The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-08
GREAT DISCOVERY
IN Gas ECONOMY.
Soft Coal and Lignites Used
for Producer-GaS
SAVING OF FIFTY PER CENT
Tests Made BY Government Biologists
at the Louisiana Purchase Expos-
ton Are Found to Be of
Great Economic Value.

Washington, May 7.-(SpeciaL)
of far-reaching Importance in connec-
ton with the solution of the fuel and
power problems upon which the varied
Industries of the country depend have
been obtained by the United States Geo
, logical survey through coal tests made at
the Louisiana Purchase exposition.
Under an act of Congress, passed Feb
ruary IS. 1904, the geological survey was
allowed to analyze and test Goals and
lgnites to determine fuel values and the
most economical methods for their utiliz-
i alton An appropriation of $4,000 was pro-
vded, and later an equal amount, under
the general deficiency bill, was provided
for the same purpose All testing machn-
cry. Goals and lignites were contributed
| without charge to the government.
The Important Discovery.
The most important result of these tests
is the demonstration that bituminous Goals
and lignites can be used in the manufac-
ture of producer-gas and that this gas
may be consumed in internal combustion
engines for the development of power,
with a fuel economy of more than so per
cent.
The use of producer-gas made from an
thracite coal, from coke or from char
COAL for power purposes. and of producer
gas from bituminous coal in steel works,
is no new story, but the demonstration Of
the possibility of utilizing bituminous
coal and Ignite In the gas engine, is an
important advance in the economical
| combustion of coal for power.
Great Saving Is Possible.
! 1t is shown by comparative tests, a re-
port OF which has just been compiled,
that the power producing efficiency of
| a number of bituminous Goals when con-
verified into gas and used in gas engines,
is two and one-half times that of the
same coal used under boilers for the pro-
duction of steam power The results were
| measured by the amount of electrical
| horse power delivered at the switchboard
The magnitude of this discovery is APP
! preciable when it is considered that New
| England, for instance, mines no coal and
| pays $50,00O,000 annually for steam power.
| Under the new method of getting power
| out of coal an annual saving of $4,000, 0O0
| or $40, 900 600 in the use of this amount OF
| steam power would be possible.
Another illustration lies in the fact that
! our naval vessels burn 100000 tons of
coal annually, costing $2,5O0,000. BY the
| new method of converting power saving
! of 81 100000 year in the navy would
| result, and much time would be saved
| because vessels could go much greater
| distances without coaling.
Uncel Sans Coal Bill.
| The coal burned in the United States
annually costs 81, 100000, 900. OF this amount
| a large per cent is used for steam power.
| Getting two and one-half times the power
| out of the same coal or the same power
out of 40 per cent of the coal now burned
would mean an immense saving to every
| coal consuming industry
| OF little less Importance to the country
! at large and of a special Importance in
| the west is the discovery that gas of a
| higher quality can be obtained from lg-
| mite than from high grade bituminous
| Goals, and that one ton of Ignite used
| III o gas-producer plant will yield as
much power as the best West Virginia
or Pennsylvania bituminous Goals used
under boilers.
| AS Goals decline in steam raising power
| they increase In value as fuel for the gas
| producer Brown lignites from North Da-
| kota and Texas developed, in tests. UNI
| expectedly high power producing auah-
| ties in the gas producer and gas engine,
| and promise large future developments In
| the west, where almost untouched BEDS
| OF Ignite exist.