Evening star., 1908-02-02

ing or adjusting the attachments PROVIDED
for feeding and handling the coal. In
many plants where 1t is possible they will
shovel green coal into the stokers. IN
stead of feeding it through the hopper
and then take a bar and stir up the fresh
coal with the coke and ashes. causing
smoke and wasting the coal.
The hand-hring of plain furnaces vio-
lates al the principles laid down for Sc
curing good combustion. The coal is
usually supplied in large quantities at
long intervals. and the result Is that at
the time of firing the temperature of the
furnace is lowered. the resistance TO the
flow of air through the fuel bed Is in
creased and consequently great quantities
of combustible gas which cannot be burn
ed for lack of air and the necessary
amount of heat are generated. Hand
fired furnaces with ample combustion
chambers and adjustable openings for air
admission are suitable for some kinds of
coal. if tended by careful and expe-
rienced tiremen.
Saving of Fuel.
eft has been found In this country. as
well in Europe. that when smoke is
given off there is also a loss of carbon
moroXide and other combustible gases.
The loss due to the carbon which we see
and call smoke Is seldom more than one
per cent but the loss due to the escape of
the combustibla gases may amount to an
additional > to 10 per cent. In addition
there are losses due to the heat carried
away in chimney gases that are unavoid-
able.
1t is a generally conceded fact that in
telligent men trained in boiler room prac-
tice could save 10 per cent of the fuel
used in so per cent of the plants of the
United States and that in another % per
cent of the plants such men could save >
per cent of the fuel 1t is the practice
OF nearly all large power plants to en-
ploy boiler room expert. and many of
them have chemists who make frequent
tests and Investigations to determine the
conditions favorable to the best economy.
The saving of only few per cent on the
coal consumed will make a handsome re-
turn for the cost of the experimental
work There are now in a few of our
larger cities competent engineers who are
making a speciality of supervising boiler
plants for a number of firms.
Call for Trained Men.
This all leads to the fact that the
management of the boiler room is a prob
lem for properly trained men. and that
as the coal burned is a considerable item
of expense. averaging about 80 per cent of
the cost of producing power, there is more
opportunity to save in the boiler room
than in the engine room with any given
equipment. The average boiler room is
a hot, dirty and otherwise unattract1ve
place. For these reasons but little at
tention has been paid to Il by superin-
tendents and operating engineers in mod
erate-sized plants. The boiler rooms are
managed for the most part by men hired
not so much for what they know as for
their ability to do hard work and they
get comparatively small wages. There
are. however, some mechanical appliances
which leave but little to the skill of the
fireman.
"The increasing use of gas and coke for
domestic. manufacturing and power pur
poses and the Capitalization of power and
large percentage OF the smoke now being
given off by small and inefficient heating
and power plants. Notwithstanding the
fact that other ways of utilizing coal are
growing in favor. it will evidently be
necessary to burn coal in small boiler
plants for some time to come. These coal
burning plants will continue to keep the
problem of smoke abatement before the
residents of large cities. 1t is recommend
ed that to improve the conditions in any
city a record of all equipment and fur
naces in the power plants be made. and
that improvements. methods of operation
and the kinds of coal used be made a spe-
cial study 1t is only by such systematic
methods that the local problem can be
solved as conditions in any one city are
generally different from those In others,
depending upon the amount and kind of
manufacturing and the character Of the
coal available.''