Bisbee daily review., 1906-04-04
RESULTS OF COAL TESTS
Utmost Importance 10 Nation That There Shall Be No
 Waste of Fuel.
FINAL REPORT OF lM-
 P0RTAMT INVESTIGATION.


 Although there is no immediate danger of our American coal fields becoming exhausted, it is of the utmost importance to the nation that there shall be no unnecessary waste in the use of our fuel supplies. In 1904, the United States Geological Survey erected at the Louisiana Pur- chase Exposition in St. Louis plant in which coals, lignites, and other fuel substances were analysed and tested in order to determine their fuel val ues. The final report on this import ant investigation during the exposi- ton period has been completed and is now ready for distribution by the survey as professional paper No. As.
 The authority for conducting these tests of the coals and lignites of the United States is contained in an act Of Congress approved February Is. 1904, by which the sum of s30.000 was appropriated for the work. Later, an additional allotment of s30,000 was provided. making the total sum appro- pr:eted for this work Sc0,090. For carrying out the provisions of these acts the director of the Geological
 
 sis.ing of Messrs. Edward w. Parker, Joseph A. Holmes and Marius R. Campbell, to direct the construction and operation of the plant. The pres ent report, which is published in three parts, contains the records and re- suits of these labors.
 Part I deals with the field work, the classification of coals, and the chemical work undertaken in connec- tion with the task of testing the coals. The chapters on field work and the classification of coals were written by MT. NJ R. Campbell, the chapter. on the work of the chemical laboratory by MT. N. " Lord. Mir. Campbell's chapter on the classified tion of coals will be mentioned more fully in a later bulletin.
 Part II of this paper, or the report on boier tests, is the work of Mir. L. P. Breckenridge. professor of mechan- ical engineering at the University of Illinois. Better results could, per haps. on further trial, have heen ob- tained with some of the coals. but it is. nevertheless believed that the ob- selvations mde and reported are suffi- ciently complete to enable those fa- miliar with tests of this nature 10 gain valuable knowledge from study of the results. These are reported in the form recommended by the Ameri- can Society of Mechanical Engineers. A graphic chart is submitted for each vest made
 Part III of this report contains a chapter cn producer-gas tests by Prof. R. H. Fernald. one on coking tests by MT. F. W. Stammler, to which Dr. Richard Moldenke contributes the part relating to foundry tests of coke. a chapter on briquetting tests by Dr. Joseph Hyde Pratt, and one on wash ing tests by MT. John D. Wick.
 The most important fact brought out by the investigation is set forth in the chapter on producer-gas tests. It is shown that bituminous coalS and lignites can be used in the manufac- ture of producer gas, and that this gas may be consumed in internal combus- tion engines for the deelopment of power, with a fuel economy of over 50 per cent. It is shown by compara- tive tests. which were conducted by mechanical efficiency of a number of bituminous coals when converted into gas and used in the gas engine is 2.6 times what it is when used under boil CTS in tho production of steam power. The results were measured by the amount of electrical horsepower per hour delivered at the switchboard. It is realized, however, that in the case of the larger power units with modern triple-expansion engines and steam turbines the diffe,encs -1 horsepower developed would be less.
 Or scarcely less importance are the results obtained in the use of Ignite ir the gas-producer plant. It has been shown that a gas Of higher oual- ity can be obtained from Ignite than from high-grade bituminous coals, and that one ton of Ignite used in a gas producer plant will yield as much power as one ton of the best Penns.s'- vania or West Virginia bituminous coals used under boilers. IL appears, in fact, that as coals decline in value when measured by their steam-raislng power, they increase in value as fuel for the gas-producer These investi- gations have been of inestimabie value in showing how the large beds Vl llSultC many Ol lllS W est ern States may be profitably utilized. It has also been demonstrated that producer-gas can be- used advantag- eously in burning clay products and in many ether metallurgicai opera tions.
 Worthy mention is the fact that already 14 or more. different com paEies are reported to be making producers for, power purposes, and others are endeavoring to perfect new designs.
 The work done at the briquetting plant showed that some of the Amer ican coals and the slack produced in mining these coals can be hriquetted on a commercial basis. The briquett- ted coal sometimes makes a higher grade fuel than Ghe original coal and will stand transportation better. It is possible to briquette anthracite culm with pitch and without the ad- dition of any bituminous coal Coke