Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-09
REDUCTION OF SMOKE
Mr. .MacfarIand Has Hope for
the Capital City.
REVIEWS RECENT REPORT
Commentator Of Deductions Made
by Geological Survey.
sMoKELESs COMBUSTION SHOWN
Results Of Recent Scientific Studies
Of Plants in Thirteen
Large Cities.
REVIEWS RECENT REPORT
sMoKELEss COMBUSTION SHOWN

Hoping TO reduce the amount of smoke
in the Capital City. Commissioner Mac
farland has determined 10 call the atten-
ton OF boiler plant owners to a printed
report of the geological survey on 1.-The
Smokeless Combustion OF Coal in Boiler
Plants
Every plant owner. he believes. should
read this report which has just been pub
lished, because 1t will show him how TO
aave coal as we'll as how to prevent
smoke emissions.
Mr.. Mcfarland said he hoped that while
the Washington plant owners were now
very generally complying with the smoke
law as the result of warnings In most
cases and prosecutions in many, and
showed a spirit of cooperation which he
regarded as very commendable. many of
them might learn how to run their plants
more economically and in stricter COM
pliance with the smoke law. from the geo.
logical survey report. 1t contains the re-
suits Of recent scientific studies OF be-
tween 400 and 500 plants in thirteen of the
larger cities in Illinois. Indiana. Mary
land, Michigan. Missouri, New York, Ohio
and Pennsylvania. Commissioner Mac
tDrland also said he thought the owners
Of those plants just across the Potomac in
Alexandria county. which, when the south
wind blows. fill the city of Washington
with smoke. might probably study the
results Of this investigation and not only
save money. but be better neighbors of
the National Capital.
Substance of the Report.
The conclusions of the report follow:
smoke prevention is possible. There
are many types Of furnaces and stokers
that are operated smokelessly.
ANY one kind Of apparatus is effective
only II so set under boilers that the prin-
cipies Of combustion are respected. The
value to the average purchaser of man
ufacturers requirement on this point lies
In the fact that he is thus reasonably GER
tain Of good installation. A good stoker
or furnace poorly set Is of less value than
q poor stoker or furnace well set Good
installation of furnace equipment is neces-
sary for smoke prevention
Suckers or furnaces must be set SO
that combustion will be complete before
the gases strike the heating surface OF
the boiler. When partly burned gases at
a temperature of. say $500 degrees Fab
renheit, strike the tubes of boiler, at.
aay $50 degrees Fahrenheit, combustion is
necessarily hindered and may be entirely
arrested.
Time for Gases to Pass.
1.-THE length Of time required for the
gases to pass from the coal to the heating
surface probably averages considerably
less than one second, fact which shows
that the gases and air must be intimate
~ mixed when large volumes Of gas are
distilled, as at times of hand-firing, or
the gas must be distilled uniformly, as in
. mechanical stoker. BY adding mixing
structures to mechanical stoker equip
nent, both the amount Of air required for
combustion and the distance from the
CRATES to the heating surface may be re-
duced FOR the same capacity developed.
The necessary air supply can also be re-
duced by increasing the rate OF combus-
ton.
NO one type OF stoker is equally valu
able for burning all kinds of COAL The
plant. which has anequipment properly
designed to burn the cheapest coal
available. will evaporate water at the
least cost
Fireman a Variable Factor.
Although hand-fired furnaces can be
operated without Objectionable smoke,
the fireman is so variable a factor that
the ultimate solution of the problem de-
ponds on the mechanical stoker-in other
words. the personal element must be
eliminated. There is no hand-fired
furnace from which, under average con.
ditions. rs good results can be obtained
as from many different patterns of me-
ehanical stoker, and of two equipments
the one which will require the less at
tention from the fireman gives the bet
ter results. The most economical hand
fired plants are those that approach
most nearly to the continuous feed of
the mechanical stoker.
THE small plant is no longer de-
pendent on hand-fred furnaces. as GER
tain types Of mechanical stokers can be
installed under a guaranty of high
economy. with reduction Of labor for
the fireman.
I'm short. smoke prevention is both
possible and economical