In this way the illuminating power of 240 candles has been commonly
assigned to acetylene, though it would be clearer to those unfamiliar
with the definition of illuminating power in the Acts of Parliament which
regulate the testing of coal-gas, if the same fact were conveyed by
stating that acetylene affords a maximum illuminating power of 48 candles
(_i.e._, 240 / 5) per cubic foot. Actually, by misunderstanding of
the accepted though arbitrary nomenclature of gas photometry, it has not
infrequently been assorted or implied that a cubic foot of acetylene
yields a light of 240 candle-power instead of 48 candle-power. It should,
moreover, be remembered that the ideal illuminating power of a gas is the
highest realisable in any Argand or flat-flame burner, while the said
burner may not be a practicable one for general use in house lighting.
Thus, the burners recommended for general use in lighting by acetylene do
not develop a light of 48 candles per cubic foot of gas consumed, but
considerably less, as will appear from the data given later in this
chapter.
It has been stated that in order to avoid loss of heat from a flame
through the burner, that burner should present only a small mass of
material (_i.
Pages:
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514