The daily gazette., 1879-12-31
SECOND EDITION
Heating NesO York city 6y
Steam.

- EptCUBCs
PR1fG's SYSTEM FOR FURNISHING
ANyDEsIRED QUANTITY AT A HIGH
TEMPERATURE. -.
NE& York, Dec. 29.-The franchise
glven110 the aldermen to the Prall heat
ing ar power company to lay pipes in
the str ets for supplying heat in houses
in the ame manner as gas and water
are noH supplied, is yet before the
mayor f0r his signature. For the fran
chise the company proposes 10 give the
city three cents per lineal foot OF pipe
laid per anhum, which amounts to $780,
600 per year per square mile, and If The
major part of the city be heated II Is es.
timated that il will amount to $5OO,OOO
per annum. LII addition the company
offers to give the city one-half Of all the
net profits after paying ten per cent to
the Shareholders, and agrees to heat all
the public buildings at forty per centum
less than it now costs.
"If the franchise Is signed, how do
you expect to supply heat tor houses ="
MIR. Prall, the inventor Of the system,
was asked.
"The general impression of our hot
WATER" he replied, "is that IL is like
the water in an open vessel exposed to
atmospheric pressure the Temperature.
of which can ncvever exceed 2l2 de-
grees. Under a confined pressure water
may be heated to almost any tempera-
ture. At about 376 degrees a cubic
foot of water will give off about 14,2O0
units of heat in reducing it down to 100
degrees, which is about the lowest tenn
perature available for heating purposes.
We propose to supply water heated TO
376 degrees under a confined pressure at
the generating station. Two six-inch
pipes are to be put into one trench in
the street. One is 10 be the supply pipe,
and the other the return pipe. Two
three quarter-inch pipes will be run
from the main pipes to a house, for in
stance.
Attached to the supply pipe inside the
house IS to be meter, and no supply can
be drawn off until it after it has passed
through the meter, which is small
| brass arrangement. Next to the meter
is to be dissipating valve, SO arranged
that the pressure can be reduced and at
the same time the temperature. From
there the supply is to be carried to a
team-converling chamber OF about one
| cubic foot capacity. In that chamber
the hot water is converted into steam by
the specific heat contained in the water.
The steam will be about 275 times the
volume of the water, at a temperature OF
2l2 degrees in the steam chamber. FROM
the chamber the steam is to be conveyed
to direct or indirect radiators, the con.
densed water being discharged into the
return pipe.
"By this SYSTEM" he continued, "al
the present furnaces, flues and heating
arrangements can be used by taking out
the CRATES and putting in coils. Ii hoi
air is needed it can be connected around
the coils in the shell of a furnace. Other
wise the steam can be conveyed direct II
the radiators in the rooms. The press
ure on the radiators will be about fifteer
pounds per square inch, and no highe
pressure need be admitted. Light ma
cliney can be connected to radiato
and run by that pressure-say, for in
stance, a sewing machine. But if th'
hot water is to be carried to grea
height the pressure must be greater. Ii
. connection with that l will add that b.
; connecting stand pipes to the main pipe
| btlt uOb WdbCl may oS oSSo III Sn o'SA,
{ lug fires, the pressure being sufficient t.
raise it to the top OF the highest build
ing. For cooking, the hot water is con
veyed through pipes to a steam range
where the heat radlates from pipes at
q temperature of about 375 degrees. w
t DO no propose to furnish supply larg
!, el ough for factories or where large pow
. er is needed. The fifteen pounds press
K ure will be sufficient to run elevators
y however.
"The generating stations are to be
: :. every square mile of the plaut-that ii
:, :, the pipes. The boilers are to be OF su
= ficient capacity for furnishing all th
, heat for that district and for an add
. tional supply in case of fire. The pipt
. are to be made to Withstand ten time
. the pressure required to convey the ws
y y ter. One fact that may surprise you
- that in the entire circuit of,say squal
mile; the temperature of the water ma
by forced circulation, be maintaint
y about the same az at the generating st
= tlop, 80 shat steam can be made at al
- point as readily as at the generating st
70 " ton"
70 "What is to be the cosl?"
"For the apparatus for heating an 0
dinary building by indirect radiation Il
tirst cost will be about $3.50. If direct
diators are needed In oach room Il
Is cost will be more of course?"
y "And the expense?"
II "In an ordinary house heat can be I
nished twenty per cent less Than the pi
j. sent means OF heating houses. The he
n. will be more healthy, and neither &C
nor ashes will be Deeded.,'
"If the franchise is sigped,' be c.
cluded, operations are to be begun
or the spring. The company is to have
t capital of Sc, 900 900, and the board
d directors Is to he composed of leadi
r, | capitalists in the city"