Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-09-05
A FUEL TESTING
PLANT RUNNING
At JAMESTOWN
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
OFFICIALS IN CHARGE
viii Teach the Common Geezer
How to Burn His Priceless
Coal to Get the Most Heat
Out of Il.

Coal to Get the Most Hea
Out of Il,
Especial Correspondence Morning Journal.
Jamestown, Va, Sept. 9Th,
United States government through tn,
technologic branch of the geological
survey has now in operation at tn,
Jamestown exposition q fuel testing
plant of more than 1000 horse power
the object being to teach the people
Of the country how to burn coal. Thai
they do not now Is evidenced from The
significant amount of power obtained
from the coal used in the ordinary
steam boilers. A housewife taking a
barrel of Hour and getting one biscuit
from II is doing almost as well from al
economic standpoint as the average
consumer of coal is with his fuel.
In order to stop this tremendous
waste, which threatens, II kept up. to
exhaust the coal fields of the country
within a short period Of time, the gov
eminent has equipped this great plant
with boilers. engines and testing APP
paratus of the latest design. and has
assigned a number of the best known
fuel experts of the United States TO
conduct the tests.
IL nun - r. - VI AtiI
experiments at st. Louis, Mo. which
opened the eyes of manufacturers and
scientists to the ruthless waste Of the
natural Of the country that
Is going on. When President Roosa-
Welt heard Of the results and learned Of
the exact conditions in regard to the
fuel supply OF the United states. he
said in one of his messages: I'VE must
recast u estimates concerning the
'inoXhaustible natural of .ha
country. They are no longer mex
haustible."
The plant is now devoting itself 10
q thorough testing Of the coals Of the
east and south. peat from FtCrida and
other states, and the lignites Qhe
poorest form of coaD from Texas and
North Dakota. Mine owners are do
mating their coal by the carload and
the railroads are carrying this fuel
free of charge. both parties cooperate
ing in this most important work for
the knowledge II will bring To the flu
ture.
The tests which are proving the
most interesting are those on the 235-
horse power gas engine. Already this
engine has shown its ability to produce
more than twice as much power with
the same amount Of coal as the steam
engine.
This means already a saving Of half
Of the Goa bills to manufacturers and
others who have already installed the
gas engines. The gas for this en-
CINE Is being manufactured at the
plant in a giant producer. A still fur
ther development of intense interest
along this line is found in the ability
To use In the gas producer Goals Of
such low grade that cannot do satis-
factory work under "A steam boiler.
Several Of the poorest grades of BIZ I
fnpnfnnpe anul thnf hnrafnfoVa hg va /
been regarded as practically of no
value have shown remarkable eff I
cheney In the gas producer. In former
tests. Texas lignites. the poorest known
Kind of coal. ave produced more
power TO the gas engine than he best
West Virginia coal has under the
boiler of a steam engine. Professor
charge of the gas producer tests de- 4
clares that a 600-horse power gas en-
CINE Will saw more than $1,000 a year
In a manufacturers coal bill over an
engine Of similar capacity operated ny
steam. The saving each year on a
o, 0O0-horse power gas engine, he de-
Clares To be S12, 000.
But I'm these tests the steam engine
is not sighted. Three boilers with a
total capacity of Of $50 horse power
being operated with a view to de-
termining their best possible perfor-
nance. And II is promised that the
engineers of the country VIII not be
disappointed. for already there are in
nat the power of these boil
can be increased 10 per cent over
what they have done in commercial
plants. These tests. while primarily toi
the waste Of fuel in the firing Of
boilers. have indicated that
boilers are capable Of from ten to
twenty times as much work per unit
80 AAuftsnv HfaPHnAa ne NlgNH do aA4r iii
Two steam turbines, direct connected
10 dynamos on the same base. each 90
400-horse power, are to he
Tested in connection with these boilers. |
Perhaps the most interesting tests a.
he popular mind Viii be those tending
10 abate the smoke nuisance.
An effort Is now being made TO burn
lituminous coal in zach Of the fur |
naces without smoke and from present
Indications much will be accomplished
llong this line which will be of value
.o those who are interested In the
Elimination Of this evil Of our big Gle
All Of the %urnac have been
in relation to the boilers. in the
most favorable name to secure con
combustion. The furnaces have
equipped according to the lat
.st ideas Of science on the abatement
II smoke and now the experts are
watching for the black clouds that
hey hope may never cOme.
Another phase Of the work Of inter-
sst TO the people in general Is found iu
he making OF briquettes from bitumi-
and anthracite cOa Briquette IL
ne name given TO a fuel made ~
hicfly Of waste coal held together by
binding material often times pitch,
he mixture being compressed into a
.ompact mass. Of a size and shape
uitable for use as a fuel. Three bri
.uetting machines are now az WORK
70 the plant. one received recently Il
rom Germany Is for briquetting lig- II
iites Of Texas and the northwest. Al.
econd machine Is of English make
has been used for some time 40
he 81. Louis plant. The third is an
american make machine. A consider
bile portion Of the time Of the bri- Il,
'uetting plant IS being given a thor
ugh test on a battleship off Hampton
other tests are to be made
20 the Naval tug Potomac al the
'orismouth navy yard and on n tor
edo oat The results already III
in briquette investigation
ave shown that on boilers requiring
orced draft like locomotive belle
be- ~hTiQuette so Increased the cih-
iency as 20 more than equal the cost
Z making. enc 81 the possibilities
7 the present tests win b. 90 show