Fig. 196.—Sectional view of the generator for the American hollow-wire gasoline lamp.
Central-generator Plants.
—The central-generator or tube system of lighting with gasoline, differs from the other methods described, in the manner of generating and distributing the supply of gas to the lamps. In the hollow-wire system each lamp generates its own gas supply. With the central-generator system the gas for all of the lamps is generated and properly mixed with air in a central generator, and the finished gas distributed through tubes to the different burners and there burned in incandescent mantles. The gas as it leaves the generator requires no further mixing with air and therefore the burners are not of the Bunsen type.
Central-generator gas machines are made in a number of different forms by different manufacturers, all of which are intended to perform the same work but differ in the mechanism employed. The machines are simple in construction and as in the hollow-wire system are capable of using lower grades of gasoline than can be used with the cold-process plants. The gas from a central generator may be used for all purposes for which gasoline gas is employed, either for lighting or heating. One difficulty in the use of the machine is the lack of flexibility when required for only a few lamps or varying number of lights. Although these plants are sometimes used for lighting and heating dwellings, their use is limited, for the reason that variation of the number of lights requires the generator to be regulated to suit the change in the gas supply. The plants cannot be conveniently cut down to one light. Their most general use is that of lighting churches, stores, halls, auditoriums, etc., where a variable amount of light is not demanded. Plants of this character are quite generally used for street lighting and for other outside illumination.
An efficient and simple plant of the central-generator type is shown in Fig. 197. The supply of gasoline is stored in a tank similar to that used with the hollow-wire system and placed in any convenient location. The gasoline is conducted to the generator G, through a hollow wire marked W. The generator is inclosed in a sheet-iron box, which is located at any convenient place in the building. From the generator the gas is conducted through the tube to the lamps L.
In Fig. 198 is shown a diagram of the generator, cut through the middle lengthwise, in which all of the working parts are shown in their relative positions. The reference figures designate the same parts of the generator in Figs. 197 and 198.
In the process of generation the tank is filled with gasoline and pressure applied with the air pump. The tanks described in Fig. 189 might be used to advantage with this plant but the one shown in Fig. 197 is so constructed that the larger tank is used for storage of gasoline. The gasoline is pumped directly into the smaller tank which alone is kept under pressure. The pump P is enclosed in the large tank; at any time it is desired to replenish the supply of gasoline, it is only necessary to open the valve V and pump the necessary supply into the small tank. This transfer may be done at any time without danger from escaping gasoline vapor.
Fig. 197.—Diagram of central-generator tube system of gasoline lighting.