Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers, vol. LXX, Dec. 1910: Federal Investigations of Mine Accidents, Structural Materials and Fuels. Paper No. 1171Wilson, Herbert M. (Herbert Michael)
History
Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers, vol. LXX, Dec. 1910: Federal Investigations of Mine Accidents, Structural Materials and Fuels. Paper No. 1171
Wilson, Herbert M. (Herbert Michael)
Building materials; Civil engineering -- Periodicals; Coal mines and mining -- Safety measures; Fuel
The investigations into smoke abatement have indicated clearly that each
type of coal may be burned practically without smoke in some type of
furnace or with some arrangement of mechanical stoker, draft, etc. The
elimination of smoke means more complete combustion of the fuel, and
consequently less waste and higher efficiency.
The investigations into the waste of coal in mining have shown the
enormous extent of this waste, aggregating probably from 300,000,000 to
400,000,000 tons yearly, of which at least one-half might be saved. It
is being demonstrated that the low-grade coals, high in sulphur and ash,
now left underground, can be used economically in the gas producer for
power and light, and, therefore, should be mined at the same time that
the high-grade coal is being removed. Moreover, attention is now being
called to the practicability of a further large reduction of waste
through more efficient mining methods.
The washing tests have demonstrated the fact that many coals, too high
in ash and sulphur for economic use under the steam boiler or for
coking, may be rendered of commercial value by proper treatment in the
washery. The coking tests have also demonstrated that, by proper methods
of preparation for and manipulation in the beehive oven, many coals
which were not supposed to be of economic value for coking purposes, may
be rendered so by prior washing and proper treatment. Of more than 100
coals tested during 1906 from the Mississippi Valley and the Eastern
States, most of which coals were regarded as non-coking, all except 6
were found, by careful manipulation, to make fairly good coke for
foundry and other metallurgical purposes. Of 52 coals from the Rocky
Mountain region, all but 3 produced good coke under proper treatment,
though a number of these had been considered non-coking coals.
Investigations into the relative efficiency of gasoline and denatured
alcohol as power producers, undertaken in connection with work for the
Navy Department, have demonstrated that with proper manipulation of the
carburetters, igniters, degree of compression, etc., denatured alcohol
has the same power-producing value, gallon for gallon, as gasoline. This
is a most interesting development, in view of the fact that the heat
value of a gallon of alcohol is only a little more than 0.6 that of a
gallon of gasoline. To secure these results, compressions of from 150 to
180 lb. per sq. in. were used, these pressures involving an increase in
weight of engine. Although the engine especially designed for alcohol
will be heavier than a gasoline engine of the same size, it will have a
sufficiently greater power capacity so that the weight per horse-power
need not be greater.
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