MASTERTON GASWORKS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIX, Issue 8136, 10 May 1906, Page 6

MASTERTON GASWORKS.

FEPORT BY THE GAS MANAGER.

Mr J. W. Blaokmau, Manager ot the Masterton Gasworks, reported as follows to the meeting of the Masterton Borough Council, on Tuesday evening:— "I have the honor to state that I took charge of the Municipal Gasworks on April 2nd, since which date I have overhauled and made myself acquaiu'ed with the plant and machinery, on which I beg to report as follows: "The new retorV, houte is a substantial well-designed building in every way suitable for the purpose; contains at present—2 arches of 4in x lGin, D. retorts. 11 feet long, six in each setting, set on the regenerative system of latest type, well built and iu every way an excellent piece of work. It would, however, have tended to economy in working if the 12 retorts had been pet in three arches of 5, 4 and 3 retorts, to allow for the fluctuation iu ourput, the gradual overtaking of the winter increase in make and vice vorss, the summer decrease. As at present dosigned, if thoro is rather more demand than six rotorta can supply, the remaining six have to be used (as at present), when probablj 2 or 3 would bo amp'e, consequently unnecessary - wear and tear, fuel and working expenses are incurred. 1 would recommend that at some future date an emergency setting of 3 retorts be added to the existing benches. The Bench Fittings.—Hydraulic main and "foul" main running round two sides of the retort houso are put together on the latest design, aud are of ample capacity. The old retort house is a substantial brick building, containing three settings of direct-fired retorts, wnioh are worn out, and the use of these, has been discontined. These can be dismantled during next summer, and the building turned into a coal store, for which, purpose it will have a/capacity of 250 to 300 tons. The slate oof of this building on the south-west side was practically destroyed by the last gales. I would suggest that the present slate roof be replaced by corrigated galvanised iron. The condensers are of ample capacity and in «?ood order. Engine Boiler and Exhauster.— This machinery is modern in design and capable of dealing with a make of 120,000 feet per 24 hours. The engine and exhauster have evidently been run at a higher speed than J necessary, but, beyond undue ! wear of some of the bearings, are in 1 first-class order. The addition of a < governor, to regulate the supply of < steam, will obviate any over-running i in future. The washer is on the 1 Livesey principle—size 4.Gin l.Gin I e by 2fc deep. It is not working. It '* needs a new cover, with side plates. ( This I propose to have made imme- c diately. When repaired, it will deal with the present make of gas satis'factorily. Its ohief function is to wash the tar out of the gas—not removed in the foul main and condensers. It also deals with other impurities. The scrubber at present in use is muoh too small for its work; in fact, is practically doing the work of the washer as well, with the result that tar is carried forward to the and the gas now distributed contains a high percentage of ammonia and ammonia oompounds. The repairing of the I washer will obviate this to a certain (3 extent, but it is neoessary, if com- a meroially pure gas is to be dietri- 1 bated, that another scrubber—or, d for preference, a combined scrubber aud washer, not less thnn sft diameter and 30ft high—be installed at the earliest opportunity. It will be neoeesary shortly to make provision for additional tar storage either by sinking another well or the ereotion of overhead tanks. This matter will f depend on the demand for tar during the next few months, • A steam ~ pump for pumping tar into elevated t tanks would be a great convenience. a The purifiers consist, of two new * boxes 12 x 12 x 4ft 6in filled with £ Milburn's patent valves and a Lutless t Lids, are of the latest design, and with the four old boxes (6ft x Gin x 4ft), will meet future requirements for some years to come. The sta- ? tion meter is in good working £ order, capable of registering about 7,000 cubic feet per hour correctly, " say a daily make of 130,000 ft to 150,00Cft. The gas holders have already been reported on. e Main and Services.—The Council X may take it for granted that the 8 oast iron mains are as good to-day I? as when they were bid, the life of * a o.i. main being indefinite under ordinary conditions, of soil, eto. ' Whether it will be necesasry to i: increase the size of any of the £ leading mainß is a matter that I can only decide by making a series r of pressure tests during the hours of *„ maximum consumption. This I pi o- ; pose doing as opportunity offers. Wraugbfc iron mains are very useful, £ as they can be laidcheaply to supply a small demand, * will last a good many years, and are generally replaced by permanent o.i, mains long before any serious deterioration takes place. I find wet and dry a meters are in use gin the small sizes, k Up to say 201bs wet meters are pre- a ferable; beyond that size, if the I cost of repairs when necessary is not d excessive, dry meters ' are the cheapest, to instal. A standard test 1 holder of five cubic feet capacity, 8 for testing gas meters, is a neoessary Hi apparatus in every well-appointed li gasworks. 1 am of the opinion that 2 it would tend to considerably increase the Council's business, and G popularise the use of gas, if a sales 3 department aud show-room for all 1 descriptions of gas fittings, stoves, '] fires, bath-heaters and other appli- a anoes, was opened near the busi- 'I ness centre of Masterton. This 1 matter,! think, should receive the early consideration of the Council. 1< I have verified stocks as per sheets 2 supplied by the Borough Engineer, p and find fair values have been L assessed, and that a reasonable G amount has been written off for P any deterioration in stock, tools, JV meter, eto. In conclusion, gentle- a men, I beg to state that the plant d ia, with the exceptions mentioned, in good working order; that "with - the addition of the emergency M setting of three retorts, the repairing F of the washer, the ereotion of a F larger scrubber, and the proposed T .new gas-holder, the Uouncll will ai

possess one of the most; complete and up-to-date plants iu New Zealand. 1 wish to tender my thanks to Mr Dobson for the local information and particulars of the plant and mains reticulation which he willingly placed at my disposal when 1 took over the works." The report was referred to the Works Committee. In the meantime the Manager was instruoted to propare an estimate of the cost of the improvements mentioned in the report.