Acetylene, the Principles of Its Generation and Use | Page 2

GENERATOR
Points to be observed Recommendations of Home Office Committee British and Foreign regulations for the construction and installation of acetylene generating plant



CHAPTER V
THE TREATMENT OF ACETYLENE AFTER GENERATION
Impurities in calcium carbide Impurities of acetylene Removal of moisture Generator impurities in acetylene Filters Carbide impurities in acetylene Washers Reasons for purification Necessary extent of purification Quantity of impurities in acetylene Purifying materials Bleaching powder Heratol, frankoline, acagine, and puratylene Efficiency of purifying material Minor reagent Method of a gas purifier Methods of determining exhaustion of purifying material Regulations for purification Drying Position of purifier Filtration General arrangement of plans Generator residues Disposal of residue



CHAPTER VI
THE CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF ACETYLENE
Physical properties Leakage Heat of combustion Explosive limits Range of explosibility Solubility in liquids Toxicity Endothermic nature Polymerisation Heats of formation and combustion Colour of flame Radiant efficiency Chemical properties Reactions with copper



CHAPTER VII
MAINS AND SERVICE-PIPES--SUBSIDIARY APPARATUS
Meters Governors Gasholder pressure Pressure-gauges Dimensions of mains and pipes Velocity of flow in pipes Service-pipes and mains Leakage Pipes and fittings Laying mains Expelling air from pipes Tables of pipes and mains



CHAPTER VIII
COMBUSTION OF ACETYLENE IN LUMINOUS BURNERS--THEIR DISPOSITION
Nature of luminous flames Illuminating power Early burners Injector and twin-flame burners Illuminating power of self-luminous burners Glassware for burners



CHAPTER IX
INCANDESCENT BURNERS--HEATING APPARATUS--MOTORS--AUTOGENOUS SOLDERING
Merits of incandescent lighting Conditions for incandescent lighting Illuminating power of incandescent burners Durability of mantles Typical incandescent burners Acetylene for heating and cooking Acetylene motors Blowpipes Autogenous soldering and welding



CHAPTER X
CARBURETTED ACETYLENE
Carburetted acetylene Illuminating power of carburetted acetylene Carburetted acetylene for "power"



CHAPTER XI
COMPRESSED AND DISSOLVED ACETYLENE--MIXTURES WITH OTHER GASES
Compression Dissolved acetylene Solution in acetone Liquefied acetylene Dilution with carbon dioxide Dilution with air Mixed carbides Dilution with, methane and hydrogen Self-inflammable acetylene Enrichment with acetylene Partial pressure Acetylene-oil-gas



CHAPTER XII
SUNDRY USES
Destruction of noxious moths Destruction of phylloxera and mildew Manufacture of lampblack Production of tetrachlorethane Utilisation of residues Sundry uses for the gas



CHAPTER XIII
PORTABLE ACETYLENE LAMPS AND PLANT
Table and vehicular lamps Flare lamps Cartridges of carbide Cycle-lamp burners Railway lighting



CHAPTER XIV
VALUATION AND ANALYSIS OF CARBIDE
Regulations of British Acetylene Association Regulations o￡ German Acetylene Association Regulations of Austrian Acetylene Association Sampling carbide Yield of gas from small carbide Correction of volumes for temperature and pressure Estimation of impurities Tabular numbers
APPENDIX
DESCRIPTIONS OP GENERATORS
America: Canada America: United States Austria-Hungary Belgium France Germany Great Britain and Ireland
INDEX
INDEX TO APPENDIX

ACETYLENE



CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTORY--THE COST AND ADVANTAGES OF ACETYLENE LIGHTING
Acetylene is a gas [Footnote: For this reason the expression, "acetylene gas," which is frequently met with, would be objectionable on the ground of tautology, even if it were not grammatically and technically incorrect. "Acetylene-gas" is perhaps somewhat more permissible, but it is equally redundant and unnecessary.] of which the most important application at the present time is for illuminating purposes, for which its properties render it specially well adapted. No other gas which can be produced on a commercial scale is capable of giving, volume for volume, so great a yield of light as acetylene. Hence, apart from the advantages accruing to it from its mode of production and the nature of the raw material from which it is produced, it possesses an inherent advantage over other illuminating gases in the smaller storage accommodation and smaller mains and service-pipes requisite for the maintenance of a given supply of artificial light. For instance, if a gasholder is required to contain sufficient gas for the lighting of an establishment or district for twenty-four hours, its capacity need not be nearly so great if acetylene is employed as if oil-gas, coal-gas, or other illuminating gas is used. Consequently, for an acetylene supply the gasholder can be erected on a smaller area and for considerably less outlay than for other gas supplies. In this respect acetylene has an unquestionable economical advantage as a competitor with other varieties of illuminating gas for supplies which have generally been regarded as lying peculiarly within their preserves. The extent of this advantage will be referred to later.
The advantages that accrue to acetylene from its mode of production, and the nature of the raw material from which it is obtained, are in reality of more importance. Acetylene is readily and quickly produced from a raw material--calcium carbide--which, relatively to the yield of light of the gaseous product, is less bulky than the raw materials of other gases. In comparison also with oils and candles, calcium carbide is capable of yielding, through the acetylene obtainable from it, more light per unit of space occupied by it. This higher light-yielding capacity of calcium carbide, ready to be developed through acetylene, gives the latter gas a great advantage over all other illuminants in respect of compactness for transport or storage. Hence, where facilities for transport or storage are bad or costly, acetylene may be the most convenient or cheapest illuminant, notwithstanding its relatively high cost in many other cases. For example, in a