Experimenting With Oil as Fuel.

Experimenting With Oil as Fuel.

For some months we have been watching with interest an experiment in oil burning upon a large scale undertaken by the Tremont and Suffolk Mills at Lowell, Mass. The decision, after a thoroughly practical trial, to adopt this class of fuel, and a continuance in its use, would, in the case of these extensive and well-known mills, have an important bearing upon the immediate future of oil as fuel among the New England industries. They are at present using the oil under eight 6-foot boilers, sixteen feet in length. The cost of the fuel Mr. Thomas, the agent, informs us is not less than that of coal, but advantages are found in the ease with which the oil is handled, the saving of help in the fire room and in handling ashes, the uniformity of the furnace temperature, and in the consequent cleanliness and neatness. The power of the boilers is increased some twenty-five per cent, six boilers furnishing, when fired with oil, the same amount of steam as eight fired with coal. The application was made without any radical change in the setting of the boilers, burners being used which spray the oil with steam. This method obviates also the necessity of a chimney other than as a means of conveying off the products of combustion, a sufficient current of air being induced by the action of the burner. The combustion appears to be complete, and the stack particularly tree from smoke.

它可能是通过提到的实际优势，而不是通过对其实际比较成本进行大量节省的方式，油将赢得最终将其作为蒸汽燃料所占用的位置。一磅油通过完全燃烧产生约21,000的热单元，而14,500磅的碳产生。由于煤并不全是碳，并且必须间歇性发射，因此发现有可能用一磅油与一磅煤一起蒸发几乎两倍的水，实际测试的实际测试高达1.75至1.80很多。这使一加仑的石油重6.5磅，相当于约12磅的煤炭，与煤炭约为每吨约3.75美元，每加仑2美分。