[Gasification] most thermally efficient gas driven heat engine ever built

[gfwhell at aol.com]

Dear Tom

 

Sorry about the subject line not reflecting the contents.


how does this sound? 

 Largest most thermally efficient gas driven heat engine ever built   

 

I have viewed Brian Wilson’s contribution to the Humphrey pump. And seem to remember he only considered its thermal efficiency in single digits.

Perhaps he was referring to the propane model he invented.


I could not load the Web Site you gave me, in order to see if this was the case.

My recollections from reading the published proceedings, which took place in 1898 and 1899, when the pump was first brought to the notice of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers in London:  were as follows:

The first Pump, Humphrey built, stood in a supply tank of water.

The pump had an 8” combustion chamber tapering to a 6” play pipe, Its simple construction included a wooden exhaust Valve which hung on a chain inside the explosion zone.

To start the cycle, the wooden exhaust valve was closed, by manually raising it, in order to seat it on the under side of the exhaust pipe.

A gas air mixture was admitted through a check valve in the top of the chamber,   the charge of gas, was then detonated. The explosion forced the water down ward and up to the receiving tank, Elevated 20 feet higher, via a long 6” play pipe.  

The pressure of the explosion, maintained the seal made by the wooden valve.

The water propelled by the explosion continued by momentum up into the receiving tank until a negative pressure evolved in the combustion chamber, causing the wooden valve to drop open bysuction and gravity. 

This negative pressure also caused water to be sucked through check valves at the bottom of the pump situated at the bottom of the supply tank, continuing the flow from the supply tank and into the elevated receiving tank, until this directional momentum was lost. 

The remaining column of water left in the play pipe, and then returned with considerable gravitational force back to the pump, expelling the burned gasses out through open exhaust pipe. This exhaust pipe protruded downward into the explosion chamber a short distance, so when the returning water column struck the wooden valve shut. The small area left in the top of the cylinder head had a quantity of air and spent gasses which now became a cushion similar to a Hydraulic accumulator, This compressed gas had sufficient energy to force the column of water back up the play pipe and achieve a second smaller delivery of water to the receiving tank. The chain operated exhaust valve had a toggle action retainer, which held this valve closed during this second cycle This caused sufficient “depression” within the combustion chamber for a fresh charge of gas and air to be automatically drawn in to the chamber.

On the second RETURN of the water column, This being the "compression stroke", the gasses were ignited by pressure switch controlling a conventional HV auto transformer and spark plugs.

This was a 4 stroke engine possessing remarkable qualities

Two similar tests were carried out. Temperature measurements were taken at various points of the test rig, with water analysis before and after.

I believe the second test ran for 24 hours.

The water was re-circulated between the supply tank and the receiving tank.

 

The tons of water raised, divided by the pounds of anthracite burned, in order to produce the gas used to perform this task.

 Formed the basis, of the thermal efficiency of this engine.

The engine performed with over 90% efficiency. 

How could this be?

If you could French kiss the exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine running at full load without discomfort, you have found one.

The Exhaust gas temperature was less than 100f

If you could build a four stroke engine with a stroke long enough to cause a partial vacuum at bottom dead center you might be on to something.

 

 

GF



-----Original Message-----
From: Thomas Reed <tombreed at comcast.net>
To: Discussion of biomass pyrolysis and gasification <gasification at listserv.repp.org>
Cc: robdeutsch at online.com.kh
Sent: Fri, 10 Aug 2007 8:45 am
Subject: [Gasification] NOT Re: Torrified woodchips as a gasifier fuel, Re Humphrey Pumps



Dear Rob and All:
(Please make the subject line correspond to the subject always in the 
uture.)
Bryan Willson at CSU is the world's repository on Humphrey (water as 
iston) pumps, since he did his PhD thesis on them and invented a new one. 
TOM REED
gfwhell at aol.com wrote:
 Robert

 This is the website of the "preserved" engine in Australia: 
ttp://members.fortunecity.com/freeenergy2000/humphreypump.htm This is only a 
aby compared to the pumps at chingford which were made of sectionalized Cast 
ron bolted together, Im not sure if they still exist, they were not in use when 
 visited them. the 12Ft diameter pump used to lift 100 tons of water, Â 58 feet 
n one minute . 


 -----Original Message-----
 From: Robert Deutsch <robdeutsch at online.com.kh>
 To: Discussion of biomass pyrolysis and gasification <gasification at listserv.repp.org>
 Sent: Sat, 4 Aug 2007 12:40 pm
 Subject: Re: [Gasification] 
fied woodchips as a gasifier fuel
 Hi GF,
 hank sounds like an interesting engine, can you provide any more details? 
 re they still in operation?  Got any photos or diagrams?
 hanks, Robert in California
 ----- Original Message ----- 
 rom: <gfwhell at aol.com>
  I have had the privilege of standing on the 12 ft diameter cylinder head 
  of one of these engines in the pump house.
  These were long stroke engines. the piston was water, the shape of which 
  changed to make the most of the Rankin and carnot cycle. The exhaust gas 
  was less than 95 F.
  The fuel, Anthracite, converted to, producer gas, was practically all used 
  in each power stroke. The equation for the efficiency of this engine did 
  not include the mining or transportation of the anthracite, merely pounds 
  of raw fuel for work performed, there for the inefficiencies of the 
  gasification plant was included.





  -----Original Message-----
  From: Rolf Uhle <energiesnaturals at gmx.de>
  To: Discussion of biomass pyrolysis and gasification 
  <gasification at listserv.repp.org>
  Sent: Thu, 2 Aug 2007 3:07 am
  Subject: Re: [Gasification] Torrified woodchips as a gasifier fuel



  Max,
  donÂŽt know tto which reports on pollution created by wvo or svo you refer.
  here was a kind of campaign in german media  some time ago, but the tests
  hey made were in totally unprepared vehicles and much contested.
  o you have any trustworthy analisis/data ?
  would apreciate them.
  anks
  olf

  ---- Original Message ----- 
  rom: "Max Kennedy" <vacuum1313 at yahoo.ca>
  o: "Discussion of biomass pyrolysis and gasification"
  gasification at listserv.repp.org>
  ent: Wednesday, August 01, 2007 5:32 AM
  ubject: Re: [Gasification] Torrified woodchips as a gasifier fuel

  "Straight veggie oil is much, much more polluting than fossil diesel
  fuel, but biodiesel is a good bit less polluting than fossil diesel."

  If one only looks at comparing the 3 fuels themselves, this is true.
  However if one takes into account the imbedded energy/pollution of each in
  addition to that produced by using the end product then the WVO is far
  less costly both in energy costs and in total pollution produced.  For
  example diesel has to have added the extraction costs, the environmental
  impact costs (such as the Vancouver pipeline rupture), the refining energy
  costs etc.  The biodiesel has to include the energy/pollution in the
  process and process chemicals such as methanol and sodium hydroxide as
  well as disposal of the glycerine etc.  Yes, WVO has imbedded costs for
  processing, transport etc but they are lower as the material is far less
  processed and the costs are shared with the food industry as that was the
  primary use of the WVO.  An example of re-use advantage.  This last
  consideration is not true of diesel and partially true of biodiesel
  depending on the ratio of WVO in the
  BD.  The end use only mindset, which the starting quote embodies, needs to
  be replaced with a total cycle cost mindset.  That is not to say those on
  the list aren't aware these "hidden" costs exist however it is to say that
  the language we choose to use influences the thinking processes both of
  ourselves and those we talk to.  Just because some of the pollution to
  produce the more refined BD doesn't come from our tailpipe, originating
  from the methanol plant or the production of NaOH instead, doesn't mean
  that the pollution doesn't exist and isn't harmful.

  Off the soap box.

  The idea of trapping the waste carbon and using the waste heat from a WVO
  powered diesel using biomass destined for gasification sounds excellent to
  me and is a great example of whole cycle thinking that will truely
  overcome todays challenges in the future.

  Max K


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