayform. The oily vapour is brought into actual contact with the heated diaphragm battels and retort plates, and is decomposed into the various gafes, the steam into hydrogen and oxygen, the oil into oxygen, hydrogen and carbon, and the air into oxygen and nit rogen. All the various gases and carbon are combined in the proper proportions, with the exception of the nitrogen, which is chemically changed, ami by lieing brought into direct contact with tlie heated iron, is fixed into a permanent gas. The gas then passes up the ascension pi|>es at the back of the retorts

into the hydraulic main, and to an atmospheric 12-tube condenser, where the condensed matter runs into the tar well in the shape or form of an oily tar, which is returned to the oil supply tank, mixed with the oil, and partially again converted into gas, a mixture of this residual and oil, crude shale or petroleum, producing better results than pure oil. The gas after leaving the condenser next passes through a patent Levesey washer, capable of passing 100,000 feet of gas per day, next through two purifiers, which are the usual style of gas purifiers, with this exception that lime and sawdust are used as purifying material instead of lime alone or oxide of iron, but this gas lieing much purer renders the cleaning of the purifier only necessary once in several months, as it contains no sulphuretted hydrogen, ammonia, or carbonic acid, hence it is not injurious to animal or vegetable life or works of art. The gas passes from the purifier through the station meter, and is ready for consumption. ‘ The gas when lit certainly produced a very pleasing effect. The flame, although it does not appeer to be as large as in coal gas, produces much more light, being of a much higher illuminating power. Among the most prominent advantages claimed for the light are the comparatively low first cost of installation, the small amount of labour required, the simplicity of manufacture, the high candle power of the gas produced, which renders it much cheaper to consumers than low qualitygas, its great cleanness and purity, and it is much more economical than coal gas for either lighting, heating, cooking, or motive power. Several people in Danevirke have decided to adopt gas as a motive power in gas engines, and a large number of gas stoves for cooking are in full operation.