PULVERISED GOAL

Evening Star, Issue 20117, 6 March 1929, Page 5

PULVERISED GOAL

THE HORORATA TRIALS NEW ZEALAND COAL UNDER TEST [BWCUI< SO THU ‘SrAE.'j WELLINGTON, March' 5. British shipowners and the Admiralty are following with interest the experimental nso of pulverised coal in some of the boilers of the New Zealand Shipping Company’s'steamer Hororata, and it is a matter for satisfaction that the opportunity has been given by the steamer’s owners to have ■*> practical trials of certain classes of New Zealand coals under commercial conditions. The steamer is being worked around the New .Zealand coast on dominion coal, which will also be used in the pulverising plant on the Jiomeward voyage. The experiment is being conducted with tbo co-operation of the New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Ttesearch, the secretary of which (Dr Marsden), in recent notes on the use of pulverised fuel, declares that it has a great future in Now Zealand, partly by reason of its being well adapted to Ipwer-gradc coals of high ash and sulphur content, and because the fusible ash causes less trouble with the pulverised outfit than in ordinary firing. The Hororata’s boilers worked on American coal with 15 pier cent, ash, and only 20 per cent, volatile matter. “In general, ’’ states Dr Marsden, “ higher efficiencies are obtained than by other methods of firing, even allowing for the power' required in crushing, pulverising, and pumping. Moreover, Increased steam capacity of the order of from 20 to 60 per cent, can be obtained by using pulverised fuel, depending on the' amount of air, etc., which "can be put through the stack. 'lbis was evidenced by the experience ol the Hororata, and from personal inspection ow two_ stationary plants in America, in one ol which, at Newark, a normally 000 horse-power boiler was generating 900, and occasionally was pushed to 1,300 horse-power.” It is pointed out that one large cheese factory in New Zealand, at the suggestion of the Coal llesearch Committee, is using pulverisation to secure increased steaming capacity without the necessity of installing a larger boiler.