bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mechanical Engineering in the Cracking, Heating, and Cooling of Oil
Authors: Broido B. N.
Published: January 2024

The most important development in the last few years in the petroleum industry is unquestionably the method of refining or cracking heavy oils into lighter hydrocarbons. With most processes the cracking of oil occurs at pressures of 600 lb. and above, and temperatures as high as 900 deg. fahr. or higher, and the industry is becoming more than ever dependent upon mechanical engineers to design the apparatus for these pressures and temperatures.

The paper deals with the combustion and furnace design of pipe stills and suggests arrangements that will increase their efficiency. The importance of a knowledge of individual heat-transfer resistances between gases and tubes as well as oil and tubes is pointed out. Data for the heat transmission in each individual case are given also for heat transmission between oil and the tubes in heat exchangers.

The frictional losses in oil flowing through tubes are briefly discussed, and a table is given which shows the frictional loss or pressure drop for different sizes of tubes and different oil velocities and viscosities.

Illustrations and descriptions of newly developed joints between tubes and return headers of pipe stills are given, and desirable arrangements of the tubes are discussed; also various arrangements of heat exchangers.
The Development and Technical Aspects of The Fairchild Caminez Engine
Authors: Caminez Harold
Published: January 2024

The object of this paper is to explain the operation of the drive-cam mechanism and to give a general description of the Fairchild Caminez engine. The history of the engine development is next related, following which come particulars of tests conducted and problems encountered. A discussion of the principles and the method of the drive-cam design is also included.
Combustion in Aircraft Oil Engines
Authors: Joachim Wm. F.
Published: January 2024

The oil engine is the most efficient self-contained prime mover so far developed, and endeavors are now being made to adapt it to the high-speed service required in automotive vehicles and aircraft. The author discusses the difficulties encountered in obtaining uniformly controlled and efficient combustion at high speeds, and enumerates the factors upon which the solution of these problems depend. He also considers the advantages of light-weight, high-speed, high-capacity oil engines in aircraft, namely, high cycle efficiency, ability to burn heavy fuels efficiently, and general mechanical simplicity and better adaptability to the two-stroke cycle. He then establishes formulas for the evaluation of aircraft-engine performance, using them in comparing the performance of 85 different carburetor aircraft engines, both air- and water-cooled, and 101 different oil engines. He concludes by giving brief particulars of researches being conducted by the N.A.C.A. to determine the laws governing the hydraulics of fuel-injection systems, and the formation and distribution of oil sprays, as well as their ignition and combustion in spray combustion chambers and in engines fitted with various pistons and cylinder heads.
The Theory of Long-Distance Flight: Minimum Consumption of Fuel in an Airplane for a Given Number of Miles Is the Primary Factor and Not the Weight of the Engine
Authors: Nebesar Robert J.
Published: January 2024

This paper treats of speed at minimum drag, the reciprocal relations of the aerodynamic values, the influence of the decreasing weight of fuel during the flight, the variation of long-distance-flight conditions with altitude, and the influence of the decreasing load of fuel on the altitude of flight.
Application of Powdered Coal to Small Boilers of Industrial Plants
Authors: Kreisinger Henry
Published: January 2024

In this paper the author points out that improvement of small-plant efficiency is generally possible through the use of pulverized-coal firing. Factors causing poor combustion conditions are enumerated. Several typical installations of powdered coal under small steam boilers of industrial plants are discussed, and the method of operation calculated to produce best results is given attention. Complete information in tabular form is given for one installation, showing size of boiler, furnace dimensions, type of burners, operation results, etc.
Railway Smoke Abatement
Authors: Irwin J. B.
Published: January 2024

The purpose of this paper is to acquaint engineers in general with the efforts of the railroads to abate the smoke nuisance, and to offset the impression often gained that locomotives in municipal areas are the chief offenders as spreaders of smoke and grime. It is shown that railways in general are ever watchful that they may not become unduly offensive, and some of the plans adopted to check smoking are enumerated. It is shown that the engine crews can do much to remedy conditions, and officials are warned as to their manner of approaching the possible offenders. The pride of the crew must be appealed to rather than to set rules to be obeyed under threat of punishment. Direct steaming of locomotives from a central boiler seems to be working out satisfactorily in several instances, and an estimate of results to be expected from a plant under process of construction at the Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street Terminal of the Chicago and Northwestern Railway in Chicago, Ill., is appended.
The K.S.G. Process of Low-Temperature Carbonization
Authors: Runge Walter
Published: January 2024

This paper deals first with the development of the K.S.G. low-temperature process of coal carbonization, the principle of operation, and the field of application of the process. The constructional details of the retorts are then described, as are also the method of heating, fuel handling, gas and tar recovery, and the types of coals suitable for the process. The yields of products per ton of coal of a given analysis are tabulated, and expected yields based on typical American coals are estimated. The schedule of heat and power requirements shows that 1,630,000 B.t.u. is necessary to carbonize a ton of coal. The horsepower of the steam-driven units amounts to 35 i.hp. per ton, while 68.6 kw. is required for motors.

Passing on to the by-products, the quality of the coke and tar is discussed, and the amount, analysis, and heating value of the gas evolved are given. The paper concludes with a discussion of some economic phases of the process, the market for the by-products, the expected revenue per ton, coal data of the Essen plant transposed to American conditions for a capacity of 600 tons of coal per day, and the projected commercial development.
The Ruths Steam Accumulator
Authors: Langworthy R. A.
Published: January 2024

This paper explains how the principle of heat storage in hot water under pressure can be applied in many industries. The author presents the fundamental theory of the steam accumulator, which embodies this principle, and shows how it may be used to reduce fluctuations of boiler load and reduce the production cost of steam in industries where heat and power demands vary through wide limits. After describing the construction, operation, and control of the accumulator, he gives operating data on three installations, one in a textile mill, one in a sugar refinery, and one in a pulp and paper mill.
Some Operating Data of Large Steam Generating Units
Authors: Kreisinger Henry , Purcell T. E.
Published: January 2024

This paper gives the principal operating data of six large steam generating units fired with pulverized coal, and installed in four plants. Two of these units are the remodeled boilers of the Fordson Power Plant of the Ford Motor Company, Fordson, Michigan; the third unit is one of the first five pulverized-coal-fired boilers of the Colfax Plant of the Duquesne Light Company near Pittsburgh; the fourth unit is one of the two boilers of the Stanwix Plant of the Allegheny County Steam Heating Company in Pittsburgh; and the fifth and sixth units are the two units of the Gould Street Station of the Consolidated Gas Electric Light and Power Company of Baltimore. All these plants use the storage system of burning pulverized coal, and the units are fairly representative of the large steam generating units now rapidly coming into use.

The operating data are presented graphically and consist of the hourly output in pounds of steam throughout the period of operation. Whenever the steam generating unit was shut down the reason for this shut down is given. There are also presented charts giving the necessary data for the computation of the efficiency for various percentages of rating such as the temperature of flue gases, the percentage of CO2 in the flue gases, and the losses due to incomplete combustion.
The Use of Pulverized Coal in Basic Open-Hearth Furnaces
Authors: Herndon E. L.
Published: January 2024

The experience of The Eastern Steel Company with pulverized coal as fuel for basic open-hearth furnaces was anything but voluntary. The company had been very happily using oil which was low in price and high in quality, when the cost of this fuel began to rise and continued until it was necessary to cease using it. Since then, for thirteen years the company has continuously wrestled with the problems arising in the development of a little-known fuel. At times it has been more than willing to abandon the entire plan. Very little working knowledge was gained before the war period, and during the war costs were of less consequence than ordinarily. After that period passed, however willing the company was to alter the design of its furnaces and change the fuel, the necessary capital was never available. After many tribulations and at times successive disappointments, some understanding of the subject has been reached, and it is believed that pulverized coal is the best fuel for conditions as they exist. It is not recommended on that account, however, that others adopt pulverized coal until a thorough examination of each situation has been made.
Evaporators for Boiler-Feed Make-Up Water
Authors: Badger W. L.
Published: January 2024

In this paper the author, without going extensively into the design of multiple-effect evaporators, attempts to cover a few matters which he believes are not generally understood: namely, the effect of certain factors on rates of heat transfer; the rationale of form and entrainment; the mechanism of scale formation; and, briefly, the wide ranges in performance which may be obtained by varying what are ordinarily considered minor factors in evaporator operation.
Arc-Welded Pipe Lines
Authors: Warner W. L.
Published: January 2024

The conveying of liquids and gases in continuous tubes is largely a development of the past decade, and the ease with which pipe lines may be welded and laid is commending this type of construction to engineers and industrial managers. After setting forth the advantages of welded over mechanically jointed piping, the author gives examples of several classes of installation, describing in some detail a 3700-ft. 20-in. high-pressure steam main for district heating; several long lines for the transmission of steam for power purposes; a 24-in. pipe line for conveying water under 100 to 400 ft. head from the foothills to Vallejo, Calif.; and some 7 miles of mains in Pontiac, Mich., for carrying gas under 60-lb. pressure.
The Welding of Power-Plant Piping
Authors: Moulder A. W.
Published: January 2024

The author first states the reasons why the welding of power-plant piping has been steadily growing in favor. He then describes and illustrates approved methods of preparing material for various types of pipe and flange welds; following which he discusses respectively the effect on the weld zone of locked-in stresses due to uneven heating and cooling, instructions to welders, and the behavior of welds under high pressures and temperatures. In his opinion butt joints are stronger than reinforced ones, and properly made welds are altogether safe. The discussion is based on the use of the oxyacetylene welding process.
The Use of Fuels in Tunnel Kilns
Authors: Rice W. E.
Published: January 2024

In this paper the author deals with the use of fuels in continuous heating furnaces of the railroad-car tunnel type, which furnaces at present provide the most efficient means of heat-treating such materials as metallurgical products, steel sheets, carbon electrodes, brick, tile, pottery, etc. He first takes up the various fuels—gas, oil, and coal, following which he deals with the movements of the gases in the various zones of the kiln; and finally with the confinement of products of combustion in muffles when accurate control of atmosphere is required as in the case of many high-grade metallurgical and ceramic products.
Flow of Water Over a V-Notch
Authors: Tarrant Joseph
Published: January 2024

In this paper the author presents a formula for finding the flow of water over V-notches with angles ranging from 90 deg. down to 27 deg., which is based on the experimental results given in D. Robert Yarnall’s paper on the “Accuracy of the V-Notch-Weir Method of Measurement,” presented before the A.S.M.E. in December, 1926. He compares this formula with others which have been proposed, checks it with data obtained by several investigators, and concludes that, within the range of angles specified, it will prove useful. An alignment chart based on the formula is given, from which discharges may easily be read off.
Mechanical Properties of Aluminum Casting Alloys at Elevated Temperatures
Authors: Templin R. L. , Braglio C. , Marsh K.
Published: January 2024

The investigational work described in Part I of the paper includes tensile results obtained from “short-time” high-temperature tests of ten different aluminum casting alloys and very pure cast aluminum, and for various heat treatments in the case of some of the alloys. All the specimens tested were sand cast and include the more common commercial casting alloys of aluminum.

Tensile strength, yield point, elongation in 2 in., reduction in area, and Young’s modulus values are given for various temperatures throughout the range 75–800 deg. fahr. A typical set of stress-strain curves are given for one alloy, and detail curves showing the effects of temperature on the tensile strength, yield point, and reduction in area for all the materials discussed. An average curve and formula are given, showing the effects of temperature on Young’s modulus for all aluminum alloys.

Data are presented to show how certain effects of temperature on aluminum alloys susceptible to heat treatment may be appreciably modified by still further heat treatment or artificial aging. A method is indicated for applying experimental results from a single lot of specimens to commercial-product average values, together with a complete table of recommended tensile-property values at various temperatures for the alloys tested.

The second part of the paper describes the original heating equipment, the alternate tests and alterations to equipment to determine and improve the temperature uniformity throughout the specimen; also the method of measuring the specimen temperatures during tensile tests, data being presented to substantiate the reliability of this method.

Consideration of the results of temperature-distribution tests made with the final arrangement of the heating equipment and the temperature-measuring equipment used for tensile tests, indicates that an accuracy of temperature measurement of plus or minus 1 per cent and a maximum temperature differential throughout the specimen of 10 deg. fahr. are obtained.
The Manufacture of Nickel-Steel Plate
Authors: McKnight Charles , Humpton W. G.
Published: January 2024

This paper deals with the manufacture, rolling, and inspection of steels containing between 2 and 3 per cent of nickel and which are used in boiler construction, and particularly with the manufacture of fairly large plates of from ¼ to 1½ in. thickness. The physical properties of the metal are first discussed, following which details are given of its manufacture, beginning with the ingot phase and proceeding then step by step through stripping and reheating, rolling, flattening, inspecting and shearing, and finally, testing.
Cargo Cranes—Types Available, Factors Governing Selection, and Latest Developments
Authors: Dunell Bernard
Published: January 2024

In this paper the author discusses the several types of cranes used on docks for removing cargoes from ships and placing the articles handled, that is, crates, barrels, bundles, etc., at the points desired. Two general types of cargoes must be handled: namely, bulk cargo and general cargo. The disadvantages of some of the common types are mentioned, and the manner in which these have been eliminated in later designs are pointed out. The types of loads best handled by different types of equipment are mentioned, and recommendations as to proper equipment are made. It is shown that, while in some cases as high as 50 tons must be lifted, the most popular general-cargo crane is of from three to five tons’ capacity. The author emphasizes the importance of proper attention to dock conditions in the determination of wheel loads, and therefore, the crane capacity, in the case of existing docks, and where new construction is contemplated the desirability of adequate strength to take care of the maximum load likely to be imposed. The hoisting rope receives considerable attention in the paper. The disadvantages of the two-strand fall are pointed out, and it is recommended that it be avoided wherever possible. A disadvantage of the ordinary luffing crane is that when the jib is luffed in the load suspended from the jib head is simultaneously raised, resulting in wasted work and requiring a more powerful motor than otherwise would be necessary. Level-luffing cranes are described which overcome this objectionable feature and permit more flexible operation. The various arrangements of compensators and counterweights to permit this are described.
Hydraulic Feeding Mechanism for Milling Machines
Authors: Einstein Sol. , Ernst Hans
Published: January 2024

After giving a brief history of the development of power-driven feeding mechanisms for milling machines generally, the authors describe a hydraulic system which they believe meets the conflicting requirements which a power-driven feeding device on milling machines should satisfy. The operating characteristics of a hydraulic feeding device are stated and the various circuits such as the feeding, rapid traverse, etc., are described. The purpose of the differential pressure-control valve is stated, and the device illustrated and described. By lowering the idle pressure as compared with that required by the simple relief-valve system and by holding the pressure at all times to the level required for the cut taken, this device increases the cutting capacity of the machine and its mechanical efficiency. At the same time it reduces the variation in back pressure under intermittent cutting, and consequently produces a smoother table movement.
Diesel Engines for Locomotives
Authors: Hildebrand R.
Published: January 2024

Objections to the steam locomotive are made on grounds of inefficiency, the author stating that 92 to 98 per cent of the heat in the coal is being wasted, while a Diesel locomotive has an efficiency of about 33 per cent. The Diesel locomotive, however, cannot be started under full load, cannot carry any overload without excessive pressures and temperatures, and is so inflexible that an indirect drive or transmission is necessary. The principal objections to the indirect drive are cited by the author, who then makes the proposal of improving the cylinders of the steam locomotive so that they may be used either as steam or Diesel cylinders or as both simultaneously, thus retaining the advantages of both types of engine. An explanation of the working of such an engine is given, and the conditions under which the various combinations of operation are to be used are explained. Typical indicator cards for steam, for Diesel, and for combination operation are given, and the advantages of the system are explained. In closing the author answers a number of questions and objections which naturally present themselves.
Distillation and Fractionation in the Petroleum Industry
Authors: Swanson H. R.
Published: January 2024

In the author’s opinion, with the efforts of refinery engineers in the direction of simplification of the distillation operation and equipment, the single-tower unit would seem to be the solution of a previously complex problem. Contingent matters which must be carefully considered are: (1) the selection of a simple, accessible, and practicable heat-recovery system, and (2) the simplest possible sealed piping arrangement.
The Value of Water in Textile Mills for Purposes Other Than Water Power
Authors: Main Charles T.
Published: January 2024

The value of water for industrial purposes—process water, water for condensers, etc.—is an item which must be included in the valuation of many industrial properties. The object of the paper is not so much to establish definite values as to discuss methods which will assist in arriving at definite figures for any particular case. In his analysis the author discusses four cases and various conditions which affect them: (1) Where water is purchased from a water-power company; (2) where it is taken from a stream on which the user owns the riparian rights; (3) where it is obtained from driven wells; and (4) where it is purchased from a town or city supply. An example of the use of the basic figures arrived at by the author is given for the case of a colored woolen mill.
Automatic Production of Small Wood Parts
Authors: Whinery I. B. , Whinery G. A.
Published: January 2024

The authors point out that more attention has been given to the design of hand-fed and manually controlled general-purpose machinery for woodworking than to the building of automatic machines. Among other reasons it is shown that the set-up time is generally long as compared with the working time because of the rapidity with which wood can be worked.

As examples of automatic woodworking machines the authors describe three: (1) A knob-tapping machine, chosen to show how production may be increased by performing a single operation more rapidly than the best operator could do it by hand; (2) a square-knob blanking machine to illustrate the combination of several distinct operations in one mechanism; (3) a rosette machine as an example of one the primary purpose of which is to achieve quality without sacrificing speed.

The economic principles involved in the use of automatic woodworking machinery are discussed in the remainder of the paper.
Wood-Burning Furnaces
Authors: Parks Burritt A.
Published: January 2024

After pointing out the value of wood refuse as fuel for boilers in woodworking plants, the author discusses the nature of wood refuse and the heating value of various species of wood. He then considers the conditions which are necessary for the efficient combustion of wood refuse, and sets forth the principal requirements in the case of kiln-dried wood, after which he describes various furnace designs which have been successfully employed. He closes with an appeal for better engineering in the design and operation of woodworking plants.
The Production and Uses of Helium Gas
Authors: Bottoms R. R.
Published: January 2024

The author, after discussing the origin and occurrence of helium in natural-gas deposits, presents an estimate of the quantity available. He then describes in detail processes for separating the gas from the other gases with which it is associated, and for purifying and liquefying it. Following this he deals briefly with the questions of storage and transportation. In conclusion he enumerates the remarkable physical properties of helium, discusses its use for the inflation of airships, both pure and in a non-inflammable mixture with 20 per cent of hydrogen, and then gives estimates of the cost of helium storage, transportation, and purification facilities at an airship terminal designed to care for four ships.
Installing and Servicing Aircraft Instruments
Authors: Peace John D.
Published: January 2024

Careful installation of instruments in airplanes is most essential in order that they function properly, and remain free from trouble. The author describes details of installation that have proved satisfactory for the principal types, and points out certain things that should be avoided.

Service work on instruments is divided into two classes, periodic overhauling and inspection, and adjustments done at service stations. Engineering service to the airplane builder is considered a very important part of the instrument manufacturer’s duties as it insures proper installation of the product.
Radial Versus In-Line Engines
Authors: Angle Glenn D.
Published: January 2024

In this paper the author, after recounting the history of the two types of engine under consideration, sets forth at some length reasons why the in-line type has been revived. Following this he compares the two types as regards such features of primary importance to the airplane manufacturer as weight per horsepower, cost, smoothness of operation, installation, visibility, cooling, and head resistance. He concludes that the radial engine is inherently superior on the basis of weight per horsepower, smoothness of operation, installation, service, and cooling. It also promises to excel in the matter of low manufacturing costs. The upright in-line engine, by virtue of its smaller frontal dimensions, is possibly better for visibility in some installations, although this advantage becomes of little consequence in certain types of airplanes. The inverted in-line type obviously excels in visibility, in almost any installation. The comparative resistance or drag of the radial and the in-line engine, however, is still a matter of opinion.
Management of an Airport
Authors: Berry John
Published: January 2024

The author gives details of the inception and development of this the first municipally owned and operated airport, and enumerates the facilities which it possesses. He further sets forth various precautions which should be observed in the operation of an airport which are based on his experience as manager of the airport since its operating.
The Mechanics of Plate Rotors for Turbo Generators
Authors: Den Hartog J. P.
Published: January 2024

With the rapid development of turbo-generators during the last five years, the length of the rotors has practically been doubled. More or less elaborate mechanical calculations, especially of the “plate rotors,” have been evolved and experiments have been carried out in order to place the design of this apparatus on a rational basis. In this paper some of the mechanical problems which have come up in connection with this development are discussed in detail.
Flow Characteristics of Submerged Jets
Authors: Zucrow M. J.
Published: January 2024

In this paper, which deals with submerged square-edged and chamfered short tubes or jets, the author shows by dimensional analysis and corroboratory experiment that the coefficient of discharge for geometrically similar jets is a function of the rate of discharge, the fluidity of the liquid, and the jet diameter. The effect of changing the angle of chamfer was studied as well as the influence of the variations in the length-diameter ratio on the discharge characteristic.
Turbine Vibration and Balancing
Authors: Rathbone Thomas C.
Published: January 2024

The limitations are discussed of the latest analytical methods employed in correcting the balance of turbine-generator rotors at speed and in operation. A strobo-vibroscope developed to study motion in a complex system is described, with the results of experiments made on a large rotor by means of this instrument. A method of balancing is then described, which tables into account the interaction of vibratory impulses communicated from one bearing to another, thus overcoming the chief difficulty with present methods, The proposed method also provides a means for evaluating the sensitivity of any installation, for comparative study of structures. There is also included a discussion of various factors other than simple unbalance which affect the vibration of large units, with references to some unusual cases encountered.
The Peak-Load Problems in Steam Power Stations
Authors: Christie A. G.
Published: January 2024

This paper deals with the problem of the annual peak load in steam power plants. The use of the load-duration curve for the purpose of studying annual peak, loads is analyzed and the conclusions are drawn that (1) plant intended for annual-peak-load service should only be installed at the lowest possible first cost, and that (2) economy of peak-load equipment can be sacrificed to secure low initial cost.

Various schemes that have been proposed to provide equipment for carrying the annual peak loads are analyzed. The three plans that appear most promising are those involving the use of steam accumulators, of peak-load units, and of present plant after new base-load equipment has been added.

In order to indicate the possible annual savings through the application of these three methods, the author assumes an electric system with a maximum annual peak load of 200,000 kw., together with certain data for annual load factors of 65, 45, and 25 per cent on this system. With certain assumed plant costs, fuel costs, and operating performances, an analysis is made of the annual operating costs of the various methods, and the possible annual savings through the use of steam-accumulator plant or peak-load units are shown in the form of a series of curves. These savings in some cases may be of a large order.
Influence of Coal Type on Radiation in Boiler Furnaces
Authors: Wohlenberg W. J. , Anthony R. L.
Published: January 2024

This paper includes the results of an application of the methods and data presented in a previous A.S.M.E. paper (“The Influence of Radiation in Coal-Fired Furnaces on Boiler-Surface Requirements, and a Simplified Method for Its Calculation,” by W. J. Wohlenberg and E. L. Lindseth) to pulverized coal for a number of coals of widely varying composition. After an evaluation of radiation quantities for each of these coals, further investigation was made for the purpose of ascertaining what quantitatively measurable property of coals might be most significant in differentiating one from another during combustion with respect to the quantity of energy which is transferred as heat to the walls of a boiler furnace. It was found, of the properties investigated, that the calorific value serves as the most consistent and useful indicator of the radiation powers of a coal as burned in the pulverized form in boiler furnaces.
A Machine for Making Creep Tests at High Temperatures
Authors: Bagley Glen D.
Published: January 2024

The demand for materials suitable for operation under stress at high temperatures has made it necessary to investigate the properties of various alloys with regard to their resistance to creep. Various types of machines have been developed for this purpose. This paper describes the apparatus developed by the Union Carbide and Carbon Research Laboratories. Its principal features are a compound lever system of applying the load, similar to that used in regular tensile machines, and a simplified method of measuring the extension of the specimens. The compound lever system makes it possible to determine the load accurately and to use standard 0.505-in. diameter specimens without employing excessive weights, even at relatively low temperatures. The system used for measuring extension is such that the construction of the machine is simplified and the convenience of operation improved. The accuracy is ample for all creep tests except those in which extremely small creeps over long periods of time must be measured.
Evolution of the Slag-Tap Furnace at the Charles R. Huntley Station of the Buffalo General Electric Co.
Authors: Cushing H. M.
Published: January 2024

The handling of low-fusion-ash coals at high ratings and with high efficiencies is one of the stiffest problems ever presented to a furnace designer. This paper tells how in their attempt to design a furnace that would burn any coal offered on the Buffalo market the engineers developed the slag-tap furnace for burning powdered coal, after ten years’ experience in driving stoker-fired boilers at 300 to 400 per cent of rating. Because of the greater freedom in selecting coals for a powdered-coal-fired furnace and on account of the greater capacities that could be obtained from the boilers by that method of firing, also because boilers so fired could be made to respond more readily to sudden changes in load incident to peak-load standby plant operation than by any other method of coal firing, powdered-coal firing was chosen for the 60,000-kw. 1926 extension to Charles R. Huntley Station.

To obtain data for designing the furnaces under four cross-drum boilers which were purchased to deliver 200,000 lb. of steam per hour, an experimental furnace was installed under one of them. Maximum ratings were in mind and 275,000 lb. per hr. evaporation was obtained.

The paper shows how these experiments, on a furnace designed to remove the ash in the dry form, led to the development of the slag-tap furnaces for the 1926 extension and again for the 1928 extension, where the ratings were increased still further.

The performance of the slag-tap furnace has exceeded the expectation of its designers. Some of its advantages from both the design and operating standpoint are here enumerated:

It requires a minimum of building volume

It will burn efficiently and at high ratings an unusually wide variety of coals

It produces quick ignition of the fuel

It prevents infiltration of air into the bottom of the furnace

It requires a minimum of ash-handling labor, and

The ash handling is remarkably free from dust and dirt.
Salt Lake City’s Fuel and Smoke Problem: A Review of the Current Situation
Authors: Orrok Geo. A. , Trask W. H.
Published: January 2024

This paper is an attempt to set forth the smoke and dust conditions in Salt Lake City, discussing the various plans by which an improvement might be secured. In this connection, district heat, gas firing with natural gas and coke-oven gas, and the use of the products of low-temperature carbonization and the by-product coke oven are discussed and evaluated. The connection between the prosperity of Salt Lake City, the State of Utah, and its coal-mining industry is indicated, and certain conclusions looking toward the solution of the problem are stated. The whole discussion in the paper is preparatory to a discussion on the floor of the meeting which it is hoped will clarify the state of opinion regarding this problem in Salt Lake City.
Design and Proportions of Economizers and Air Preheaters
Authors: Webster Hosea
Published: January 2024

Thirty years ago 200 lb. working pressure and 40 lb. of coal burned per square foot of grate surface were the maximum. Super-heat had not come into use. Since that time there has been a rapid development or evolution in the design of steam-generating and fuel-burning equipment. Today the rate of evaporation per square foot of boiler heating surface and the rate of fuel burning per foot width of furnace have increased 1000 per cent, and 1400 lb. steam pressure and 800 deg. steam temperature have passed the experimental stage, with indications that both pressures and temperatures may go higher where conditions of service and of fuel cost warrant. Modern high pressures and temperatures and high rates of fuel combustion have not only required much greater care in the selection, fabrication, design, and construction of pressure parts and furnaces and fuel-burning equipment, but also an entire rearrangement and distribution of heat-absorbing equipment. The temperature of the gases leaving the stack is an approximate measure of the overall efficiency. Recovery of the heat contained or carried in the gases leaving the steam generator proper may be accomplished by an economizer or an air preheater or both. Economizers of vertical cast-iron tubes decidedly antedate the increase in working pressures which required the use of steel tubes, now mostly horizontal and of the return-bend type, and because of the greater susceptibility to interior corrosion, may be fed only by water practically oxygen free. The introduction of pulverized coal requiring preheated air for proper combustion has greatly extended the use of air preheaters, of which three types are in use: tubular, plate, and regenerative. While the additional efficiency of a generating equipment runs from 3 to in some cases 7 per cent with economizers, it runs from 5 to 10 and sometimes more where air preheaters are used. Service and operating conditions may warrant the use of either or both, each plant being an individual problem of station economics.
Temperature Distribution in Combustion Furnaces
Authors: Mawhinney M. H.
Published: January 2024

Metallurgical processes continue to become increasingly complicated and exacting, and their success very frequently depends upon the manner in which the metal is heated. One important requirement in the rational design of heating furnaces is uniformity of temperature distribution. The amount of published data on this subject is very small, and the purpose of the present paper is to add to it results of temperature measurements made in a test furnace to determine the temperature distribution in the heating chamber for different temperatures and different methods of firing.
The Synchronization of Sales and Production
Authors: Hubbard Howard M.
Published: January 2024

Since the early days of the United States, the fundamental economic factors governing American business, and business methods, have undergone a marked change. The era of exploitation of natural resources in a new country is past and the emphasis has been shifted from production to marketing and the means for effecting the coordination of the activities in these two important departments.

Our prosperity, both agricultural and industrial, depends to a large extent upon the ability to export surplus production. Severe competition has developed from both domestic and foreign products and the rehabilitation of European industry will only serve to make the situation more acute. The persistence of a hand-to-mouth buying policy, and the development of the style factor, are other examples of the new economic era.

The American executive has realized that the methods of yesterday are unsuited to the problems of today, with the result that a new technique is being developed which visualizes business as a coordinated and well-balanced whole. In the majority of cases, this coordination revolves about some kind of a budget. Operating schedules are based upon forecasts prepared by the sales department, which in turn presumably has made its plans upon careful market studies. It is thus possible to prepare a financial budget well in advance of operations and to estimate the effectiveness of the proposed program.

The author gives some specific illustrations of the new method as applied in an organization producing a variety of products in scattered plants.
General Survey of Materials-Handling Conditions
Authors: Carmody John
Published: January 2024

That a great many opportunities exist for farther development of methods to do work more efficiently is brought out in this paper. The author finds a great disinclination on the part of managers to use, in their own industry, methods that are producing effective results in another. Best results will come from seeking new ideas and applying them to the particular needs found. Engineers should take more ideas from one industry into another.
Plate-Glass Manufacture by the Continuous Process
Authors: Avery C. W.
Published: January 2024

Trouble encountered in the development of the continuous process of plate-glass manufacture are discussed in this paper. Materials used had to be perfected, and an absolutely uniform gas pressure maintained. There were many problems in rolling, annealing, grinding, and polishing that were quite different from previous practice. Cooling of the rolls, and securing a material for them that would withstand the high temperature required considerable study. Much experimenting with the shape, weight, and speed of the various grinding wheels was necessary. After four or five years of intensive study and hard work, a good quality of plate glass was produced at about half the cost of production by old methods.
New Developments in Materials Handling
Authors: Lockwood R. L.
Published: January 2024

In the period from 1890 to 1910 a revolution was accomplished in methods of handling bulk goods. This period saw the greatest development in the power shovel, the huge unloading and loading machines for railroad cars and ships, the great bridge and gantry cranes, the continuous conveyor, and many other devices. During the early years of the twentieth century engineers made rapid progress in developing new methods for handling materials of construction, and an equally intensive development went on in methods of handling goods in process in factories.

Up to the time of the World War little attention had been paid to handling finished goods. During the period in which the skid and lift truck were extensively developed, a parallel development took place in connection with industrial tractors and trailers.

Materials-handling equipment of every kind can be counted upon to save its full cost within a definite period of time. Savings due to labor and time-saving equipment in many fields are sometimes partially offset by collateral losses in changed methods, inconvenience, or some other form of unavoidable waste. Handling materials is almost in a class by itself in this respect, in that savings made represent net gains shared by all elements in industry. A fundamental economic principle has been concisely expressed in a form which might well become a slogan for the materials-handling industry: “Handling materials adds cost, but adds no value.”
Savings Effected in Handling Railroad Stores by Lift Trucks and Skid Platforms
Authors: Miller J. V.
Published: January 2024

Tremendous quantities of stores are handled by every American railroad. These stores are to a large extent received in a central storeroom and are then forwarded as needed to local storerooms in various centers. Under ordinary conditions this procedure involves considerable rehandling.

During the past few years the C. M. St. P. & P. R. R. has succeeded in cutting down this rehandling by storing many of its supplies on skid platforms. When shipments are made up to send out to the local centers the supplies are thus to a large extent picked up directly on the original platforms by means of lift trucks, moved into the railroad cars, transported to their destination and there unloaded by lift trucks. Three handlings are thereby eliminated.
Carboloy
Authors: Gilson E. G. , Sieger G. N.
Published: January 2024

The paper discusses a new cemented tungsten carbide which bears the registered trade name of “Carboloy” and in which the cementing substance is cobalt. The physical properties of this material are characterized by extreme hardness, and a strength approximately half that of high-speed steel. As a material for cutting tools, when properly applied, carboloy may be used for machining substances which cannot be cut by ordinary tools, or which easily dull the present type of tool. Examples of these are given. It is shown that high cutting speeds are obtainable with carboloy and that there are inherent defects in modern machine tools, such as lack of rigidity in tool posts, excessive wear of tail-stock spindles in lathes, because of the impossibility of proper lubrication, weakness in power-transmitting elements of the machines, and inadequacy of power available in standard types to drive them to the limit which carboloy tools will withstand.
Tungsten-Carbide Cutting Tools
Authors: Long Henry J. , Eddy W. Paul
Published: January 2024

Results are given in the fabrication of tools of tungsten carbide, and experiences are detailed of successful and unsuccessful attempts to apply them to various kinds of work. Readjustment of manufacturing practices must take place if there is to be a place in industry for tungsten carbide. The present high price may have its effect upon general adoption. The future of such alloys as factors in efficient manufacturing is asserted to be in the hands of the users of machine tools and not the makers of tool materials nor of the machine-tool builders. The rigidity and absence of vibration in the machine tool must continue, even as it grows appreciably older, to permit these materials to operate without chipping. An even stronger and tougher alloy may become necessary.
Progress of Fluid-Film Lubrication
Authors: Michell A. G. M.
Published: January 2024

This paper discusses briefly problems of bearing design imposed by the increasing demands of modern practice, and shows how they are being met in bearings of the film-lubricated type, especially with respect to carrying high intensities of bearing pressure in journal bearings, and to increasing the durability of bearings by elimination of wear. Some commonly unrecognized factors controlling the lubrication of bearings are discussed, especially with respect to lubricants other than oil.

Some new types of bearings are illustrated and described.
The Occurrence and Elimination of Surge or Oscillating Pressures in Discharge Lines From Reciprocating Pumps
Authors: Diederichs H. , Pomeroy W. D.
Published: January 2024

This paper deals first with the occurrence of surge or oscillating pressures in the field, in connection with the pumping of oil, resulting in some cases in serious damage. It next reports upon the experiments carried out at Seneca Falls in order to study the phenomenon while all the conditions of operation are under definite control. This is followed by a study of the theory which underlies the occurrence, and definite recommendations are given to eliminate it. It is pointed out that the means at hand for doing this are twofold: (a) The establishment of a proper relation between pump speed and length of discharge line, and (b) the use of air chambers. A diagram is given which shows the relation between length of line and the critical speed of duplex and triplex pumps, and the paper concludes with a discussion of air-chamber design and operation.
What the Bureau of Standards Has Done in Research for the Printing Industries
Authors: Hubbard Henry D.
Published: January 2024

The outstanding element of industrial progress is the use of measurement in the precise control of design and process. Desired properties may be built into materials almost at will. The bureau was drawn into industrial research because of the growing union of science and industry. It has successfully solved some of the problems of the printing industry, and the address deals with research in bindery materials, in electrotyping, in printing plates, particularly chromium plating, and in paper.
Research Applying to the Relationship of the Impression and Plate Cylinders of Newspaper Printing Presses
Authors: Ellis Theodore T.
Published: January 2024

Thirty years of research into the multitudinous problems of proper cylinder packing are described by the author in the effort to meet the increasing needs of high-speed presses and have resulted in producing a compressible cylinder surface that will maintain its standard in thickness and excellence in printing results.
Practical Results From Humidity Control in a Modern Printing Plant
Authors: McFarland J. Horace , Davis Carl W.
Published: January 2024

Installation of humidity control is credited with having done more than any other factor to improve the uniformity and quality of the work, also increasing the comfort of the workers. Seven benefits that have resulted from the installation are outlined.
Tools for Boring and Mortising Wood
Authors: Hawkinson A. H.
Published: January 2024

In this article the author describes various woodworking tools for boring and mortising. A large variety of bits is required to meet the various conditions of work in the different kinds of woods. There is also a varying moisture content in woods, as some are dry while others are green. These elements introduce serious problems.