Читать книгу Maxims and Instructions for the Boiler Room - N. Hawkins - Страница 7

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The source of all the power in the steam engine is stored up in coal in the form of heat.

And this heat becomes effective by burning it, that is, by its combustion.

Coal consists of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulphur, oxygen and ash. These elements exist in all coals but in varying quantities.

These are the common proportions of the best sorts:

	ANTHRACITE	BITUMINOUS	WOOD (AVERAGE) DRY.	PEAT	PEAT 1⁄4 WATER
Carbon		901⁄2			81			50			59			44
Hydrogen		21⁄2			51⁄4			6			6			41⁄2
Nitrogen		01⁄4			1			1			11⁄4			1
Sulphur		00			11⁄2			0			?			(25)
Oxygen		21⁄2			61⁄2			41			30			221⁄2
Ash		41⁄4			43⁄4			2			33⁄4			3
		100			100			100			100			100

In burning coal or other fuel atmospheric air must be introduced before it will burn; the air furnishes the oxygen, without which combustion cannot take place.

It is found that in burning one lb. of coal one hundred and fifty cubic feet of air must be used and in every day practice it is necessary to supply twice as much; this is supplied to the coal partly through the grate bars, partly through the perforated doors, and the different devices for applying it already heated to the furnace.