The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-11-27
Economy in Fue!-An Invention for
Utilizing Coal Dust and Consuming
Pittsburgh Commercially

Smoke.
lPittsLurgh ConInerc!aL1
orr readers are familiar with many of the
methods employed for utilizing the waste,
slack. or cuIm which necessarily accumu-
lateS about coal mines. Mixing the dust
with clay, tar, pitch, lime, ETC., have been
resorted to, and mors recently we described
method Of mixing the stuck with soft clay,
driving II, and then dipping the dried Jumps
in q waterproof preparation that would re-
sist exposure to rain. In addition To these
devices, various plans for consuming smoke
have been presented from time to time
q subject in which our citizens nre
quite as deeply concerned Us in turn
lug to profitable account the lm'
,nrnsc pile, of slack which have aristD
around every coal mine in the State. There
is something more needed, however, than
mere technical demonstration OF the fact that
coal dust can be utilized aud smoke con-
siym.d. In all the inventions heretofore de-
scribc,i there must have been a dCfrGt-s0nle
obstacle to their practical operatiun-clsc
they would have gone into use. But c3lu-
pietc revolution Is now promised, ana II Is Tor
the purpose Of briefly descEibiug 4 new inyen-
lion that we reCur TO the subject. At the royal
gun factories in WooTich arsenal England,
there is now in operation furnace acting on
4 principle which entirely rejects AL former
ones looking 10 the consumption Of waste
coal. II i, for the burning Of coal dust, mixed
with air, net Of course grains of cu|m, but
of coal purpoScly powdered to insure the
combustion of each particular atom. This
furnace is the invention Of MIR. I. K.
Cramptou, who has been five years in per-
fectiuc his first crude conception, during
which time he has worked up 1000 to 5000
tons Of coal in different furnaces. Until the
perfection of the Champion furnace, coal
dust, pure and simple, has never been suo.
cessfullv burnt alone, though several times
attempted. 1t is founded on an entirely
new principle, embodies some very remark
able features, and solves two Of the most
important questions of the day-nalnely,
the perfect utilization Of waste coal, and
the perfect combustion of fuel without
smoke.
Tbe CHAMPION furnace depends for its &C.
tion upou the introduction, under pressure,
of atmospheric air aud coal dust in care
fully-adiusted proportions, and so com.
mingled and delivered at Il precise and un.
deyiatlpglv fixed point as that not an atom
shall pass unconsumcd. This completeness
of combustion depends upon the proper adj.
mixture Of The surcharged and updercharged
c1lrrcut, Of air and powdered fuel. These
commipuled streams Of air and dust are car
ricd iuio combustion chamber, II which
they are united and burnt, the products OF
combustion entering Il chamber beS0nd,
,Rhere tue heat is utilized.
But the value Of this Invention IS not
limited to the utilization of coal dust anu
the perfect combustion Of fuel. 1t has been
successfully applied to mechanical pudding
bv revolving the furnace on horizontal axes.
Mr. Champion has also perfected mechan-
cll system of supplying the fuel to the fur'
mace bv selcucting apparatus, and, at the
same time, has abolished the smoke nuisance
for manufacturing cities. This latter result
i, inevitable from all the rest, inasmuch As
tho only conditions under which the furnace
can be successfully worked are exactly those
which render the production OF smoke I'M
possible. To sum up, the furnace ut Wool.
wich demonstrates the use Of powdered fuel
In free condition. perfect combustion, me
ehauical pudding, self-aeting feeding, and
smoke-censumption to be accomplished iucts
by one and the same apparatus.
Manufacturing cities, like our own, which
consume bitumiuous coal exclusively, will
be interested in learning more Of this inyen.
ton. The machinery for reducing ordinary
waste dust to powder is a pair Of common
millstones, the whole cost Of grinding and
screening ucing twenty ive cents ton. The
dust, which passes through sieve Of niue
hundred meshcs TO the inch, IS found to be
most effective. From the sieves the fuel is
conducted by an Archimedean screw to the
feeding apparatus, which is square cham.
Der or hoppcr, having two revolving stirrcrs,
which keep the whole contents Of dust
in gentle agitation. These stirrers fur.
n;sh u continuous and unvarying sup.
nly of fuel TO al annular tube
ipaldiuy into the furnace, and at point
where il IS taken by the current Of atmo-
srbcric mir. Tue numerous additional de-
tails IRE readily understood. being free from
but it will not be ncces snry TO
reproduce Them here. The furnace is start
cd by lighting fire IN the combustion
chamber with kindlin2 wood, and when
sufficient degree OF heat has been aeyeioIeu a
the air and coal dust are adlnitteu' AHe
charge OF iron at each heat is five hum
bred pounds. A decided SAVING OF Cosl
has already been established. DultpS
tue operation Of pudding, and Wneh
the furnace is ut its hercest, lnc outsiue
Of the furnace remains perfectly coo..
owing 10 The circulation Of water around IL.
The system is not to be confined TO puddllng
furnaces, but can be adapted to either iana
or marine boilcr-iurnaceS. This coai-dust
furnace will doubtless prove the forerunner
of many more applications in the same dlrcc-
ton, rs great cities in the United States. now
perpetuulIy annoyed by smoke, can reestaD-
iish pure atmosphere by introducing it..
As M ccouolnizer Of fuel in dear coal coun.
tries, like England, its extensive adoption
viii hberato for household use Immense