Pharoline
Pharoline is the trade name of a fuel invented in the Netherlands in 1909 , the high combustion temperature of which leads to a significantly reduced amount of combustion residues.
Historical background
At the end of the 19th century, almost all lighthouses on the Dutch coast were operated with petroleum burners . These had a high light intensity, but also had the disadvantage of generating large amounts of combustion residues. This led to the burner's upper outlet openings becoming heavily soiled and the opening becoming smaller and smaller due to deposits. This in turn had the effect that the combustion of the petroleum became worse and the light output was reduced by up to 30 percent. To solve the problem, Loo Sluytermann and a scientific institute for coastal protection in Scheveningen researched alternative fuels and invented the Pharoline.
Properties and manufacture
| density | between 0.810 kg / l and 0.815 kg / l at 15 ° C |
| Start of boiling | approx. 135 ° C |
| boiling point | 200 ° C |
The starting product, petroleum, is separated into petroleum ether, petrol and heavy oil in a distillation process. What remains is a substance with a high flash point. This is concentrated and purified through various processes, resulting in Pharoline. In 1913, a distillation apparatus was developed that made it possible to extract Pharoline directly from petroleum.
Use in lighthouses
Shortly after the discovery of the Pharolines in 1910, special Pharoline burners, called Type 1910 , were brought onto the market. They consisted of a pressure vessel for storing the Pharolines, various pumps for fuel and oxygen as well as pressure regulators, an evaporator and a burner. The first of these Pharoline incandescent lamps were put into operation on July 10, 1911 on the Noordertoren on Schiermonnikoog , and in the following months the lighthouses in Eierland , Ameland and Vlieland were equipped with the new technology.
To start the Pharoline burners, the fuel had to be preheated for about 20 minutes with an alcohol burner . In addition, permanent monitoring of the pressure was necessary. In addition, the carburettor had to be dismantled and thoroughly cleaned after each use, and the entire lamp was changed every seven days.