Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
March, 1930
227
-
OF THE
CITY OP DETROIT
A K D -4IRCRAFT DEVE1,OPMENT CORPORATION, DETROIT,A I I C i i
'
T a b l e I--GeneraI C h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of t h e ZMC-I
149 ft. 5 in.
Length of hull. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Diameter of hull (max.). .........................
Fineness ratio. . . . . . . .
........
2.83
Displacement of hull
. . . . . . . . 202,200 cu. f t .
. , , . , . . , 50,600 cu. f t .
22,600 cu. f t .
Front ballonet displacement,,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rear ballonet displacement,,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
23,000 cu. ft.
25 per cent
Ratio of ballonet volume to hull volume.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Thickness of s k i n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
0.0095 in.
24 f t .
Length of c a r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Width of car. . . . .
.............................
6 f t . 6 in.
.............................
3
2
Number of gas valves.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Number of f i n s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
....
8
Total fin area
................................
440 sq. f t .
Total elevator
.................................
190 sq. ft.
Total rudder a r e a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
95 sq. f t .
Total automatic rudder a r e a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
....
95 sq. ft.
Sumber of engines (Wright "Whirlwind" J-5) . , , . , , , . , , , . .
2
440 hp.
Power a t 1800 I. p. m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9 ft. 2 in.
Propeller diameter (all-metal). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The hull is 149 feet 5 inches long and 52 feet 8 inches in maximum diameter. The metal covering consists of Alclad alloy
sheets 0.0095 inch in thickness. These sheets are sewed
together by means of a special riveting machine invented by
the Aircraft Development Corporation. Since this covering
contains the lifting gas, helium, the seams and riveting must
be gasproof. This is accomplished by treating the lap seam
with a special bit'uminous material after riveting. The skin
Received December 3 0 , 1929.
Chemical engineer in charge of control tests during the inflation.
Crew (three). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
600 Ih?
Fuel (200 gal.). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1 i O O lbi.
Oil (2.5 gal.). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
200 Ibs.
Ballast (50 gal.). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420 Ibs.
Passengers and cargo.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 707 Ibs.
Range with 230 gal. fuel
Maximum possible range
Maximum speed a t 440 h
Cruising speed a t 220 hp.
Static ceiling., . . . . . . . . . .
680 miles
*
I S D U S T R I A L AAYD ESGIlYEERIA-G CHEMISTRY
March, 1930
229
and the exhaust line. Each station except the exhaust line
controlled three sampling tubes from the top, equator, and
bottom of the hull, respectively. The arrangement of the
sampling tubes is shown in Figure 3. Samples were analyzed
a t the four stations simultaneously. These samples were
drawn through small rubber tubes inserted into the hull, the
tubes remaining open to insure a fair sample from the ship a t
all times. The gas was sampled a t 10-minute intervals so
Since no drier was used, the gas in the hull contained con- that the time between two successive analyses a t any level
siderable water vapor. Some of this vapor, about 250 cc. in was one-half hour. The results of these analyses are shown
all, condensed and was drained from the hull. To rid the ship in Figure 4. During the carbon dioxide inflation the perof the excess weight due to this water vapor, the tower of the centage of carbon dioxide indicated directly the progress of
the inflation. During the helium inflation the percentage of carbon dioxide subtracted from 100 indicated approximately the per cent of helium in
the ship. White's modification of the Hempel
buret and a pipet filled with caustic solution
were used for absorbing the carbon dioxide.
Final tests made a t the end of the inflation period
but before the gas was passed through the drier
gaye the following average results: carbon dioxide,
2.3; oxygen, 0.1; and carbon monoxide, 0.0 per
cent. After the gas had been circulated through
the drier, the carbon dioxide had been reduced to
Figure 3-Position and Number of Sampling Tubes on Hull
an average value of 0.67 per cent. This coupled
with the removal of water vapor brought the
scrubber was dismantled and rebuilt as a drier. It, was fitted purity to above 92 per cent helium, which compares
with three trays over which the gas from the hull might pass. very favorably with the results obtained in inflating other
It was placed in a horizontal position with 950 pounds of ships. The helium in the cylinders had a purity of 96.6
caustic on the trays and the bottom. To prevent the caustic per cent. These final analyses were made in an Orsat apfrom being carried over into the hull, two cloth blankets were paratus, absorbing the carbon dioxide in caustic, the oxygen
fastened over the offtake from the drier. This drier offtake in alkaline pyrogallate, and the carbon monoxide in cuprous
discharged into an expansion chamber as a further means of chloride solution.
preventing the carrying over of caustic. Caustic indicators
The condensate drained from the bottom of the ship showed
were placed in the line to detect any caustic which might traces of sodium hydroxide. Analyses of this condensate
be carried over.
indicated the presence of not more than 0.008 per cent sodium
A blower of 150 cubic feet per minute capacity forced the hydroxide, so it was apparent that there could be no harmful
gas into the bottom of the drier, caused it to travel four times effects from this source.
the length of the apparatus, and discharged it from the top.
Discussion of Results
Drying was accomplished in the intervals between trial
flights: After beingused for 25 hours the drier was opened.
Since the hull of the ship was constructed as a single comIt was observed that some of the caustic had melted and partment filled with air, the problem was one of displacing the
formed icicles which hung
from the screen which
composed the trays. The
drier was then recharged 90
and run for 30 hours more.
At this time the gas was Bo
found to contain 0.67 per
cent carbon dioxide. The
caustic in the drier had ' O
served a double purpose.
It had not only dried the 60
gas but also removed a
large proportion of the re- 5o
maining carbon dioxide.
Chemical Control
Tests-Gas Analysis
o\o 4o
3o
20
3,-29
e-1-29
Figure 4-Variation
81-29
8 3 Z3
I S D C S T R I A L A S D ESGIA-EERIXG CHEMISTRY
230
Tol. 22,
KO.
not be kept within the region of quiet flow without considerable diffusion. While the volume was small and the area exposed to diffusion was not great, stratificationwas fairly complete, as shown by Figure 4. When appreciable quantities
of helium had displaced the carbon dioxide, trouble began.
Some of the causes of the rapid rise of helium in the exhaust
before the scrubbing was started were as follows: The diffusing area, which was about 6000 square feet, had been at its
maximum for some time; the gas came into contact with the
tops of the inflated ballonets, causing a surging motion;
the rate of input of helium had been increased. However,
it is doubtful if diffusion between carbon dioxide and helium
could have been prevented.
The insertion of a drier or refrigerator between the scrubber
and the hull would be a decided improvement. Spacing
the sampling tubes symmetrically above and below the
equator of the ship would give a more accurate check of the
progress of inflation. The rate of input of helium was about
10.000 rubic feet per hour.
Conclusions
OF
TIXHKOLOGY,
ATLANT.4, GA.
d In p/dT = AH/RT2
(1)
sumed to be a perfect gas, and the volume of the liquid negligible compared with that of the vapor. If the heat of vaporization is assumed to be constant over a small range of teniperature, this equation may be integrated, obtaining
l n p = -AH/RT
C
(2)
This equation proves experimentally to yield a straight line
over small ranges of temperature.
Now for t x o different substances, a and b, let the vapor
pressures be equal at absolute temperatures, T , and Tb.
Substituting in Equation 2 and equating the result<,
Equation 4 should aleo represent a straight line, as was suggested by Cox ( 2 ) ,since in its derivation the heats of vaporization were assumed constant over the small range of tempera-