The Washington herald., 1910-01-02
MUCH FUEL WASTED
Locomotives Lose 30 Per
Cent of Coal Consumed.
REPORT UPON TESTS APPLIED
Geological Survey Pursues Series of
Experiments with View To Econ
terIaI Might he Conserved Under
Ideal COnditions-Facts Recited.

One of the interesting reports recently
published by the United States Geologi-
cal Survey is that Of Prof. ". F. N.
Goss, now dean of the University Of IIli-
nois. who conducted experiments upon
a railroad locomotive with reference to
the consumption OF fuel, with a view to
greater economy in this important item
OF railroad management
In this report Prof. Goss makes the
statement that Of the 90,000,oOG tons Of
fuel burned annually in the locomotives
used in the United States more than 10
100000 tons are lost through the hear gem
Grated In the gases in the stacks. This
heat Is discharged from the stacks, and
is a negligible factor. so far as running
the mechanism is concerned. Additional
loss of the value of the fuel. amounting
10 $4,000 tons. was found in the cinders
and sparks. 500, 600 tons are lost in radi-
alton and leakage of steam and water,
2,SS0.O10 tons are lost through unconsum-
ed fuel. 10000 tons are lost through in
complete combustion of gases. and 1900.
600 tons are consumed in starting fires
in moving the locomotive, and IN keep
ing the boilers hot while standing. This
foots up as a complete waste of 50 per
cent of the fuel used in firing the loco
motives which pull the railroad traffic Of
the country.
Fuel Might BE saved.
Under ideal conditions Of operations"
says Prof Goss. much of the fuel thus.
used could be saved. and II is reasonable
to expect that the normal process OF
evolution of railroad practice viii tend
gradually TO bring about some reduction
in the consumption thus accounted for
The loss represented by the heat Of dis
charged gases offers an attractive field
to those who would improve the eff
cheney of the boiler. The fuel loss in the
form of cinders passing out Of the stack
is very large and may readily be re-
duced.
"A sure road TO improvement in this d.
rection lies in an increased crate area
Opportunities for incidental savings are
TO be found in improved flame ways. such
as are to be procured by the application
of brick arches and other devices. Such
losses may also be reduced by greater
care in the selection Of fuel and in the
preparation of the fuel for the service
In which 1t is to be used. 1t is not I'M
reasonable to expect that the entire loss
covered by this item will in time be over
come.
The fuel which is lost by dripping
through the CRATES and mingIing with the
ashes is a factor that depends upon the
CRATE design, on the characteristics Of
the fuel. but chiefly on the degree Of care
exercised in managing the fire. More
skilful firing would save much OF the
fuel thus accounted for.
Boilers Are Handicapped.
Locomotive boilers are handicapped
by the requirement that the boiler and
all its appurtenances must come with
in rigidly defined limits of space; and
by the fact that they are forced to work
at very high rates of power.
Notwithstanding this handicap, the
zone of practicable Improvement which
lies between present-day results and those
which may reasonably be regarded as OBJ
tainable is not so wide as to make future
progress rapid or easy. Material i'm
provement is less likely to come in large
measures as the result Of revolutionary
changes than as a series of relatively
small savings
1T is apparent that utilization OF fuel
in locomotive practice IS q prohIer, of
large proportions. and that If even a
small saving could be made by all or a
large proportion of the locomotives Of
the country, it would constitute an i'm
portant factor in the conservation of the
country's fuel sunplV.t