COAL AND POWER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22779, 15 January 1936, Page 10

COAL AND POWER

RECENT RESEARCH WORK EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMY. (From Our Own Correspondent) (By Air Mail) LONDON. December 14.

“ Coal, Power, and Smoke ” was the subject chosen by Sir Frank Smith for his presidential ' address to the Junior Institution of Engineers. The new president is the Secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.

A survey is being made, he said, under the Fuel Research Station of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, by, nine survey laboratories, the area embraced covering 06 per cent, of the total coal raised. The amount of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur, water, volatile matter and ash arc determined for samples of coal taken from various parts of the scams tested, while in addition the calorific value is measured and a special determination is made of the amount of chlorine present, since the presence of this element in due quantity is known to have marked effects on furnace and refractory linings at high temperatures, and hence metallurgical processes are effected. Afterwards these laboratory tests are supplemented by large-scale tests at the Fuel Research Station, Greenwich, by using the different coals in large quantities for gasmaking, low temperature carbonisation, steam raising and oil production by hydrogenation. Comprehensive reports arc published, and already 30 such' reports have appeared. There is no doubt that this work is giving great satisfaction to both seller and purchaser, for bands of inferior quality are now rejected, though previously the nature of them was unsuspected; on the other hand, seams which at one time were considered unsuitable for the market have been shown to be of value for special purposes. From abroad there are many inquiries for accurate information of Great Britain’s coal, for the requirements of overseas buyers are usually as clear as, or even more narrowly defined than, those of home consumers. The survey has shown that there are no technical difficulties in meeting most requirements, for there are very few foreign coals having characteristics which cannot be matched by_ British coal, and there are many British coals not easily matched abroad. Speaking of fuel economy, Sir Frank Smith said that in 1934 661 tons were used on an average to produce each million units of electricity, that is, less than half the amount per unit used in 1920.

“ The increase in efficiency,” he said, “is perhaps more striking if I put it in a slightly different way and say that had the engineer produced no improvement in method since 1920 the production of the electricity used in 1934 would have needed 24,060,000 tons of coal, or 12,890,000 tons of coal more than were in fact required. “ There are some who think that the figure of 661 tons of coal per million units output will not be appreciably diminished in the future, but I would remind you that the figure of 661 tons is an average figure, and that some power stations have a much greater efficiency than the average. Indeed, the Battersea station, and I there is no other in the world more efficient, lias a coal consumption as low as 407 tons per million units output. If all the generating stations in this country were equally efficient, there would be a total saving of coal of 17,000,000 tons on the basis of their coal consumption for 1920.” DEVELOPMENT IN SHIPS. On the subject of ships, Sir Frank Smith said that the typical ship of 1913 had a triple expansion engine, natural draught, with a boiler pressure of about 1801 b, a cast iron propeller and a normal type of thrust block. In a comparable ship, built in the last year or two. we find forced draught, preheated air, careful insulation against heat losses, superheating up to COO degrees Fahrenheit, a boiler pressure of about 2231 b, a bronze propeller and a modern thrust block. _ All these technical developments, combined with improvements in the lines of the hull, have resulted in a very considerable reduction in coal consumption. Economy was also acquired as the result of tests with models at the William Froude Laboratory at the National Physical Laboratory. Last year a record number of models was tested ,at the laboratory. The number of designs investigated was 60, and it was possible to suggest improvements in 54 of them. It is calculated that modifications in design resulting from these tests will enable considerable economies in fuel to be brought about in the finished ships while still preserving ail the features which make for seaworthiness. Assuming that only one ship of each type is built and that each ship steams for 250 days a year, it has been calculated, on a most conservative basis, that the changes brought about by these tests alone will have effected a saving of £25,000 on fuel costs for each year in the life of the ships. SAVING OF FUEL.

“As a result of all these contributions,” said Sir Frank Smith, “we can safely say that the power required can be produced with a fuel consumption of 40 per cent, less than in 1913. Support of such an estimate is afforded by details of naval engineering given by Engineer Vice-admiral Sir Harold A. Brown. In comparing a cruiser of 1935 with her predecessor of 1910, Sir Harold says: ‘Fuel demands as expressed in B.Th.U. required per shaft horsepower have been reduced by 40 per cent.; machinery weight per shaft horsepower reduced by (50 per cent.; machinery space per shaft horsepower by 00 per cent.; and engine room complement per shaft horsepower reduced by 75 per cent.’ ”

Sir Frank gave figures indicating the saving of fuel due to increased efficiency in locomotives, and in the iron and steel industries. In the five big coal-using industries the results of applied research during the reign of King George have effected economies in the use of coal of the order of 35,00,000 tons per annum, made up as follows: — Tons. Electricity undertakings .. 13,000,000 Shipping industry .. .. 5,000,000 Railways 3,000,000 Gas industry • • • • • • 8,000,000

Iron and steel industry .. 0,000,000

35,000,000