OIL FOR POWER AND DENIM. IN INDUSTRY extensive use has been made of oil for steam raising purposes and for heating in industrial processes than is generally recognized. for the reason that little publicity is given to installations of this description. Since the fuel conditions in this country, however, became aggravated by the prolonged coal strike, quite extensive resort has been had to oil for power stations and for steam raising purposes in manufacturing concerns. The equipment for such work is, however, of the simplest character, more so, of course, than that connected with its marine applications. and it is un nececsary here to enter into any detailed description of this aspect of the subject. One or other of the oil fuel systems in vogue is selected, and this, with the necessary tankage and piping is adapted to the boiler employed. This conversion is a work quite rapidly carried out, and in the majority of cases so arranged that a return to coal can be readily effected.
A more effective application of fuel oil is that in which it is used for the smelting of metals and the heating of semi-finished articles, such as nuts, bolts, rivets, etc. By reason of its cleanliness and its great and equal heat-giving properties oil should form an unequalled medium for these purposes, and where it has been adopted the results have shown how superior oil is to coal, and what a great improvement is made in the quality of the finished product. In order that this advantage may be realized the following figures arc quoted, although since these results were obtained oil has decreased in value relatively to coal. The figures refer to the cost of the fusion of 40 lbs. of brass in a Bickford Crucible Furnace.
Conditions in every direction have, of course, changed since the date of this comparison, and, if anything, more in favour of oil. The chief points noticeable are the saving in waste metal, the increased number of charges put through, the reduction in the quantity of fuel uses, and the consequent reduction in the cost of production.
For smithy work, and for the manufacture of sheet iron, the use of oil fuel has been found to afford great advantages, economic as well as metallurgical. Attempts have also been made to substitute oil for coke in the blast furnace, though there are apparent difficulties in this work which suggest obstacles to the practical possibility of its success. At any rate I have seen no record of its adoption as a commercial venture, and presumably the experiments did not justify its con tinuance. It may be interesting to quote the remarks made by a works manager when asked why he did not employ oil in the blast furnace. Some inventive genius may be able to solve the problem, and thus secure another wide application to the liquid fuel. " Solid carbon," he remarked, " plays a very important role, especially in the upper level of the blast furnace shaft. Its func tion, especially with the line ores, is largely to limber up the charge and allow the flow of gas to penetrate the charge evenly ; besides, incandescent carbon has certain functions to perform in the blast furnace, which arc of a chemical nature, and which need not be discussed. If coke or charcoal should be entirely replaced by oil in the blast furnace, the charge would very likely become too dense to allow the combustion gases to escape freely." This is the problem confronting those who turn their thoughts towards the substitution of oil for the solid fuel in the blast furnace. At the same time, a system may be found which would overcome the difficulties, and if this were possible by the use of a pure fuel, such as oil is or can be rendered, there can be little doubt that the resultant product would be of a higher grade.