Arizona republican., 1922-04-12
time. This is the only big private
plant using the invention thus far.
Uses Any Kind Of Oil

llnlS- InlS is TIE only Dig private
plant using the invention thus far.
Uses Any Kind of Oil
Mrs. Shaw has used everything in
the way of oil from kerosene to the
very poorest grades of crude oil, full
Of dirt and foreign substances. She
has yet to record a failure. Naturally
the government is taking keen in
terest in this development and is
making tests periodically TO deter
mine exactly Row much OF a saving
over other fuels can be effected The
tests have not been completed and
the figures therefore are not avail
able.
Mrs. Shaw says that in Its present
form the invention is practicable for
plants office buildings, locomotives
and ships It has been successfully
tried out on a ship. but until 1T is a
bit more refined probably viii not
come into general use Mrs Shaw
herself is authority for this state
ment: Il will install the thing and
get up steam for them. but want to
leave the ship before it leaves the
dock she declares.
The best kind of oil for use in
Mrs. ShaW's invention has proven to
be good fuel oil or the oil known as
Navy special" However. practically
every kind OF oil has been tried out,
and it has been found that the very
lowest grades win work all right, if
they are heated so that they will run
freely. In using the heaviest grades
Of oil, steam pipes are run through
the tanks TO heat the oil in cold
weather. In really warm weather
this expedient doubtless will be un-
necessary.
One great advantage claimed for
the new system over coal firing is
the saving in labor Mrs. Shaw saws
it has been demonstrated that to op-
crate a plant requiring a dozen men
when coal is burned. with her system
installed only four men would be
needed. There lis a big saving too.
in the cost of the two fuels, as the
cheapest grades OF oil can be burned.
without having the oil put through
any refining process at all
BY combing the water with oil. it
is claimed that tests have shown a
saving of, roughly. so per cent over
the ordinary burning of fuel oil This
is because a hotter fire is secured
from the use of considerably less oil.
No Waste or Ash
Another advantage in the use of
oil instead Of coal in any kind Of
power or heating plant is the absence
of any ash. To engineers this means
q two-fold saving-fiFst, no labor is
necessary in feeding the fuel to the
boilers nor in removing the ashes:
second. the whole weight of the fuel
used is burned UP and all of it pro-
duces heat which is transformed into
power
Most OF the system is simplicity
itself, and is easily compreheuded by
a casual inspection. The pipes lead-
ing from the water supply and the oil
supply open into an ordinary funnel.
The feed OF oil and water into this
funnel can be watched and easily
regulated. Leading from the bottom
of the funnel is a single pipe which
connects with the burner.
The burner itself is simple. It has
somewhat the shape of a silk hat, but
with considerably more taper. In
the small power plant being operated
at the washington Barracks, this top
hat affair has a diameter at the bot
tom Of ~ or Is inches and at the top
is about or inches wide. It is
about foot high.
Around the bottom this contri-
vance is punched fun of holes to
is required, once the burner is going
and heated up bit. The heat seems
to separate the water into its con-
stituent gases. and these with the oil
produce an intensely hot flame
TO start the burner a bit of cot
ton waste soaked in oil is laid in this
burner and lighted. In a very short
time the burner is operating auto
aatically.
Mrs. shaw does not believe her in
yention can be adapted for use in the
ordinary house until it has been
somewhat perfected. AS it is now. it
requires skilled attention and could
not be left to heat house with en-
tire safety. For another reason. the
fire insurance people are not familiar
with the invention yet, and probably
would put high rates on dwellings
using this type OF heating plant. Per-
fection of methods of easy control
will in time lead to use of the inven-
ton IN private houses, Mrs. Shaw
thinks.
For the present, the woman in
ventor plans for the use of her heat
ing arrangement in plants using from
80 barrels Of oil a day upward. Such
nlants naturally would require the
attention of shifts of men. and Mrs.
Shaw prefers that. Lige true pa
triot, Mrs. Shaw has given her gov
ernment the first opportunity to take
advantage of her revolutionary de-
velopment. and there is every reason
to believe that the government is not
going to let the thing slip through It's
fingers.
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Officials arc contemplating install
lation Of central heating plant in