The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-04-09
yAAT|ON MUST STUDY
ECONOMY IN FUEL
Geological Survey Completes
Timely Experiments Which
Guard Against Waste.
VALUE OF LIGNITE
DEPOSITS IN WEST
Investigations of Great Value to
Large Western Deposits
of Lignite.

Although thero Is no immediate danger
OF our American coal folds becoming ex-
haustod, II is of tho utmost importance to
The Nation that thore shall be no unneces-
sary waste In tho Of our fuel sup
plios. In 1904 the United States geological
survey erected at the Louisiana Purchase
EXPOSITION in ST. Louis plant in which
GOALS, liguItes and other fuol substances
were analysed and tested in order TO de-
termina their fuel values. Tho t1na1 re-
port on this important investigation dur
ing the exposition period has been COM
pleted and Is now ready Tor Distribution
uy the survey as Professional Faper
NO 4S-
Liberal Provisions Made.
The authority for conducting these tests
of the Goals and ngnites OF the United
states IL contained in IN act OF Congress
approved February Is, 1904, by which the
work Later an additional allotment OF
$4,000 was provided, making the total sum
appropriated for this Work 10000. For
carrying out tho provisions or these acts
inc director OF the geological survey np-
pointed a committee consisting of MessrS.
edward W. Parker, Joseph A Holmes
and Marius X. Campbell TO direct the
construction and operation Of the plant.
Tho present report. which is published In
tnree parts, contains the RECORDS ana re-
suits OF these labors.
Description of Results.
Part L deals with the field work, the
classification OF Goals, and the chemical
work undertaken in connection with the
task OF testing the GOALS. The chapters
on field work and The eIassinSation OF
bell. the chapter on the work OF the chem
ical laboratory by Mr.. \. w Lord. Mt
Campbell's chapter on the classiheau9n
q later bulletin. Part IL OF this paper or
the report on boiler tests. Is the work OF
Mr.. L. P Breckenridge. professor OF me,
chanical engineering at the University OF
Illinois. Better results could, perhaps, on
further trial. have been obtained with
some of tho Goals but IL is nevertheless
believed that the observations made and
reported are sufficiently complete TO en-
able those familiar with tests OF this ma
ture TO gain valuable knowledge from a
study OF the results These are reported
in the form recommended by the Ameri-
can Society OF Mechanical Engineers,
made. ~
Part III Of this report contains chap
ter on producer-gas tests by Prof. K II
Ferneld one on coking tests by hlrs l., w
Stammler, to which Dr. Richard Mol
-denke contributes the part relating 70
foundry tests OF coke. chapter on bril-
QuettIng tests by DR.. Joseph Hyde Pratt
and one on washing tests by Mr.. John
d. Wick.
Great Saving Of Fuel.
The most important fact brought out
by the investigation is set forth In the
chapter on producer tests. 1t is
shown that bituminous Goals and lignites
can be used in the manufacture OF pro-
duccr gas. and that this gas may be con-
sumed in internal combustion engines for
the development of power, with fuel
economy OF over so per cent. Ii is shown
by comparative tests, which were con-
Quoted by mechanical engineers, that the
power producing efficiency OF number OF
bitJuninous Goals when converted into gas
and used in the gas engine is % times
what II is when used under boilers in the
nf TPSnltG
were measured by the amount OF cleo
trlcal horsepower per hour delivered at
;he switchboard. It is realized however,
with modern triple expansion engines and
steam turbines the difference In horse
power developed would be less.
Importance Of Ignite.
OF scarcely less Importance are the
in the gas-producer plant. 1t has been
shown that gas of higher quality can
be obtained from Ignite than from high
grade bituminous Goals, and that one
ton OF Ignite used In a gas-producer plant
will Yield as much power as one ton OF
the best Pennsylvania or West Virginia
hitumlnous Goals used under boilers. II
appears, In fact, that as Goals decline In
value when measured by their steam-rals-
Ing power, they Increase in value as fuel
for the gaS-producer. These Investigations
have been OF inestimablc value In show
ing how the large beds of Ignite found
I'm many OF the Western States may be
pTOnlaDly OllllZeQa III mas also been DEM
onstrated that producer gas can be used
advantageously inS burning clay products
and In many other metallurgical opera
tions. Worthy OF mention is the fact that
already fourteen OF more different com
panies reported to DC making pro-
ducers FOR power purposes. and others
arc endeaNorlnE to perfect new designs.
Coking Qualities Tested.
The coking qualities aI the Goals were
tested in battery OF three beehive
ovens of standard size and shape.
Analyses are given of the Goals charged
In the coke ovens and OF the resulting
cokes. 1t was shown that many OF the
so-called non-coking Goals OF the United
States may be coked by exercising In
creased care either in the construction
or in the operation Of the ovens, and
that the quality OF certain OF these cokcs
may be improved by the addition of pitch
or other hydrocarbons TO the coal when
ture OF a small percentage OF a coking
coal.
Briquetting of Ignite.
The work done Ut the briauetting plant
showed that some OF the American Goals
and the slack produced In mining these
Goals can be briquetted on a commercial
basis The briquetted coal sometimes
makes higher grade fuel than the orig
inal coal and Will stand transportation
better 1t is possible to brlauette anthra-
cite culm with pitch and without the ad-
dndeI di.ion Of any bitumlnous coal; Coke
breeze can also be briquettcd. but the
quality or the briouette Is Improved by
the admixture OF 20 to 80 per cent of bi-
luminous coal stock. Several new bind
ing materials for coal briouettcs were in
Nestigated and Il few of them proved
sufficiently satisfactory to warrant their
p more extended use A number OF lIc-
mites have been briquettcd under high
pressure. without the of binding ma
terials.
What Washing Tests Show.
The washing tests demonstrated that II
Is is possible 10 materially improve the
bDAHly OF Goals high In 9ulDhnr nd
other Impurities, the washing process
eliminating large percentage of these OBJ
Jectionable contents. and thus to make
them adaptable for steaming manufac-
turing, and even domestic purposes. II
was found that the quality OF forty-three
Goals from thirteen States and several
samples OF coke breeze could be greatly
improved by washing. at cost not ex-
ceeding to 10 cents a ton This report il
published [n for general distribution and
Director OF the Geological Survey. wash
on 1%ston, ra,;, ID C. An edition of 10000 copies
year ago Wac exhnusfed In a few rnonths