The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-12
ENGINEERS VIEW . .0F SMOKE PROBLEM
Attention Is Called to MT. Ards Paper Before the
 Electrical Men

To the Editor of The Age-Herald
 At the meeting of the Birmingham As sociation of Electrical Engineers. held Monday evening. and presided over by Mir. H. NJ. Gassman, a paper of much in terest was presented by MT. C. E. Ard. on the subject of 'Combustion." The author, who is a member of the prominent en- gineering societies of this country, has made a study of this subject, and gave much valuable information.
 Since the matter of smoke prevention in the Birmingham district has received con siderable discussion by the general public it is assumed that the matter is of vital
 importance to the community. The asso- citation believes that this is an opportune moment to disseminate MT. Ards con clusions in this direction.
 The paper dealt with smoke prevention from an anlysis of it's causes, and dis cussed the objects of furnaces and their details of design. giving reasons for the different details. It also discussed the theories involved in the use of fuel, and the methods of obtaining all of the heat from fuel Visible smoke was discussed as probably the least harmful of the es- caping content of fuel, and that part hay ing the least economic value in plants which made reasonable attempt 10 get value from the fuel.
 He depreeates the overlooking of plants and the use of dirty or filthy condition as directly opposed to economy and as the cause of most of the objectionable results. He also advises that smoke prevention is an engineers problem instead of that of a layman, and that it is also problem of instruction rather than one of a force of law. It is further a local problem, governed by the character of fuel, the temper of population and economic condi- tions. He advocates much closer rela- ton between the engineers of the city and district and the community in this and other civic problems, and advises that the employment of engineers who are capable of giving instruction will gradually bring the condition of plant practice into satis- factory results.
 He advises against any Installation of any steam jets or so-called smoke burn- CTS" showing clearly that the benefit of a jet is mechanical in forcing air admis- sion through the furnace and usually at greater expense than ar IS secured by other standard methods. The smoke burn- CT is discussed as an evidence of lack of understanding of principles involved, the fact being that smoke is result of fail- Vre to accomplish burning in the fur mace.
 MT. Ard states also that any ordinary furnace designed in accordance with us- ual engineering principles will burn cer- tain amount of almost any fuel without ff...... 1.1. gently. He also advocates an increased use of stokers and dutch ovens and af- fording solution to many of the oombus- ton problems. and states with regard to these that the reason for the benefits de- rived is that they have been carefully de- signed by engineers to accomplish this definite purpose of obtaining heat value from the fuel. Yours truly
 BIRMINGHAM ASSOCIATION OF
 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS,
 M. A. Fleming, Secretary and Treasurer
 Birmingham, December 10 1912.