252 B. Silliman, Jr., on the Combustion of Wet Fuel. 
wet bagasse. For dryer fuels furnishing less vapor, the mixing chamber 
should be proportionably increased in size to supply the defficiency with 
air and to effect complete combustion. Rules more precise would be in- 
consistent with the nature of the subject. 
A large and hot fire should always be preserved in the fire chamber 
below the grate, and directly under the charge of wet fuel, for the pur- 
pose of driving the vapor out of it and charring its lower portion—and 
the grate is left much more open than in furnaces for burning dry fuel of 
the same size, for the purpose of allowing the charred portions of the wet 
charge to fall through to supply fuel for this fire as fast as it becomes fit 
yd _ purpose, thus consuming the mass with little or no expenditure 
of other fuel. 
I wish it distinctly understood that I make no claim to any ' 
rts or combination above specified except in. their application to the 
Is.” 
Tt will be observed that in this mode of combustion the wet 
fuel is subject to a constant process of distillation by the fire 
the ash pit. The products of this distillation react on each oth- 
er in the mixing chamber in the manner already described, 
while at the same time a portion of watery vapor is decomposed 
a requisite for complete combustion is drawn from the atmos 
paere or is derived from the decomposition of water by ¢aT a 
Ses 
ais a 
