XIII, A, 3 Ycasiano and Valencia: Producer-gas Plant 



129 



Sometimes it is necessary to 

 break the clinkers on the grate 

 surface, which is done by pass- 

 ing the hook bar underneath 

 between the grate bars. This 

 operation takes about five min- 

 utes every three hours, accord- 

 ing to the condition of the fire 

 bed. Add to this the time 

 required for poking the fuel 

 when the fire has a. tendency 

 to hang, say four minutes about 

 every four hours, we have a 

 total of less than about five 

 hours in twenty-four of time 

 expended. Or the total time of 

 actual stoking necessary in a 

 69- to 75-horsepower producer 

 is only about 20 per cent of that 

 required in a boiler of about the 

 same horsepower rating. 



Besides the fireman, there is 

 usually an operating engineer, 

 as in the steam plants, but his 



time is not wholly taken up, since there are no steam boilers, 

 steam pipes, or auxiliaries under high steam pressure. The 

 routine duty of the engineer in a producer-gas plant is to see 

 that the engine and auxiliaries are properly lubricated, that the 

 water jacket has a uniform correct temperature, and that the 

 quality of the gas is practically constant and of the highest 

 obtainable calorific value. The operating engineer must also 

 know how to judge whether the fire bed needs stoking or not 

 without actually seeing it. He should make a periodical five- 

 minute inspection at intervals depending on the skill and trust- 

 worthiness of the fireman. The rest of the time of the engineer 

 can be given to other work. 



It must not be implied that what has been enumerated above 

 constitutes the only care necessary in a producer-gas plant. The 

 purifying apparatus, piping, and auxiliaries must be cleaned 

 about once a month, depending on the quality of the fuel; the 

 valves of the engine must be also cleaned and, if necessary, 

 ground from time to time; the gas engine must be thoroughly 

 cleaned about once every month, depending on the number of 

 hours of use and the purity of the gas. The producer can be 



Fig. 9. Special hopper for coconut husks 

 and shells. 



