NEW FIRING SYSTEM

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 976, 20 May 1930, Page 14

NEW FIRING SYSTEM

PULVERISED COAL USED ON HORORATA EXPERIMENTAL VOYAGE Special to THE SUN CHRISTCHURCH, Today. The New Zealand Shipping Company’s cargo vessel Hororata, which arrived at Lyttelton yesterday morning, has since her last voyage to New Zealand had her stokehold, with the exception of one reserve boiler, fitted up for the use of pulverised coal. The vessel lost some time on the voyage owing to bad weather and as the result of a breakdown of the pulveris- : ing machinery. On board the Hororata was Mr. D. Dunn, representing Messrs R. H. Green and Silley Weir, London, the manufacturers of the plant, and an assistant. They have supervised the running of the pulverising mills. Mr. Dunn said the Hororata was the first ship to be installed by his company, although there were several systems being tried out by other companies at the present time. One of the advantages of the system was that it used 10 per cent, less coal than hand firing. The slight breakdown on the voyage was due to the coal being of a very inferior quality, being hard and slatey. The trouble was remedied and adjustments effected, so that it was unlikely to recur. Minor alterations and improvements would probably be made as the result of the experience of the present voyage. His company had been working on the system for two and a-half years. On the two previous voyages when the Hororata was running with half of her boilers converted to pulverised fuel, he had accompanied the ship as far as Panama, but on this occasion his company was desirous of obtaining full data for the whole of the voyage. He expected that Westport coal would be taken in for the first part of the homeward voyage. Both Captain Matthews and the chief engineer, Mr. R. McEwen, declined to make any comment on the use of the new fuel. From other sources it was learned that the system is not looked upon with favour by those work it is to keep the decks and fittings clean in calm weather, especially if rain is falling. The fine ash from the powdered fuel is distributed fairly freely.