Show TO ELIMINATE SMOKE P 0 perkins engineer at the lemloh hotel salt lake recently gave a demonstration for the benefit of invited guests to show how simple it would be to rid salt lake of its smoke problem his scheme is simple enough he simply mixes oil shale with the coal that is fed to furnace range or heater and thus aids in the process of combustion to an extent that prevents the escape of most of the soot that f ills fills the air and casts a pall over the city particularly during the fall and winter months following the demonstration which impressed those who witnessed it with possessing much merit mr perkins is quoted as having said the simplicity of my plan for eliminating smoke is perhaps its chief drawback people are skeptical that so simple an operation can give so excellent results this shale coal fuel can be used in any furnace As there is an inexhaustible supply of oil shale in utah and as the shale can be produced cheaper and marketed at a less cost than coal not only will the use of mixed shale and coal solve the smoke problem here in salt lake city but it will mean a more efficient fuel at a reduced cost some engineers have raised objection to using shale in the furnace on the ground that the mineral will clinker and clog the fire grates I 1 have found that the shale crushed to the size we ve use it burns to a light substance easily broken to powder and adding little ash and no clinkers process explained by burning oil shale with coal in proportions of about one of shale to four of coal a perfect combustion is secured coal when used alone lies on the fire some six to eight minutes before it begins to blaze and during this period and for a time afterward it gives off heavy gas and carbon which not having the flame to burn them passes away in smoke when oil shale is used with the coal in the proportion above stated a very different action takes place As soon as the shale is thrown in the fire box it blazes up with a steady hot flame which burns the gas and carbon that is cast off by the coal making a perfect combustion and positively no smoke to eliminate smoke in an ordinary furnace using coal alone it is necessary and so 0 ordered by the city inspectors to open the door of the fire box from two to four inches this causes causes cold air to rush over the fire and prevent the smoke showing the reason for the smoke not showing is because the air thins it out the gas and earbon carbon are there just the same and pass UD the chimney unburned and invisible and so many heat units are thereby lost in my opinion at least half the efficiency of the coal is lost while the door remains open with the use of oil shale and coal the door of the fire box is closed tight securing full efficiency of the fuel further attention is called to the greater efficiency of the oil shale coal fuel in the fact that the perfect combustion secured and eliminating mina ting the smoke leaves the heating surfaces of the boiler clean allowing it to work at highest efficiency at all times time thereby making a big saving in fuel after firing with coal alone the steam gauge drops back from ten to fifteen pounds firing with the oil shale fuel it does not drop back it rises at once this mus must mean much better results from the fuel |