The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-04
Engineer Explains the Methods Which He Has Lately
 Used Successfully
ANY LARGE PLANT GAN
 BE MADE SMOKELESS
Experiments Have Been Conducted at the University of Illinois Which
 Will Prove a Great Benefit
 to the Public in General.

Washington, September S.-(special. ) Prof. L. P. Breckenridge, director of the engineering experiment station of the Uni- versity of Illinois and engineer in charge of the steam engineering division of the United States geological survey, today outlined a solution of the smoke problem Of the country, passing his statements on experiments that have made the 200O horse power heating plant of the university snokeless for the last two years.
 Since the publication of the interview in which the professor explained that the way to burn soft coal without smoke was to prevent the flame from reaching the bottom of the boiler. he has been deluged with inquiries from engineers and others. requesting more detailed statements of his method of operating smokeless plant
 Methods Explained.
 In response the professor has prepared the following statement
 The engineering experiment station of the University of Illinois has for the past year been conducting a series of experi- ments relating to the methods of burn ing Illinois coal both with economy and without smoke. These tests have been made under a water tube boiler of 210 horse power capacity. The furnace con- sisted of a chain grate stoker. The lower ! tubes of the boiler have been covered for two-thirds their length with specia I tile. making a tile roof furnace The draft has been furnisher by a fan draw ing the air through the fire, the usual in- duced draft system. With this equip ment. owe 100 tests have been made of from cigar to ten hours duration soft coal being used entirely With this set ting no smoke has been made during the operation Of the boiler after the fires were well started
 Series of Tests.
 "A series of tests is now in progress with two types of house heating boilers In these tests different fuels are being compared such as anthracite and bitum- inous coal, coke and briquetted coals from the government testing plant. The United States geological survey. through it's tech nologc branch, Is cooperating with the Illinois experiment station in these expe- riments
 "lt should be clearly borne in mind that soft coal can be burned without the dense black smoke which usually is seen is suing from chimneys where it is used
 For 90 per cent of the time no black smoke should be seen.
 Large plants are more easily made smokeless than small ones of 100 horse porer or less.
 Correct Remedies.
 "The proper construction of furnaces for smokeless combustion Is a subject familiar to the leading mechanical engi- neers of the country, and local engineers are more likely to suggest correct rem edes than are engineers from a dis tance.
 "The smoke nuisance will be mostly cured by the use of mechanical stokers suited to cheap coas of each locality. but the stoller must be combined with the proper furnace details to fit the coal used.
 "Gniformity in the size of coal will help to solve the problem Careful firing. which Is unusual, can avoid one-half the smoke in the ordinary hand-fred fur mace.
 "The results of the smoke tests, to- gether with complete description of sev- eral standard boiler settings that have been operating smokelessly in the gen. eral university plant for more than two years-using soft coal for fuel-will be published in d bulletin of the engineer ing experiment station early in the fall.'