Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-07-05
REPORT on FUEL TEST.
Various Experiments to De.
termine the Heat Produc.
ing Quality of Coal

The results of the work done at
the United States fuel testing plant
at Forest Park. st. Louis, from jan
uary l, 1906. to June 30. 1907. are
presented in report just issued by
the United States Geological Survey
as bulletin No. 1892, says a st. Louis
despatch In the" New York Herald.
The scope of the work during the
period covered has been largely re-
stricted to a series OF comparative
tests made under conditions as near
ly uniform as possible Oh Luminous
Goals and lignites from different
fields OF the United States as repre-
sentative of known extensive depos.
its. Chemical analyses were made OF
samples of these fuels collected at
the mines by United States inspectors
sent out for that purpose, and also
OF samples taken from the cars. from
the fuel as fed to the boilers, as fed
to the producers, before briquetting,
before and after washing, and before
cOking. Samples Of briquetted coal
and coke were also analysed and the
| results OF the entire series of analy-
SEES and tests are presented In the re-
port.
The tests to which the fuel sam
pies were subjected comprised steam
ing tests to determine the calorihc
value of the fuel and the relative
amount OF energy 1t will furnish when
used under a boiler in connection
with a steam engine as compared TO
the energy obtainable from the same
: fuel when used in a gas producer and
gas engine, and also to determine
methods OF manner as to secure the
highest efficiency in the combustion
chamber; washing tests to determine
the possibility Of improving the quail
fly OF the coal and the availability
of such washed coal for the produc-
ton Of coke: coking tests. to deter
mine the possibility Of utilizing the
various Goals in this way. or OF I'M
proving coking practice: briquettinS
tests, to determine the extent to
| which slack. or waste coal, can be
economically made into briQuettes.
! and steaming tests on briQuettes to
determine the relative and absolute
eficiency OF this form OF coal as COM
pared with that obtained with other
forms.
The producer gas Investigations
have continued to show the available
ity Of bituminous Goals and Ignite
and peat rich in volatile matter Tor
the production of power. and have
also indicated the lines along wh1cn
| improvements in gas producer con-
struction might reasonably be expect
ed in order that the producer may
J utilize advantageously all varieties OF
bituminous coal, and especially low
grade fuels now being wasted ,
The briquetting plant has developed
! new possibilities In the utilization OIL
slack coal and anthracite culm as an
| elicient fuel for combustion on loco
motives, both in express service:
where a smokeless fuel is required
on entering large cities. and In heaVy
freight service. where high efficiency
In hauling over steep grades Is re-
uujred for q limited period. Expert
! meuts are now being extended to de-
termine the value of briquetted coal
for use in the naval vessels OF the
United States.
The report comprises an introduc-
] ton by Professor J. A. Holmes. who
has charge Of the technologic branch
Of the surveys work: an account OF
the field work by Edward w. Parker
] and ]. Shober Burrows: the work OF
/ the chemical laboratory, by N. W.
Lord; steaming tests, ~ l. P. Breck-
I enbridge: producer gas tests. by Roo
ert II. Fernald: washing tests. by g.
In. Deiameter; cooking tests. by A. W.
Belden; cupola tests on coke. by Kfcn-
| ara Mpldenke. and briquetting tests:
nv C. r. Nalcomson. The results OF
tests are also arranged by. the states
from which the fuel samples were
obtained.
The plant a. Forest Park was dis
mantled In March. 1907. The sec
tions Of steam. producer gas and bri-
ouettipr were transferred to . new
plant. erected at Norfolk. Va. and
those Of coking washery to new
plant at Denver. The principal cnem-
ical laboratory Of the fuel testing
p,ant has been removed to Pittsburg.
but . branch laboratory viii also %
maintained at Norfolk for the pur-
nose Of experimenting on the gases
in different portions Of the combus.
ton chambers Of steam boilers ana
cf Gas producers. The smoke abate-
mont investigations ~ public build
inrs will be supplemented by more
detailed experiments ut the Norfoax
plant. All the wcrk Of the various
plants Is nov directed from the wash