Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-04-11
Ignite Coal Makes Good Gas
Experiments Show Cook Results Z.

Producer gas, manufactured from
North Dakota Ignite coal, promises
to be In the very near future the pop.
ular source of power as we'll as light
and heat to large extent in the
northwest. The possibility of the use
of Ignite in the manufacture of pro-
Queer gas was demonstrated through
tht experiments and work Of Dean
Babcock of the school of mines.
At the time OF the worlds fair at
st. Louis, in connection with the work
at the school of mines, Dean Babcock
secured the cooperation of the United
States fuel testing department and ar.
ranged for tests of two or three car.
loads of Ignite which were shipped to
the government fuel and producer gas
plant erected in st. Louis. On these
Goals series of preliminary tests
were made, giving surprisingly salts
factory results and sustaining the con-
illusions which Prof. Babcock had al
ready reached in regard to the posi-
bility of the economic production of
gas from Ignite coal. The results Sc
cured by these tests have led the Unit
ed States government to cooperate
with the work being carried on here
in the further study Of a variety of
problems connected with the produc-
ton of gas from Ignite; an d &C
cordingly series of rather extended
investigations has been begun at the
school of mines in this line of gas
production and utilization.
The college Of mining engineering
at the university has some extended
work on the practical tests. of the
various methods of producing gas
from Ignite with view to showing
its utility and economy for lighting,
heating and power purposes. The
college has recently issued bulletin
from which the following excerpts will
give much interesting information
concerning the new gas.
At the present time, ignite soal is
chiefly used in the lump form in heat
ing and cooking stoves, and in engines
for generating steam. 1t seems prop
able that the briquetting of Ignite will
generally be brought to a successful
commercial Lasis. This will not only
make our Ignite coal much more SER
vicable and more generally used, but
it will also save an immense amount
Of slack coal which would otherwise
be wasted.
But Ignite coal is undoubtedly ad-
apted to another very important use,
namely, the manufacture of gas suit
able for the production of power and
probably of lighting purposes. 1t is
seen by referring to the analysis of
lignites that they are rich in volatile
matter which Is mostly in the form Of
light gases, easily driven of from
the coal by heat.
From about 200 analysis L.
mite coal made in the laboratories Of
this department, the average compo-
sition of the dried coal would be
about az follows:
Approximate
Dried Coal. Average.
Fixed carbon ............ 50 per cent
Volatile matter ......... 40 per cent
Ash ................... 8 per cent
Moisture from coal fresh from the
mine. runs from 20 to IS per cent.
During the fall and winter charac-
teristic samples of several hundred
pounds have been collected from
many Of the larger mines and are be-
ing utilized for variety OF tests and
experiments. Each coal Is first sub
jected to careful chemical analysis.
From one sample the moisture in the
coal as it comes fresh from the mine
is ascertained, after which the other
constituents are determined; from an
other sample and analysis is made of
the coal as usually found in the mar
ket. and finally the ccmDOaition ID es-