COAL ECONOMY AND NATIONAL WEALTH.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.") Sia,—On behalf of my Committee, may I be allowed to take excep- tion to a rather sweeping statement made under the above heading. in your issue of January 5th ? Commenting on this topic, you my, editorially, that " the ordinary method of gas production WO the disadvantage that the final residue in the shape of coke makes a very poor fuel." This statement is neither in accordance with theory nor practice, owing to the fact that coke, the nature of which approximates to pure carbon, burns without the formation of water as one of its resultant products. From widely different sources there is no lack of evidence to show that ordinary non- volatile gas coke is, relatively, a very good and efficient fuel. Industrial heating apparatus, including large-capacity steam boilers and mechanical stokers, as used at the largest electric- power stations, have proved to be readily adaptable to the use of gas coke as at present produced by high-temperature distillation. By virtue of its porous and non-volatile characteristics this coke is now being consumed in steam boiler furnaces at normal rates with a minimum (about 30 to 40 per cent.) excess of air. Compared with natural bituminous coal fuel of equal calorific power, which requires for its complete combustion in normal average circum- stances anything over 100 per cent. excess of air, high-tempera- ture gas coke is, therefore, the more efficient fuel. I may add that it has been possible to demonstrate this fact to many important steam-users, including electricity supply and tramway authorities.
Engineer and Fuel Expert.
London Coke Committee, 84 Horse ferry Road, Westminster, S.W. 1.
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