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Heating, Lighting, and Refrigeration: Acetylene

Acetylene Gas. - The use of acetylene gas for lighting purposes marks an era in artificial illumination. Acetylene is produced by the contact of calcium carbide (which has somewhat the appearance of gunpowder) and water. The result is the evolution of a gas which burns with a pure white light giving the nearest approach to sunlight, and has an illuminating power more than twelve times as great as that of ordinary gas. The introduction of acetylene is comparatively recent, and some prejudice against it has been aroused by defects in the style of generators first placed upon the market. The experimental period is now well-nigh passed, and the National Board of Fire Underwriters has approved a large number of generators. If a proper apparatus is selected, acetylene may be regarded to be as safe as any other illuminant. The various generators on the markets are of two types: one, in whick the gas is produced by placing the calcium carbide in a suitable receptacle and allowing water to gradually fall upon it; the other, in which a receptacle is filled with a relatively large quantity of water and the calcium carbide is allowed to drop into the water in small CARBIDE GAS WATER CARBIDE "Generators of Two Types."

AS WATER quantities. The latter type of generator is the safer and is consequently to be preferred. The brilliancy of acetylene flame is so great that a small one the size of a copper cent is sufficient to light an ordinary living room. Hence the air is vitiated much less than by most other forms of illumination. Recent experiments at Cornell University show that the light furnished by acetylene has, to a consid- "The Power of Sunlight in Promoting Growth."* erable degree, the power that sunlight has in promoting the growth of vegetation. It is much less trying to the eyes than electricity or ordinary gas, * Both lilies had the same treatment except that the larger was exposed at night to the light of acetylene gas. and is likely to become increasingly popular.

Gasoline Gas. - Perhaps the cheapest method of illumination in localities that are not supplied with illuminating gas or that are furnished with the gas at high prices, is the use of gasoline gas. A tank of gasoline is located outside of the dwelling house and buried six or eight feet under ground.

To produce the gas it is only necessary to pass a current of air across the surface of the gasoline. A very simple contrivance for this purpose is a blower, which may be operated by windmill, water power, or by means of weights and pulleys installed in the cellar. Of course the necessary piping must be provided to carry the gasoline gas to various parts of the dwelling as required, and also an automatic air mixer. When the gasoline tank is outside the premises and underground, there is no possibility of explosion. The entire apparatus is very simple, and while the first cost has to be taken into account, the cost of operation is very low, probably not more than one half that of an equal number of kerosene lamps.

Welsbach Burner. - The incandescent principle of light, as applied in the well-known Welsbach burner, consists in heating a gauze mantle, impregnated with certain rare earths, to a white heat by means of a mixture of gas and air. The result is a flame five or six times as strong in proportion to the gas consumed as that produced by an ordinary open gas burner. The air in the room is also vitiated much less, and less heat is given off.

The Welsbach burner may be used with any form of gas, but is especially useful in connection with gasoline gas, as it admits of a proper mixture of air with the gas, and does away with the necessity of providing an automatic air mixer.