NO. I FUEL ECONOMY MITMAN I5 



A steam flow meter in its simjilest form represents an outlay of 

 approximately 175 dollars and a draft gage by itself around 15 dollars. 

 A compound recording device, registering on the same chart and at 

 corresponding moments both flue gas and draft conditions, is to be had 

 as standard equipment. A still more comprehensive equipment indi- 

 cates the fire-box draft and the steam flow, and registers and records 

 the steam flow, air flow and flue gas temperature all on one chart. 

 This latter order of equipment represents an outlay of approximately 

 700 dollars. 



The very nature of control equipment presupposes some intelligent 

 attention to maintain it for continuous operation. Fresh reagents 

 must periodically replace those being used in an analyzer and again 

 a supply of charts for the recording types of instruments must be had. 

 It is conservatively estimated, however, that a direct recording flue 

 gas analyzer, for example, can be kept in continuous operation at a 

 cost of about 30 dollars annually. 



Advantages 



Fuel economy is dependent upon two factors, adequacy of instal- 

 lation and boiler room efficiency. Both are variable factors and, as 

 a natural consequence, the data assembled as to furnace practices 

 show an extraordinary range of efflciencies. One operation is getting 

 a yield of from seven to eight pounds of steam for each pound of coal 

 burned, while near by another of exactly the same order is getting 

 but three or four pounds. In the face of these varying efficiencies, 

 no exact statement generally applicable can be made as tO' the pos- 

 sibility of savings through subjecting an operation to chemical control. 

 Instances are on record of cutting fuel costs as much as 50 per cent, 

 which probably represent the upper limit of advantage to be gained. 

 On the other hand, it is safe to say that no rule of thumb procedure 

 can approximate the exactitude of chemical law within 10 per cent ; 

 in other words, a saving of 10 per cent in fuel costs may be counted 

 upon with assurance. 



The direct saving in dollars and cents on the fuel bill is not the only 

 line of advantage to be gathered. The furnace room is the energizing 

 force back of the plant operation, whatever its nature, and depend- 

 ability for meeting the requirements as they arise is the prime 

 requisite. A sudden demand for steam met by opening up a draft so 

 wide as to feed excess air which results in cooling the boiler tubes 

 and actually lowering the steam flow, does more than waste fuel 

 because it impairs efficiencies throughout the i)lant. Thus, losses 



