xxvi. Chemical Section. [January 28th, 192 1, 



formance of three or four hundred boiler-plants which he had 

 personally investigated and which showed that the net working 

 efficiency of the boiler-plants of Great Britain is only about 

 60 % and could easily be made 75 % , thus showing the possibility 

 of saving 20% of the coal used for steam generation and saving 

 about 15,000,000 tons per annum. The lecturer also dealt in 

 detail with the proper utilisation of refuse coal at collieries and 

 the development of " pass-out steam " in industries using 

 mixed high pressure and low pressure steam. Also, of the 

 avoidance of condensation losses in steam-pipe circuits and 

 friction losses in connection with bad drives. He was of the 

 opinion (and dealt with these matters) that there was little to 

 be expected in the immediate future for the development of 

 peat, the use of oil fuel, and the Super-power station scheme. 

 The question of a National Scheme of Fuel Econonry is a 

 very intricate and difficult one and is a combination of a 

 number of different methods of workinsr to one end. 



Ordinary Meeting, January 28th, 192 1. 

 Mr. J. H. Lester, M.Sc, F.I.C. (Chairman), in the Chair. 

 Dr. W. R. Ormandy, F.I.C, introduced a discussion on 



" Volatile Fuels with special reference to Alcohol." 



Dr. Ormandy dealt in the first place with the position of the 

 petrol supplies since the war and up to the recent trade depres- 

 sion. He provided statistics as to the world production of 

 motor vehicles, and urged that if trade conditions became 

 normal the demand for petrol would undoubtedly exceed the 

 supply in the near future. He pointed out, in reference to 

 motor benzol, that this at present was a by-product, chiefly 

 from coke ovens producing blast furnace coke, and that the 

 quantity was regulated by the state of the steel trade. He 

 spoke hopefully about the slow development of low temperature 

 distillation, but pointed out that up to the present he did not 

 know of any commercially successful low temperature distilla- 

 tion process. He referred briefly to the possibility of new 

 applications of steam, to suction gas producers, and to engines 

 of the Diesel type. In his opinion it appears that alcohol is 

 the only alternative fuel, and he brought forward much 

 evidence to show that it was an eminently suitable fuel, either 

 in admixture with benzol, petrol or ether, made from the 

 alcohol itself. The production of alcohol was dealt with, and 

 the difficulties of denaturing and distribution were shortly 



