New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-03-19


Mr.. s. II. MAYNARD opened the discussion by allud-
ing TO the difference between surface ana Jet condeoss-
tion which bad been fully explained at the last
The inquiry then made that the cost Of construct
ing the surface condenser was greater than nGt OF ec
condenser what the money value TO induce oEnes
If steamships tn adopt 1t And IN answer ne presenied
the following Comparative statement o. value Oi t aud
surface condensation shown by tie log OF TIE ooaor
Pacilo Mail Steamship Company steamer. during Iva
consecutive trips with each slnd OF condenser.
F.rst; With surface condenser feeding iresh water
Average running tine. :...... 70 days lot hours
Coal Consumed uhs.
On expended. --.'-.----'--'''' % ~ s'''''-''
Tall1W. S5 ID
SecOnd With the Jet condenser end salt water fssds
Average running tEie Is days 81 hours
Coal consumed .-.--..---.-..4Fi tahs-
On expended. &c saA'Ds'
Tallo,r -..........-.....-...l2J II.
As the steamer made twenty trips per annrn, it WI
be appsrent that the increased expenses OF The Jet
the surface condenser would be Ia time. - days; N
coal C20 TINS, in oil. 40 geloEsi In taow 900 u
The money value Of which al tho time was ss ioosS;
l,os9 tuns OF coal at SO cc---.--.''.---S~0SSs
40 gallons II oil. at 81 90.--...-..-.-- GO
Lao p Of telow. at l2ic-;..;-.---.-.' 20
Boarding JO0 passengers, "a days, at Ell Nv
Total ........... s537lI
Tho vacuum on tho sonora averaged % inches by The
msrcuria gauge. with tle water az li2' f. or t"eiVs
days eonsecniiyely in the month u June -.
IA gs 9 a ascsso e is n aow
posed to examine infinitely the defects common %
all aud the manner N which they can 90 completely
ObTiHtcd. 1he Chicf difficulty 20 re cOnttAueu
such condensers f. the continual contraction or e1pai-
sion % the tube within the condenser arising from the
changing OF temperature, by Injections Ct steam and
cold water: this added the weight which the tubes
must sustain produces fractures in the various joints
and SCANS. The wear or the rOes must De necessarily
rapid and the time must sooner later 0GrYe When, In
consequence merely Of such wear tie eondeasing sur
faces must give ont The moment al when ths WIN oc
CIR cannot be forseen but It VII almost certainly take
place time when the continued Working OF tue en-
CINE is partioulal " needed, for instance. during
stvr a he pr L
operat lou which lead 10 ITS destruction.
Tho surface cOnd 5lser 10 the ocean steamer tho
British Queen gave out IN gale eausi1e Tor TINA
the soppage OF the engines the vessel however, was
saved Some eminent engineers entertain The opinion
that tn, lose Of the President mGst have been fEom tho
disabling Of her surface condenser lie apparatus -
be- described remedies the defects mentioned. II con-
sists in inc.Osrg the surface condenser within tang
vessel which shall be constructed as 10 be oade.s
O serving ordinary jet condenser when any de-
cement OF tie tnbss or other eondensDS surface
proper shall require IT, thereby aordiDg IN alternative
which shall secure the continuity OF the vacuum though
OF course Ut the expense Of the loss Of the whole or
pa- Of the flesh water afforded by the surface con-
denser when ia perfect order. Another highly import
ant feature in hs arrangement Is the AFFINITY 70 man
tram vacuum more or less perfect bnt neyeTtneless
eJual both within and without the tubes and thus re-
eyng the surface condenser from atmosphere pres
Tho Danger OF srae'ere caused by ths pressure,
cs Wei the Inprng If the vacuum ~ email leaks, re
thus ObyiatcI While, II is only re CURED 10 secure S
uLcs against movement at one of their ends The other
ends nay D. left free 10 move aud hence the disruption
These constitute the principal pecuaiticS OF the irson
surface condenser which the speaker proceeded TO ex-
plain in detail by the aid Of q molel, after which
instances were given where resort 10 this method.
after other e1pellcnts had been tried. was SUCCESSFUL
over one hundred thorsSnd dollars had been expended
on the ocean steamer Adratie when the owners vera
obliged 10 avail themselves Of this plan That their de-
clsOn vas wise, will be admitted upon examining the
coldensing apparatus OF that vessel 1t contained oven
500 tubes Of copper each 10 feet long and tYeeighthH
o an inch in diameter. The total length Of tube being
90 JC0 o0 little over 10 miles. This arrangement
involved 10 200 joints which must be kept tight and 40
the metal Of the tubes must necessarily De thin IN order
transmit the heat from the steam within them to ths
cooling medium without, any OF them or oi tho
Joints failed the vacuum would be impaired. There
ore. any plan which could secure 10 the engine the
usual vacuum. In spite Of eakages would DO valaabis
disideratunl.
In answer 10 q query whether steamer could be run
% Hong Kong with the same fresh water Mr.. NJ saba
theoretically, the answer woad be IN the affirmative:
brit practically this cond not b. done on account OF
eakages in the boiler. By which tho fresh water would
be wasted Az thcre usually several boilers in each
steamer IL Is good plan 70 use IN one OF these boilers
salt water only which wond make up for the loss by
leakage In reply "a inquiry regarding the highess
approximation 10 a vacuum made with the surface con-
denser, Mr. NJ. remarked thatS or 9s inches BY the
rnercnra gauge could be produoed this however Ia at
the expense of temperature in the feed water and 10
is essential 70 carry the feed weer into the boiler -
warn ~ possible there would b. in reality saving
OF fuel in approaching any nearer perfect vacuum
than On has been stated In the Cunard line Of steam
the vacuum is carried at "a inches because OF ne
increased quantity II Injection water required aud the
consequent labor Of the air pump
In order TO guard against Rslvsnie action, IL wsS
found better TO pure spanish copper was prefers
bic fog this particular TO that from Lake SUPERIOR
which contains m appreciate quantity of iron. IL
should be observed that gavaric action also occurs On
steamers which do no. Use surface condsnsers
In concluding Mr.. Maynard alluded 10 another de-
vice for saving the fresh water resulting from steam uo
patent for which expired in 1860 1t consisted IN sss
Of fixed quantity Of fresh water to DO used In INC
ordinary Jet FOR condensing the steam. Instead az
throwing away this water, il was cooled 30 as TO %
npas the e.toriors OF which surrounded by cold
sai, water constantly forced In and discharged oy
means Of pump In this case leakage from the eoisS
ust be made no BY using salt water In the boiler -
reonrcs more tubing than the surface condenser Tns
apparatus nov known the Decslorstor Is an appo'~
ton Of this principle. ..-x.