In starting a fire in a cold boiler, the fireman first sees that all valves in the burner feed lines are closed. He then s cracks the valve in the return line, and starts the oil pump. He then admits steam to the oil heater and allOws the oil to circulate through the lines until the thermometer shows the proper tem perature. When the oil has attained the proper temperature, he closes the valve in the return line, and opens the dampers in the firing front and stack. He inserts a lighted torch directly in front of the burner tip and opens the burner valve wide. He then opens the valve in the burner feed line wide when the fire readily lights. Fig. 59 shows this system of burners which is installed in the Matson Navigation Company's steamer ivIanoa, and Fig. 60 shows the hinged firing front for a mechanical burner.
The Matson Navigation Company operates 7 oil burning steamers of their own between San Francisco and Hawaiian Islands, and nine Shipping Board steamers. The company's own steamers consume about 600,000 barrels of fuel oil yearly. The Matson steamer Matsonia has a fuel oil capacity of 21,000 barrels. This steamer consumes 10,000 barrels on the round voyage be tween San Francisco and Honolulu. The steamer takes on oil to her full capacity at San Francisco, and delivers the surplus into tanks at Honolulu for use by the steamers operated by the com parry for the Shipping Board, and for use of the company's own steamers hi case they need it. The Manoa, with a capacity of 16,500 barrels, consumes 6,500 barrels on the round trip. This vessel also delivers the surplus into tanks at Honolulu for the same purpose as the Matsonia. Fig. 61 shows the oil-burning French S. S. Lieutenant de Missiessy, of the Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes.
The Staples and Pfeiffer oil-burning system has been in operation on a large number of steamers on the Pacific for many years. This system is somewhat different in operation from the Dahl and Coen systems, as the system atomizes the oil by means of steam or compressed air. The oil is heated and forced through the burners by pumps, and in addition steam or compressed air is introduced into the burner which atomizes the oil. (See fig. 62.)
The following data are from the steam trials of the U. S. R. C. Golden Gate, which is equipped with the Staples & Pfeiffer oil burning system : Probably nothing can illustrate the superiority of oil over coal as fuel for steamers, more clearly than the history of the Oceanic Steamship Company's steamers Ventura and Sonomo. These vessels were originally coal burners operating between San Francisco and Australian ports. Because of the disadvan tages of coal as fuel these steamers were tied up in San Francisco Bay for over two years. They were converted to oil burners in 1915 by the Union Iron Works of San Francisco, and have been in operation between San Francisco and Australian ports ever since. It has never been necessary during these six years of oper ation to make any repairs to boilers.
The Ventura is equipped with eight boilers, 24 furnaces, 8,000 H. P. The Sonoma is of similar equipment. These steam ers burn from 19,000 to 21,500 barrels on the round voyage, the distance for the round voyage being 13,475 miles. The total tank capacity is 18,290. This amount is taken on at San Francisco. At Honolulu a sufficient amount of oil is taken on so that the supply will total 16,500 barrels when leaving that port, and on the return trip sufficient oil is taken on at Honolulu so that there will be 4,500 barrels in the tanks, which is ample to bring the vessel to San Francisco, and still have a three days' supply on hand. These steamers are of 10,000 tons displacement each. The rated speed is 17 knots an hour, but they only maintain a speed of 15% knots an hour on the trip to Australia and return.
The Shipping Board steamers are now being equipped with heating coils in the double bottoms so that the steamers may use the heavy oil which is found at certain points. The heavy Mexican oils especially require these coils so that the oil may be heated in order to be handled by the oil pumps. This will en able the steamers to be operated on any kind of oil.