2 BULLETIN 741, XT'. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



COMPARISON OF FUEL CONSUMPTION IN DIFFERENT 

 CREAMERIES. 



Although several hundred creameries were reporting regularly to 

 the Dairy Division, it was considered advisable to make a personal 

 inspection of many of them to observe the condition of the ma- 

 chinery and the method of operation and also, so far as possible, to 

 verify the reports submitted. Visits were made, therefore, to 360 

 creameries and special reports were made on the quantity of butter , 

 made-, the kind and amount of fuel, the size and t} r pe of boiler and its 

 condition and method of firing, the size and condition of the engine, ' 

 the condition of. the piping as well as of all the apparatus using 

 steam, and the operation of the plant in general. 1 



Only 206 of the plants inspected used steam exclusively for both ' 

 power and heating. Some used combinations of steam and elec- 

 tricity or of steam and internal-combustion engines, while a consider- 

 able number were operating mechanical refrigerating equipment. 

 Many of the creameries also carried, on various side lines which 

 necessitated the use. of power and fuel, and it was found impossible 

 to determine how much was used for buttermaking and how much 

 for other purposes. Consequently only the 206 plants which used 

 steam exclusively for both power and heating are considered. 



The creameries visited represent all sizes from the smallest to the 

 largest and in order to compare the fuel consumed for the different- 

 sized plants they were grouped as indicated in Table 1. 



Before deciding, however, to use only those creameries covered by 

 special reports in averaging the fuel consumption of different-sized 

 plants, the items of the fuel consumption of a large number of other 

 creameries reporting regularly were tabulated and studied. As the 

 averages thus obtained were very close to those shown in the special 

 reports, it was decided to use only the latter as representative of the 

 creameries throughout the United States. 



Table 1 shows a comparison of the fuel consumed per 1.000 pounds 

 of butter made for different-sized creameries. 



Tahlk 1. — Comparison of fuel used per 1,000 pounds of butter marie in cream- 

 eries grouped according to size. 



Quantity of batter made annually. 



i.V*jij to 100,000 pounds 



100,000 to 200,000 pounds... 

 an),i>K) to VM), 000 pounds.. . 

 300,000 to 400,000 pounds... 

 •100,000 to 1,000,000 pounds. 



Creameries 

 reporting. 



Number. 



Average 



quantity of 

 coal used. 



Tons. 



55 

 81 

 100 

 123 

 145 



Coal con- 

 sumed per 

 1,000 pounds 

 of butter 

 made. 



Pounds, 

 1,540 

 1,120 



800 



7ki 

 520 



'The creameries were visited and the data collected by O. A. Storvick and the tabula- 

 tions' were made by T. K. Pirtle, both of the Dairy Division, 



