FUEL ECONOMY IN AMERICA

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 278, 13 August 1918, Page 6

FUEL ECONOMY IN AMERICA

HOW THE BIG INDUSTRIES PINCH ' AND SCRAPE. The ingenious devices employed by various United States industrial concerns tu save fuel for war purposes were described at the annual meeting of tho Boston section of the American. Society of Mechanical Engineers. Improvements in boiler-room practice were obtained by collecting all drips and condensation to be used as boiler feed; by raising tho temperature of the feed water; by weighing and recording the quantities of water evaporated and coal burned; by repairing all steam traps; by covering all steam pipes; by stopping leaks in boiler settings; and by changing grates to suit the fuel used. . Power waste was eliminated by throwing belts off idle machines; eliminating under-loaded motors; cutting out overtime that involved ' inefficient operation of machinery; restricting tho use of large elevators to actual needs. Steam heat economies were made by using only exhaust steam; repairing windows, doors, transoms, etc., to reduce cold-air leaks; installing automatic door-closers; using storm-doors. Fuel was saved in connection with lighting by varied menus, such as reducing tho number of unnecessary lamps; replacing carbon lamps by tungsten lights; reducing tho wattage of lamps where heavy illumination was not needed. ,As a result of these and similar apparently unimportant precautions, tho saving of fuel in some cases was reported tc be as great as 15 per ciiiit. 1 .