The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-02-13
Ignite AS FUEL
|. FOR POWER PLANTS
BULLETIN RECENTLY ISSUED
GIVES SOME INTERESTING
FACTS ABOUT NORTH DAKOTA
LIeNITE-eoop RESULTS o.
TANNED IN GOVERNMENT TEST.

In the bulletin recently gotten out
by ID. r. Randall and Henry Krei-
singer, the results of the tests of
North Dakota Ignite, as fuel for
power plant boilers, are fully set
forth. The tests were made by the
United States Geological survey in CO.
operation with the United States Rec
lamation service. The latter having
erected large pumping plant at VIII
liston. Steam boilers we're installed
with furnaces designed to burn a
brown Ignite that was mined on ad-
jacent government land.
These tests were important because
the Ignite deposits of the state are
very extensive and the distance of
this coal region is SO great that a large
part OF the United States, including
North and South Dakota and Mon
tana, will no doubt be greatly bene-
fitted by any improvements in the
methods of utilizing this local fuel
supply.
The results of these tests show that
this fuel may be used with fair econ
omy under boilers that generate their
full rated capacity.
The tests were made under the per-
sonal direction of Henry Kreisinger,
who was assisted by F. E. Woodman
of the Geological survey and G. Z.
Draper, electrical assistant of the
Reclamation service. The furnace
temperature measurements were made
by ]. X. Clement and the fiue gases
sampled and analysed by f. j. Hoff-
man. both Of the survey. The chem
ical work on coal and ashes was
done at the chemical laboratory Of
the Geological survey at Pittsburg,
Pa, under the direction of F.. M. STAN
ton. The computations were made at
Pittsburg under the direction of Lau-
son Stone.
The object OF these tests was to
show that the Ignite Goals of North
Dakota are suitable for making steam
and. also, to determine the effect of
the size and weathering of coal on
economy and whether anything is
gained by superheating the steam
used in the Argand steam blowers.
The fuel used on the tests came
from the government mine located
within about 500 yards of the power
house, and this mine is working the
middle seam of three known beds. The
coal is a brown Ignite containing
about 40 per cent OF moisture and 7
per cent to per cent of ash. 1t is
therefore considered low grade coal.
but in most OF the tests the coal was
burned as soon as mined.
The apparatus used In testing the
coal consisted of the boiler, furnace,
crate. stack and blowers and the fIue-
gas sampler. This apparatus and the
methods used in testing are described
in detail in the bulletin.
The conclusions which those en-
gagged in testing the coal reached, as
put forth in the bulletin, are as fol-
lows:
The combination of boiler and fur
mace setting described gives good
results with the North Dakota lig-
Mite steam can be made with a fuel
efficiency of 55 to So per cent of the
heat in the coal, and no difficulty is
experienced in obtaining the full ca
pacity of the boiler.
These results compare very favor
ably with the results obtained in the
average plant using a good grade of
bituminous coal when the heat avail
able TO the boiler is considered.
Little. If any, advantage is gained
by crushing the coal by hand instead
of In a power crusher.
TO reduce the moisture In the coal
by weathering seems TO improve the
economy, but these tests are not suffi-
cient in number to determine definite
ly the condition of the fuel and the
time required for weathering to in
sure the best results.
The steam blower for the ash pit
Is inefficient, and there Is no gain in
supplying superheated steam to IL. A
considerable saving In steam and