TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION G. 825 



prescribed district. It is proposed to put the power station alongside the Grand 

 Canal, not far from Robertstown, about twenty-five miles from Dublin, 



Previous attempts to utilise peat for power failed because they were based on 

 drying the peat, so as to contain no more than 25 per cent, of water, and in some 

 cases the expense of ' briquetting ' was incurred ; the peat was then transported 

 to the place where power was required and burnt in steam boilers fitted -with 

 specially designed furnaces. Such peat could not compete with coal; moreover, 

 the valuable by-products were not recovered. 



In the proposed scheme the peat will only be partially dried — that is, will 

 still contain 60 per cent, of water; it will be used on the spot to make gas, so as 

 to get the benefit of the great thermal efficiency of gas engines and to save the 

 cost of carriage. The by-products will be recovered, the profit on which will at 

 least cover the cost of getting and drying the peat. It will be possible to supplv 

 power to works in the immediate neighbourhood of the power station as cheaply 

 as can be done from water-power. Many of those industries which are dependent 

 upon cheap power will undoubtedly be attracted. 



Great progress has been made in Germany in the utilisation of peat. Although 

 no complete electric-power undertaking is at present working on the above lines, 

 all the various links in the chain are separately and successfully in operation ; 

 many of these links have been ' Made in Germany,' why should not the complete 

 chain be put together in Ireland ? 



_ There are several methods of getting and drying peat. Apparently, the moit 

 suitable, when it is desired to obtain peat nearly all the year round, is to dig witli 

 a grab, and pass the peat through a Dornberg press. The peat then rapidly dries 

 to 60 per cent., except in very wet weather in the winter, and to tide over this 

 period a reserve of peat must be accumulated. 



The producers used for making gas from peat are similar to those us3d with 

 bituminous coal, but they are larger in dimensions for the same power. The gas 

 issuing from the producers passes through the recovery plaht, thence to the gas 

 engines. The gas in passing through the recovery plant is cleaned in a very perfect 

 manner, and therefore troubles due to tar and dust are entirely' obviated. 



Sulphate of ammonia is the principal by-product. The amount obtained 

 depends on the percentage of nitrogen in the peat. The proposed power station 

 at Robertstown will be capable of making 3,000 tons of sulphate per annum. 



The other important by-products are acetate of lime, methyl alcohol, and tar 

 containing paraffin wax and oils. An excellent waggon grease can be made from 

 the tar, the output of which at Robertstown ought to bo about 2,000 barrels per 

 annum. The monetary value of these by-products will be about equal to that of 

 the sulphate of ammonia. 



An excellent charcoal can be made from peat, instead of gas, together with 

 the by-products enumerated above, and the process has been in operation near 

 Oldenberg for over ten years. The most up-to-date factory, however, is at 

 Beuerberg-, near Munich, and it has been at work for three years. The charcoal 

 obtained from peat is of excellent quality, and can be used to advantage to replace 

 wood charcoal. It is used in large quantities in Germany in connection with the 

 manufacture of steel. 



2. Producer Gas.^ By 3. Emerson Dowson, M.Inst.C.E. 



The author's first paper on this subject was read at the York Meeting in 1881, 

 and after twenty-seven years he reviewed briefly the progress since made. In large 

 furnace-work he traced the developments and improvements in the system intro- 

 duced by the brothers Siemens. Its success has been great, and has been due 

 chiefly to heating the air for combustion by the waste products. Dr. IMond's 

 recovery of ammonium sulphate, which reduces the cost of fuel, is also mentioned. 

 For smaller heating work, where jets of gas are required, it is essential that the 



' Published in Engineering, September II. 



