The same observation holds true of the boilers, aeolipile, and engines, when regarded from the point of view of the economical generation and use of steam. It was fully recognized that the waste of heat in the coil boilers was excessive, but as it was necessary that there should be an exceedingly rapid generation of steam with a small heating surface, this was regarded as inevitable.

In the engine the three points aimed at in the design were lightness, strength and power, but lightness above all, and necessarily in a degree which long seemed incompatible with strength. No attempt was made to secure the requirements of modern steam-engine construction, either in the distribution of the steam or the protection of the cylinder against the radiation of heat by a suitable jacketing. The very narrow limits of weight permissible required that the [p112] barrel of the cylinder should be as thin as possible, that no protective jacketing should be used, and that the valve motion should be of the simplest description. To obtaining the greatest lightness consistent with indispensable power, everything else was subordinated; and hence, all expectation of ordinary economical efficiency had to be abandoned at the outset.

It was only after long trials in other directions that Mr. Langley introduced the aeolipile device, which for the first time provided sufficient heat. Even in the aeolipile, however, is was apparent that nothing short of the most complete combustion accompanied by the highest possible temperature of the flame would be sufficient for the extreme demand. To secure this result under all conditions of wind and weather, with the aerodrome at rest and in motion, required the long series of experiments that are given in another chapter. In respect to the generation of heat, then, it is probable that it would be difficult to exceed the performance of the final type of burner in practical work, but in the utilization of this heat in the boiler, as well as in the utilization of the steam there generated, the waste was so great as to be prohibitive under ordinary conditions. But this was not ordinary work, and the simplest protection against radiation from boiler, separator, and engine could not well be used.

The framework of the aerodrome is made of thin steel tubes, the main or midrod extending the whole length of the machine and carrying the attachments to which the wings are fastened. Suspended from this midrod by rigid connections is a skeleton hull of steel tubing, shaped somewhat like the framework of a boat, from which, directly abeam of the engines, arms are run out like the outriggers of a rowboat for carrying the propellers. Within this central hull are placed the aeolipile, the boiler, and the engine, which with their auxiliary parts, the pump and the separator, constitute the entire power-generating apparatus.

The aeolipile consists of four essential parts: the spherical air chamber containing the supply of compressed air by which the gasoline in the reservoir tank is forced into the burner; the reservoir tank containing the gasoline that is to be used as a fuel; the gas generator wherein the liquid gasoline is heated and converted into gas; and the burners where it is finally utilized to heat the boilers.

The air chamber D, Plate [25], is a spherical vessel 120 mm. in diameter, located at the extreme front end of the hull. It is made of copper 0.25 mm. thick and has two openings. The front opening has a copper pipe 1 cm. outside diameter, to which the air pump for charging the chamber is connected. From the back a copper pipe 5 mm. outside diameter extends to the top of the gasoline reservoir.

PL. 25. SIDEVIEW OF STEEL FRAME OF AERODROME NO. 5 SUSPENDED FROM LAUNCHING-CAR, OCTOBER 24, 1896 [◊] [lgr]

This reservoir, shown at I, Plate [25], is also a light, hollow sphere 120 mm. in diameter; both this and the air chamber being made by soldering hemispheres [p113] of copper together at their circumferences. There are three openings in the reservoir tank; two at the top and one at the bottom. One of those at the top serves for the admission of the 5-mm. pipe bringing compressed air from the air chamber; the other is connected with a pipe 1 cm. in diameter, through which gasoline is supplied to the tank, and which is closed by a simple plug at the top. The hole in the bottom serves as the outlet for the gasoline to the burners. Close to the bottom of the tank there is placed a small needle valve, which serves to regulate the flow of oil, for, were the pipe left open, the compressed air would force the oil out with such rapidity that the burners would be flooded and the intensity of the flame impaired. The construction of this valve is clearly shown in Plate [26A]. It consists of a brass shell having one end (a) soldered to the bottom of the tank. The needle enters through a stuffing box whose gland is held by two small screws. The stem of the needle is threaded and engages in a thread cut in the body of the casting and is operated by a fine wire on the outside. It will readily be seen that this device affords a means of making a very accurate adjustment of the flow of the liquid to the burners.

After leaving the needle valve the gasoline flows along the pipe S, Plate [25], until it reaches the evaporating coil, N. In order to subject the oil to as large a heating surface as possible, in comparison with the sectional area through which it is flowing, the pipe, which left the needle valve with a diameter of 6 mm. soon contracted to 5 mm., is here flattened to a width of 7 mm. and a thickness of 2 mm. There are seven complete turns of this flattened tubing coiled to an outside diameter of 30 mm. At the end of the seventh coil the pipe is enlarged to a diameter of 1 cm. and two coils of this size are added, the inside diameter being the same as that of the flattened coil. This enlarged portion serves as a sort of expansion chamber for the complete gasification of the gasoline, which is then led back through a turn of the enlarged pipe, beneath the coils and to the front. At the front end of the coil a small branch is led off, forming a “bleeder,” which takes sufficient gas to supply the burner by which the coil is heated, the products of whose combustion pass into and between the coils of the boiler like those of the regular heating burners. The gas pipe rises in front of the coil and by a T connection branches to the two burners that are placed in front of the coils of the boiler. These burner pipes are 5 mm. in diameter and enter sheet-iron hoods forming regular burners of the Bunsen type, which are fully shown in all their details in the accompanying engraving, Plate [26]. The pipe is plugged at the end, and a hole 0.9 mm. in diameter drilled for the nipple of the burner in front of the coil where the water first enters from the separator, and 0.85 mm. for the one in front of the return coil. The face of the burner shell stands exactly central with and 41 mm. in front of the coils.[35] [p114]