Untitled

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 301, 12 March 1928, Page 2

PULVERISED COAL.—Reviewing the progress of the utilisation of pulverised coal in 1927, the “Shipping World” states: “A notable development in marine engineering during the year has been the utilisation of pulverised coal for steam raising. The United States Shippng Board’s experimental ship Mercer, although full details of her trans-Atlantic voyage have yet to be disclosed, has proved conclusively that there is a future for pulverised fuel in marine work. Considerable economies in working are promised, as coal for pulverising can be obtained at less cost than ordinary steam coal and, of course, is much cheaper than fuel oil. There are one or two difficulties which will have to he met before pulverised coal burning in steamers can be adopted on an extensive scale, but the Mercer has paved the way, and steady development with this new fuel may be looked for from now on. It jnust, however, be borne in mind that the Mercer is a ship built in 1919 and converted. She was fitted as an oilburner originally, and structural alterations have had to be made, so that the layout of the new plant has been largely determined by the conditions existing. The burners fitted—of the Peabody type—gave no trouble and appear to indicate success. It is stated that other ships of the United States merchant fleet will shortly be fitted to burn pulverised coal. It is also said that the cost of conversion in the Mercer has been • and will be considerably reduced m the next vessels. The ship was thrown open to inspection recently at Rotterdam, and visited by many engineers il J cludin S an Admiralty representative who, it is known, was very favourably impressed.