The Iron Age 1924-02-21: Vol 113 Iss 8

4, Mildsbddildid 113, No. 8 VOL. Powdered Coal for Locomotive Shop Distributed to Sub-Stations and Thence to Individual Furnaces—Special Design Necessary for Forge Furnace Temperatures BY CHARLES LONGENECKER FACTOR of paramount importance, especially to A large manufacturers, is the necessity for provid- ing for an adequate and dependable fuel supply it all times. The price and supply of oil and coal have fluctuated widely in the past few years and, while commodities are plentiful, their future With this in mind the foresighted these status is uncertain. today manufacturer will make every provision to fortify himself against possible shortage. A step in this lirection has been taken by the Baldwin Locomotive Works at the Eddystone plant, where practically all furnaces have been equipped to burn either fuel oil or powdered coal. Located 12 miles from Philadelphia, the Eddystone plant covers an area of 585 Since the first building was erected, in 1906, the number of shops has been steadily increased until today the plant is probably surpassed by none in up-to-date methods and in superiority of workmanship. Here all types of locomotives are built, from the smallest narrow-gage acres. Interior of Main Station, Showing Rotary Drying Rear, Cylinder in Center, with Two 25-Ton Pulverized Coal Storage Bins in the The vertical cylinder in left foreground is one of the ejectors by which pulverized coal is sent, under air pressure, to the sub-stations (OO obec nDaee naan nena renee.» OONNNUNOOUmOeNby gue LENNON OTERO DORED LLONEDOGDOGEDIOUENUGNENDG100 01 DOAALIESLO0N EODEDEELORENDD SASROORADE DE TEDONDEON /FRENON0/ 1 TRRELEPONNE I8REREDERESSOEETEOERERED ' 6 565 566 engine, weighing 5 tons, to the 365-ton 2-10-2 type recently furnished the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. Capacity of this plant is 65 locomotives per week. With such an output it is apparent that the fuel requirements for the various heating operations, which must be performed on the many parts requisite for the construction of a locomotive, will reach a figure of large proportions. The weekly fuel consumption of the Baldwin plant, as a whole, based upon an annual z capacity of 3500 locomotives, is about 4200 net tons of coal and 175,000 gal. of oil. An advantage possessed by this plant is that materials may be received, or locomotives may be shipped, by either rail or water. Thus fuel oil is received in barges and unloaded into large storage tanks. Locomotives, for export, are loaded direct into ships at the company’s wharves. The about Jan. 1, powdered coal installation was completed 1922, since when it has been in operation The furnaces to be supplied practically continuously. | ' — +P ii Hid Hi ; i; Bri | | i “ ' : : ; p ; | 0 ee a a rok 7 | | | _ ~ SY> Section (Abi ? >» ¥Y > Sub-Station ai >| Wee 11 nections Below. | | | | ‘ } | right. It p | wy ? { 0 0 eae ais te 8 a | of the { bananas THE IRON ve) Through the Main AGE February 21, covered a great diversity of types and consi experimental work was necessary to adapt t! the fuel and secure the desired results. Not naces were found adaptable for burning powder and hence, for some operations on small furnac: original fuel is retained. In its entirety, the powdered coal system com; a main station and seven substations. The station contains the necessary machinery for wa crushing, drying, pulverizing and ejecting the fi: to each substation. From the substations distri! is made to the individual furnaces. In architectural design the main station conf with the other buildings at the Eddystone plant. walls are of hollow tile resting upon a concrete which extends around the base of the building a: a height of 40 in. The length inside columns is 84 4 in. and the width 31 ft. 7 in. Every precaution taken to leave no ledges or surfaces on which coal d might find lodgment. [TTT et i ITTV] Tar Tiy TUTTI TTT i Rs Pulverizing Station, with a Right (Next Page) and a Series of Furnace Con- Coal enters at left and proceeds toward the is finally ejected, for use, from the main station and distributed by means of the flexible pipe connections to any one several sub-stations, local furnace distribution whence takes place rvvyvrerrr - rte rrrT PTI TTT DIT "IT g pring Shop Furnace ruary 21, 1924 e concrete floor is provided with adeyuate drain- so that it can be flushed with ease. Ample light ventilation are obtained by the installation of | sash of the ventilator type. Electric lights are red by wire cages and, as a further precaution, r-proof protection is provided. . “flow sheet” for the coal, from the concrete per to the furnace, shows no deviation from pted practice for this “low-pressure air distribu- type of plant. Several innovations in detail _ however, been incorporated and some variations ' in individual equipment. Four-Roll Crusher Used The first change from usual procedure was the tallation of a “four-roll” crusher instead of the ngle or double roll. This departure was for the irpose of securing coal crushed to a size suitable for “washing.” The top rolls partially break down the imps while the lower corrugated pair reduce the coal approximately %-in. cubes. The motive power for rushing is furnished by an individual constant-speed otor, while the belt taking the coal to the crusher from the concrete hopper has a variable speed drive. When reduced to size, the coal drops into the boot of an elevator which lifts it and deposits it either on 1 washing table or into a small steel hopper. From the latter it passes into the dryer. The dryer and two pulverizers are of the Bonnot air separation type. Each pulverizer has a capacity of 5 or 6 tons per hour. Two 25-ton storage bins receive the coal from the pulverizers and discharge it into ejector tanks placed directly beneath the bins. Mention has been made of the washing table. This was installed for experimental purposes and to demon- THE IRON AGE 567 strate the feasibility of eliminating a portion of the ash, and passing the coal direct into the dryer. While it is recognized that washed coal has been used in other places, the table has not elsewhere been incorporated as an integral part of the preparing machinery. This table is of the Deister type and was used continuously for several months, until the demand on the plant eventually exceeded its capacity at which time it was necessary to by-pass direct into dryer. In addition to the removal of a very appreciable quantity of ash, all metallic substances and wood are thrown off, so that a magnet for trapping the tramp iron may be dispensed with. A test to determine the percentage of ash and sulphur taken out resulted as follows: Ash Sulphur Bebe GOR 6s vised etree 9.30 2.10 Washed coal.......... 6.74 1.63 A 3-in. pipe conveys the coal, by means of com- pressed air, from the main station to the collector at each of the substations. These pipes, on leaving the main station, run underground in a concrete conduit and, rising, pass along or over the various buildings. One illustration shows the manner by which the dis- charge pipes from either of the two ejector tanks can be connected to the pipe leading to any one of the seven substations. There being two ejector tanks, it is pos- sible to supply coal to two substations at the same time. The discharge pipe from each ejector tank terminates in a flexible hose. The seven pipes, with caps, lead to the seven substations. It is apparent that either flexible hose can be attached to any one of the seven pipes. This construction eliminates the necessity of depending on valves for the distribution to the various substations. The air pressure required at the ejector tank varies according to the distance the coal must be carried. Substation No. 1 is about 180 ft. from the ejector tank and for this distance air at 15 lb. pressure will suffice. The distance to No. 5 substation is 800 ft. and to “shoot” the coal, 35 Ib. air pressure is neces- sary. To the right of the pipes the electrically operated signal board can be seen, by means of which the attendant in the substation can indicate his desires as to coal supply. A “klaxon” is provided to work in conjunction with the signal board. The equipment at each substation is inclosed by steel framework to which corrugated sheets are at- tached. All floors are concrete. With the exception of the size of the distributing fans and auxiliary apparatus, the seven stations are identical in principle. Five have a storage capacity of 15 tons while No. 1, which distributes coal to 51 furnaces, stores 25 tons and No. 7, which supplies the boilers and pile heating furnaces, has a storage of 50 tons. All substations are outside the buildings they serve, so there is no coa! near the furnaces except that passing through the distributing line. For distribution the principle followed is the con- veyance of powdered coal through a spirally riveted pipe by means of an air current, created by a fan, and the return of the excess coal to a collector at which the pipe terminates. Branch pipes connect the spiral riveted main to the individual furnaces. The coal supply for each furnace is regulated by a valve in the branch pipe where it is joined to the main. The coal and air are mixed in the fan in the ratio of approximately, 1 lb. of coal to 60 cu. ft. of air and this mixture is then forced through the distributing pipe at an average pressure of 8 oz. The pressure at the burner is considerably less. One important feature, tending to clarify the atmosphere in the substation building; is the mainte- nance of a slight suction therein. This suction is obtained by drawing all air required by the distributing oe cia SS mm Ieee =e pee eG « s ! i l or oo oc Substation Outside the Hammer Shop Which It Serves The high-pressure pipe A brings the pulverized coa f main Station under 15 ltl ft air pressure fan from within the walls of the substation, so that any dust in the air is drawn into the fan and passes from it into the system. No. 1 substation, for the hammer shop, was de signed to serve 61 furnaces used principally to heat iron and steel for drop forging. In design, all are identical. To have well formed forgings the metal, when taken to the hammer, must be exceedingly hot and this is especially true of the iron. The mainte- nance of this high temperature in a comparatively small combustion space, with gases at a high velocity, necessitates for economical service a furnace construc- tion which will stand up under the most severe usage Switching Arrange ment n the Mair Station The two exible hose carry pulverized coal from two ejector tanks Either one may be connected to any of the dis tributing lines be low them and the proper amount of coal, called for on the signal board at right, “shot” to the designated sub-sta THE IRON AGE February 2 24 The proper disposal of the waste gases on lea, furnace also presents a problem. The type of furnace which satisfactorily , above stipulation is shown. This design was after much experimental work. The com chamber is 3 ft. 2 in. wide by 2 ft. 3 in. deep. height to skew-back measures 2 ft. 3 in. Th: work is held in place by tie rods extending ac: top and bottom. The construction for the co: the spent gases is unique. The furnace is so that there are two compartments separated | bricklined water-cooled door. The products of bustion pass from the combustion chamber, forms one compartment, into the second compartn the top of which slopes to a circular opening over which a stack is placed. This front compartment, which is about 18 jn. deep, has a heavy sheet iron door placed directly in front of the door between the two compartments. Th function of this latter door is to seal the furnace, except when being charged, and to prevent the gases from passing into and contaminating the atmospher of the shop. As compared to the conditions which existed before this design of furnace was installed there is a noticeable improvement, in that the air is clear and free from smoke and in the summer time it is much cooler. The result of burning powdered coal in this shop has been a saving in fuel, longer life of the dies, less scrap, softer metal and less metal wasted by oxidation. Substations Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 furnish coal to five shops. The furnaces in these shops, where the character of the work permits, will be constructed on lines similar to the type used for drop forging. In some cases, due to the obstruction of overhead traveling cranes, it has been found impossible to install hoods with vent pipes and here, if powdered coal is burned, an exhaust system will have to be installed. These particular furnaces are few and represent a very small tonnage. The great majority of furnaces are used for forging or pressing and will burn powdered coal with first class results. Substation with Two Outgoing Lines There are two distributing lines from the largest substation, No. 7; one carries coal to four 600-hp. Babcock & Wilcox boilers and the second serves the three pile heating furnaces. The fans supplying the ary Sis 1924 nes draw their coal from one hopper. The first ation of powdered coal to these boilers was in ature of an experiment and the equipment was f a permanent class. But the results from this se shift” installation were so encouraging that the plete substation was erected and provision made lude the pile furnaces. The boilers have now been in operation for about ir and have in every way justified the use of ydered coal. Boiler ratings of from 150 to 200 per are usual. The steam generated is piped to the mers in the forge shops, and then passes to tur- es. There are a large number of hammers and it apparent that the demand for steam will fluctuate widely, so that the supply must be exceedingly flexible. In meeting these “peaks” and “load drops” powdered coal finds a most fitting field. During the week’s run some slag will form in the ottom of the combustion chamber, but this is removed when the boiler is down over Sunday. There has been ome erosion of the furnace walls, but this has not een severe. The features which have made powdered ‘oal such an acceptable fuel for the boilers at this plant are: economy of labor and fuel, ease of furnace ontrol and ability to meet quickly all demands for steam. _ To attain the standard desired on the pile heating furnaces it was necessary to make considerable altera- tions in the furnace structure. When the correct con- truction was reached the furnace capacity was greater and the time of making “heats” less than had been THE IRON AGE ' 569 the case with hand-firing. There was also a saving in fuel and labor and the life of the rolls was longer. Flexibility Provided Practically all the furnaces, including the boilers, are so equipped that either oil or powdered coal can be burned, as desired. By this arrangement the com- pany is enabled to take advantage of any fluctuations in the price of oil or coal. The change from either fuel can be made in a short time. Capacity production in the various shops will neces- sitate the operation of the preparing plant at maximum output and any additional fuel requirements will have Furnaces of Special Design to Use the Powdered Coal and Heat Iron or Steel Parts to Forging Conditions. There are two compartments, arranged for control of the spent gases to be met by the installation of another dryer and pulverizer. This contingency has been anticipated and space provided so that these pieces of equipment can be fitted in and connected up to that already in place. Roughly, 2100 workmen are employed by the Fore River Works, Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Ltd., whereas a month ago 2400 were on the payroll. Last year the plant averaged 3300 workmen, but in former years the normal force was around 8000. A Govern- ment cruiser has just been completed, a submarine is nearing completion, and a Government airplane carrier will be launched in the fall. All other work at the plant is of a repair nature. The Singer Mfg. Co. has banked its Musconetcong furnace, Stanhope, N. J., for an indefinite period. The foundry, also, will be closed. About 100 men are af- fected. mare nen pe apne I 0 GA FAA iste ne 570 Milling Machine Attachment for Rapid Pro- duction A table attachment intended to convert the No. OY plain milling machine from a hand-operated to a semi- automatic unit, adapting it to rapid production work, has been placed on the market by the Brown & Sharpe Mfg. Co., Providence. It is claimed that with the at- tachment an average of 16 jobs taken at random from the operations adapted to this machine show, with the same speeds and feeds, an increase of over 20 per cent in production. The application of the attachment may be noted from the accompanying illustration. There are few The Table Attachment Converts the Milling Machine From a Hand-Operated to a Semi-Automatic Unit for Production Work parts and these may be mounted without special tools. The table feed hand crank is replaced by a pulley from which a belt extends to a foot treadle as shown. De- pressing the treadle rotates the pulley and moves the table to the cutting position, where the cutting feed is engaged. This also compresses a heavy spring and ipon completion of the cut, a trip dog disengages the utting feed, the spring returning the table automati- ally to the loading position. The attachment reduces the hand movements re- quired from five to two, and the non-cutting time 50 per cent by a fast advance and return of the work to and from the cutter. Both hands of the operator are free to adjust the work. A feature is that the attach- ment makes it impossible to jam the work into the cutter, which is emphasized as saving cutter expense and facilitating the breaking in of new operators. Production is materially increased if the cutting and loading time is short. If the loading is shorter than the cutting time, the automatic return of the table permits the operation of two machines with less fatigue, it is claimed, than the operation of one ma- ‘-hine without the attachment. The Mansfield Steel Corporation, Detroit, which was recently purchased by the Fisher Body Corporation, is a wire and iron works. This company is in no way con- nected with the Mansfield Sheet & Tin Plate Co., manu- facturer of special finished sheets, Mansfield, Ohio. THE IRON AGE February 21, {924 Slide Rule Simplifies Design Work A slide rule for standard parts, intended a to draftsmen and designers and practically « ing, it is claimed, mistakes in transferring dimensions to drawings and computations, seen at the office of the American Engineering ards Committee, 29 West Thirty-ninth Street. N York, which also has for distribution illustrated describing the device. The rule was exhibited at the internationa] , ardization conference at Zurich, and has been p | on the market in Switzerland. It presents ess al dimensions for the full series of the Swiss standard bolts, nuts and washers. By moving the slide to such position that the desired diameter appears through a window or opening in the fixed part of the rule, all the dimensions for the other parts of the bolt of that size appear in the corresponding rectangles on a clear dia- gram of the bolt which is engraved on the fixed part of the rule. In this way each dimension appears in exactly the place where it applies, the diameter of the washer, for example, appearing just where the washer would be dimensioned in any actual drawing incorpo- rating the bolt, nut and washer combination. In addition to the fundamental dimensions of the bolt itself, the rule provides a convenient means of showing also the diameter of the drill that is to be used for drilling a threaded hole to receive the bolt; the diameter of the cotter pin to be used; the effective cross sectional area of the bolt in square inches; its safe carrying capacity in pounds, and the working stress at that load in pounds per square inch. On the reverse side of the slide rule a similar presentation of the dimensions of two other standard design com- ponents, shaft keys and gas pipes. The rule is emphasized as illustrating one of the advantages of standardization in favoring manufactur- ing economy. It is adapted to all cases where standard dimensions have been determined upon for parts, com- ponents or complete machines. Wide Swing Floor Stand Grinder A floor stand grinding machine, with a distance of 37 in. between grinding wheel centers, and particularly adapted for grinding operations necessary in fitting and assembling castings in stove, furnace and heater work, has been placed on the market by the Hisey-Wolf Ma- chine Co., Cincinnati. The machine is equipped with a 3 hp. motor and a safety automatic motor starter, which is intended to provide maximum protection to the motor. The control button is located at the front of the machine and the switch is inclosed in the base. The removal of a cover plate permits of convenient access to the switch mechanism. The spindle, which is 1% in. in diameter at the wheels and of one-piece construction, is mounted in four ball bearings. The grinding wheels are 14 x 2 in. and buffing and wire brush wheels may be used, with or without wheel guards. A safety inclosed and com- bination wheel guard, which is fitted with removable end covers and exhaust pipe connection, is available. This guard is adjustable to any angle, may be moved back as the grinding wheel wears, and is interchangeable with the standard open-end guard provided. Grinding rests are adjustable and may conveniently be removed when desired. The base of the machine measures 22 x 25 in., and the height from floor to center of spindle is 37 in. The weight of the machine is 660 lb. net. The sixth annual edition (1924) of Fraser’s directory of machinery, metal products and hardware has been published by the Fraser Publishing Co., Montreal, Uan- ada. The names and addresses of Canadian manutac- turers, dealers, agents and firms outside of Canada but represented in Canada, are given under classifications of the various products they handle. The size is 6’ * J in., 409 pages. The price is $3. Trend in the Science of Metals Relative Growth of Steel and Non-Ferrous Industries— Knowledge the Key to Expansion—-Diffusion of Metals in Solid State BY DR. ZAY JEFFRIES ACH generation accepts the developments of the H) preceding generations without full appreciation of the difficulties which had to be overcome or the effect of any given development on society. Today the production of pig iron is the yardstick with which gen- eral industrial health and progress are measured. So natural and logical does this seem to us that it is diffi- cult to picture conditions prior to the fourteenth cen- tury, when pig iron was unknown. Not only was pig iron unknown but iron or steel could not be melted and poured into castings; all iron and steel articles were forged from sponge iron. Steel and Non-Ferrous Industries Compared All castings as well as many worked articles were made of non-ferrous metals or alloys. In many parts of the world over long periods of time not only was the annual exchange value of non-ferrous metals greater than that of iron and steel, but also their combined ton- nage was greater. At present the value of the pig iron produced in a year is of the same order of magnitude as that of all non-ferrous metals combined; the tonnage of pig iron is, however, about 20 times that of all non- ferrous metals combined. Owing to lack of records we will probably never know the relative importance of the various metals at all periods in historic times. A certain conclusion is that the iron and steel industry, since the discovery of pig iron and the cheap methods of converting it into steel, has grown at a much more rapid rate than the non-ferrous metal industries. Notwithstanding their fundamental fitness for man’s needs, iron and steel owe their importance in no small degree to the low cost of production. The low cost was a result of increased knowledge of the production appliances and of the metallurgical processes. This increased knowledge is the key to our modern industrial civilization. It will remain for future generations to determine whether there is now going on a gradual change toward greater relative importance of the non-ferrous metals as compared to iron and steel. The world’s pig iron production in 1920 was slightly more than twice what it was in 1890, whereas the non-ferrous metals produc- tion in 1920 was about two and one-half times that in 1890. Every non-ferrous metal industry has shown DUAMANAANOOLSLLORGAADAALASUSESS UC udoabNGaeUNvduueedeennaanenatt 1 HNNUEOUEEADEONULESUUENAEY marked growth during the last 30 years. During this period the production of copper, nickel and aluminum has increased at a much faster rate than that of rig iron, Relative Importance of Various Metals Assuming different degrees of fitness for industrial uses, the relative importance of the various metals de- pends on: 1. Cost of production; 2. Knowledge of properties and shapes desired for in dustrial uses; 3 The state of the science of metals, i.e., the knowledge of the properties of metals and their alloys and of the processes of fabrication. In the growth of any particular metal industry all of these factors are inter-related. A revolutionary dis- covery in any one of these fields may result in a marked increase in demand. Also increased knowledge of any metal may greatly change its rate of growth. The Institute of Metals division of this society is principally interested in the third item—the Science of Metals. We will confine the discussion this afternoon to certain aspects of this subject. Many physical and mechanical properties must be considered in the selection of metals and alloys, for in- dustrial uses, namely, resistance to corrosion, electrical conductivity, magnetic properties, melting point, vapor pressure, bearing qualities, machineability, coefficient of expansion, strength, elastic limit, hardness, elonga- tion and reduction of area after rupture by tension, re- sistance to repeated stresses, resistance to impact, etc. Sometimes a number of these properties must be within specified limits in the same material. Again some prop- erty, not here specified, may be essential in order to fabricate a desired article. Plasticity and Hardness If we consider the various properties of metals from the standpoint of their contribution to usefulness there is probably good agreement that plasticity and hardness rank first. If we examine all of the uses of metals we can find no considerable use in which either or both of these properties is an unimportant factor. Drawn cop- per wire for example may be used for a conductor of electricity in places where its hardness or even its plas- HOTUANTARIGL LIED 1" WET EN TUTE WO years ago the Institute of Metals Division of the American Insti- tute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers inaugurated the presenta- tion of an annual lecture at the regular February convention of the mining engineers in New York. The leading scientists of this and other countries have been selected and are scheduled for the presentation of this lecture. The first one was delivered by Prof. W. G. Bancroft, Cornell University, in February, 1922, and the second one was delivered by Dr. Walter Rosen- hain, a leading British metallurgist. The lecture this year, part of which is presented in abstract herewith, was delivered Monday afternoon, Feb. 18, by Dr. Zay Jeffries, director of research, Aluminum Co. of America, Cleveland. Dr. Jeffries occupies a leading place among Ameri- can metallurgists, having contributed many valuable papers on steel and non-ferrous metallurgy. The work of himself and his associates on the nresentation of a new theory for the hardness of metals is an outstanding achievement of recent years. PPUUUENL HAQORUNAGROULOUENGDOSUADUEMLOUNNLD ULL CON POUAD LENO ORENEE AGERE DU ASUNE SEDO EAS TELE TSH i mt TOTEM HUTTE iH 571 — MUU | ee 4 ee 3 : 4 4 5 Al é : + sce ey a Pract = : : a eee peer aang ee et eS ae Ry ae 6 awe ees ne eee ene me “ve © 572 ticity may not be an important factor, but if it were not plastic it could not have been drawn into wire. The use of cast iron would be very limited if it were as soft as lead. Furthermore, the high compressive strength and the machineability of cast iron are due in a large measure to the plasticity of the main constituent, fer- rite. Important as the subject of hardness is, it has received sufficient attention during the last few years so that one would not be warranted in giving it further consideration today. Each year the chances are becoming less for the layman to make signal advances in the science of metals. The trend in the science is in the direction of atomic physics. The old tools are not being discarded but are being used more and with better understanding. New ‘tools are being developed which have already greatly enriched our knowledge and promise even greater things in the future. New developments are now often the result of laborious researches involving a profound study in fields which have been worked over, on the surface, many times; the tools available permit us to make a more profound study than could have been made even two decades ago. I have decided to discuss two subjects the knowledge of which has been greatly augmented by the new phys- ical methods of attack, namely, “Diffusion in the Solid State” and “Plasticity.” At the outset I wish to express my indebtedness to my associates, Messrs. Archer, Sykes, Gladding, Karrer, Bain, Tarasov and Doran. Diffusion in the Solid State The diffusion of carbon into solid iron at an orange heat has been practiced for thousands of years, but it is only in recent times that this process has _ been crudely understood. Two notable researches on diffu- sion in the solid state are those of Roberts-Austen* who studied the rate of diffusion of gold from a lead- gold alloy into pure lead, and Bruni and Meneghini,+ who studied the inter-diffusion of copper and nickel. The experiments on copper and nickel are typical cases of diffusion in the solid state. A nickel wire 0.5 mm. diam. was coated electrolytically with sufficient copper to make the mixture correspond to 59 per cent copper and 41 per cent nickel. The compound wire was heated in a hydrogen atmosphere to 1000 deg. C. and the electrical conductivity was measured from time to time. The progress of diffusion was followed by the decrease in conductivity. The conductivity reached a constant value after 140 hr. which value was the same as that of a homogeneous alloy of the same compdsi- tion. The color of the copper had changed from red to white and other tests confirmed the conclusion that both core and shell were of the same composition after the long heating. Copper and nickel form an unbroken series of solid solutions. It is a requirement in such solid solution alloy systems that either element should diffuse in the other in the solid state. In any case of diffusion in the solid state there is usually some low temperature, at which diffusion wil] not take place, or what practically amounts to the same thing, a temperature at which the rate of diffusion is imperceptible. The rate of diffusion increases rapidly with rise in temperature. The rates vary, however, in specific instances. From the experiments cited above on copper and nickel it is evident that the copper atonis must have traveled half the diameter of the nickel wire or 0.025 mm. in 140 hr. [The author then discusses the interesting case of the diffusion of thorium and tungsten.] This case of diffusion in the solid state is not only important because of its great practical use but be- cause of the method of study which provides a means of determining the state of combination of the foreign atoms when other methods fail, and because of the example of how one property of a metal is increased many thousand times by the presence of as little of another substance as one part in 40,000. [There follows here a discussion of the change in *Philosophical Transactions, 1896, Vol. 187, A, p. 383. tInternationale Zeitschrift fiir Metallographie, 1912, Vol. 2. p. 26. Desch, “Diffusion in Solids,” Reports on the State of Science, 1912, p. 358. THE IRON AGE February 21, particle size in the solid state in an alloy of alum copper and magnesium.] Diffusion Force and Resistance There must be a “diffusion force” and a “diff; resistance.” While diffusion is progressing the must be greater than the resistance. When the: no diffusion either the force and resistance are «. which is the condition for equilibrium, or the resist: must be greater than the force, which is the condi: at temperatures too low for diffusion. Each of th. factors is obviously a complex. Diffusion force p: ably depends largely on: 1. Concentration gradient, and, 2. Relative attractive force between like and un atoms. The greater the concentration gradient and the more the mutual attraction of the unlike atoms exceeds that between the like atoms the greater should be the dif- fusion force. Diffusion resistance probably depends largely on: 1. Temperature, 2. Atom size, and, 3. Dimensions and type of space lattice. It is easy to understand why the diffusion resistance would be lower the higher the temperature; the space lattice becomes larger and the force required to move the atoms relative to one another is decreased. It is not easy, however, to comprehend why diffusion in the solid state takes place at all. The atoms are very re- sistant to deformation as evidenced by the large forces required to deform metals elastically. Steel stressed to 300,000 lb. per sq. in. elastically in tension has its space lattice extended only one per cent. With such great forces required for so little deformation it is difficult to understand how two atoms could exchange places. [Dr. Jeffries then discusses the matter of particle growth in complex alloys, in high-speed steel, stating that instances of this phenomenon in solid metals are much more numerous than at first suspected.] (To be concluded) Extensive Improvements of Light and Power Plant at St. Louis St. Louis, Feb. 19.—The Union Electric Light & Power Co. will spend $100,000,000 for improvements in the St. Louis industrial district within the next six years, said Louis H. Egan, president of the company, in an address in Hotel Statler, before the Rotary Clubs of St. Louis, East St. Louis and Belleville. He also said that Cahokia, the power plant of the company on the east side of the Mississippi River, opposite St. Louis, had already cost $12,000,000, that $5,000,000 additional would be spent in 1924, and that when com- pleted it would represent an outlay approaching $35,- 000,000. “When we spend $35,000,000 upon a power plant,” said Mr. Egan, “we must spend double that amount in cables, conduits, transformers, poles, wires and other equipment necessary to deliver the power to the switches of the consumer.” Standardizing Materials in Japan WASHINGTON, Feb. 19.—The Japanese committee assigned to the work of standardization will direct its efforts largely to the standardization of structural steel materials, brick and lumber for the present in order vo hasten reconstruction as the result of the recent earv!- quake and fire, says a statement issued by the Depart- ment of Commerce. Up to the close of December the committee had fixed the gages of wire and sheets and submitted recommendations to the Minister of Agr culture and Commerce. It is understood that agents have been sent abroad to study and report upon meth- ods of standardization employed in foreign countries. SOOOL LEED OROOEORRAUEED OU HON DORERESREIOORETION CED HROTT CDOONCAALEDOSARERONOOOOORREDD Panorama of Plant From By-Product Side, Showing Benzol Plant at the Left. By-Product’ Building at Right, with Coal Handling Equipment and Battery Beyond MT . enone ‘ Heepebeneevonennaeenan® Weirton’s New By-Product Coke Plant New Plant Has Battery of 37 Koppers Co. Becker Type Ovens of 14-In. Width—Using High-Volatile Coal BY C. H. HUNT EVEN minutes past seven on the seventh day of large, being the first battery of ovens dasigned for the seventh month the first coke was pushed from high-capacity short coking time, with 14-in. oven width, le the new ovens at the new by-product coke plant to operate in the steel industry for the production of of the Weirton Steel Co. This completes the final link blast furnace coke from high-volatile coal exclusively. A in the chain at Weirton, W. Va., giving control of all facilities and processes for the production of the usual raw materials entering into the various highly finished products of the company, ready for delivery to the consumer. It also inaugurates a new era in the by- product coke industry, of interest to the industry at Need for by-product coke ovens adjacent to the blast furnace and steel plant was felt even before the steel plant went into operation, due not only to the high cost and waste of the beehive method of making coke but also to the difficulties in maintaining schedules from the mine to the furnace, with uncertainties of trans- ow \ COA ORs S ~~ \ ‘ ZL \ Ne ‘ j i Se { é z 7 } =a > if € t zs t 7 fo >» - ‘t \ yf, COAL STOCKING \ ; ff WHALEY CRANE UNLOADING BUILDING \ : ’ x ~~ | Koal Pit i < AND TRACK HOPPERS \ ~ 3 a c ‘ Z z ; . \ ) tr a a — = -ONVEYORS \ ta - Os — ——- — SS si ¢ \ \ = zx . ers 7 4 2 a ; Q / ~ Quenching Car > eS ' ° S pol 1 CONVEYORS "14 ee S y r — pts i - 4 = am a —_" FP “i T J f a - Be “rate = * } te one TI Ss) z — “5D, \ ‘ 2A | - = —-; ‘ . F, — , S : = | | FUTURE | FUTURE feck ngHood\ > | C rr 1 rr S c ' No3BATTERY ! ' Na2BATTERY ; WO ¢ : . 4 : : tack : 5 _© = : “> co XS i wey? 6 a Y & b Te ia Armonia anh m . 24 Oi ion ULOOLERS prio, wucyee NAPIHALINE SEP : 5 HOI er lar Separator : ' ) 2 BENZOL WASHERS on, at. ; S$do Ch, a rage ae é r : se PRIMARY COOLERS & PUMP HO { ; x AMMON E U . ON TANKS 9909 aS SRPMATE APPARATUS 4 OFFICE f +8 1 ty TORAGE tl { 14: vr Ud NAPTHALINE BLDG : 5 a2 . : +? 7 : AGITATOR BLOG aa fos Sa ie eta ) 50 0 2 2 2 ACID STORAGE ‘ hommmeand unend § General Layout of the Plant, Showing Proposed Future Extensions Toward the River Bank, Adding Two Batteries of , eee , cP Ovens to the Present First Battery, and the Projected Coal Handling Facilities on the River Edge 573 aR ‘ cornet tomate me oeeeae oe 574 portation, strikes and car shortage, It having been necessary to purchase 240 coke cars to be assured of ears to move the coke as required. On the Ohio River bank, paralleling the tin mills, the plant was laid out with arrangements for receiving coal by river and unloading it from barges and deliv- ering it to the breakers at the coke plant, with storage space for 280,000 tons as insurance against low or frozen river and other contingencies. River equipment and unloading docks, also loading facilities up-river to permit transporting coal by water, are to be installed in the near future. This location permits a system of (CLANTON H. HUNT P Chief Engineer Weirton Steel Co., Weirton, W. Va., Has Been Engaged in En rineering Work for the Past 24 Years He was chie engineer William Todd ( Youngstow!r Ohio, fe period of two years ind, before assuming his present positi Ww the Weirton Steel ( sev years ago t i bee assistant en gineer Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. for years He was Cleveland 1883 gas lines for distribution of coke plant to the other the surplus gas from the departments of the plant, where its use will effect great economies and, with the ‘ompletion of river transportation, will make possible the delivery of coke to the blast furnace entirely within the company’s control and at the lowest possible cost. In the consideration of a by-product coke plant, the first requisite was for a quality of coke which would permit maximum production from the blast furnace from as large a percentage as possible of the company’s res. Then, as the company had purchased the mine and property of the Redstone Coal & Coke Co. in Novem- ber, 1922, and also owns 1000 acres of coal near the Monongahela River at Brownsville, Pa., it became essen tial that this coke be made from the maximum per- ‘entage of this high-volatile coal. Addition of low- volatile coal would materially increase the cost of the coke, on ount of its higher cost and long freight haul from the Kentucky and West Virginia fields, and also, its production and transportation not being under the company’s control, the elimination of the necessity for it was highly desirable. The problem then was to determine whether a coke possessing the following qualities and characteristics, generally accepted by blast furnace and coke oven operators as necessary for good blast furnace perform- act ance, could be made from 100 per cent high-volatile coal: (ood combustibility, to burn evenly at the tuyeres f the blast furnace, ma ntaining the zone of com bustion low down in the bosh of the furnace. where is needed Strength, to prevent crushing in the furnace, dus heavy weight of the burden. Unifermity of cell structure Absence of cross fracture, which would cause » break into small pieces when being handled from coke plant into furnace. Of blocky instead of fingery structure Uniformity of size. Various coking coals and mixtures of coals require different treatment during the coking process, such as length of coking time and degree of heat under which the coking is completed to produce coke best suited for blast furnace purposes. The following is a fair aver- age analysis of the coal to be coked: THE IRON AGE Per WORN NO: sas ahs dae Ewe Ree eee at Pee CU, ch eb 6 aA EE ERE Ree oo ss OE 5 ae ah Wh Sle BD ae ae ae oe ee Ren PPT eee Oe ee eee oo, ee ea ee ee eR, Fe While a first quality coking coal mixture w good coke, independently of oven width and tures, this is not true of straight high-volati| especially with coal containing over 30 per cent matter, for the reason that such coals contain a of bituminous matter which, during the pro distillation in the oven, has a tendency to conde: the center of the charge and to form a spongy c low quality. The customary remedy for elimi: sponge in the ordinary type of oven, and one t} nearly always effective, is to mix with the high-volati\; coal a sufficient quantity of low-volatile coal to a! the excess bituminous material and to eliminate the dition of sponge formation. Different coals requir considerably variant percentages of low-volatile coal to eliminate the sponge completely. Coals containing over 380 per cent volatile matter also are apt to have a fingery tendency in coking: that is, the coke forms with a greater number of seams perpendicular to the oven walls which, on account the small cross section, break up into small, pieces during the necessary handling. This pronounced if the coal is of high oxygen content, and is likewise encountered in coals which have remained in stock piles for a considerable length of time. It has been demonstrated, to the satisfaction of the majority of coke oven and blast furnace operators, that, especially from high-volatile coal, better coke can be made in narrower ovens. By careful study of the results obtained and tests made with high-volatile coal in the five Koppers experimental ovens of the 3ecker type, 14 in. wide, at the plant of the Chicago 3y-Product Coke Co., it was found that the percentage of such low-quality coke can be reduced and, in fact, practically eliminated by coking to the center of the charge quickly, so as to avoid excessive condensation and spongy formation toward the center. This can be accomplished in the narrower oven at relatively lower coking temperature, as the narrow fused coking zones are driven to the center of the oven from both walls more quickly in the narrow than in wide ovens, du to the shorter distance the heat must penetrate. Also, when coking high-volatile coals or a high oxygen content, by coking at temperatures somewhat lower than used in ordinary practice, the fingery tendency may in many cases be entirely elimi- nated, as over-coking and high temperatures tend to produce fingery or small size coke. By careful heat treatment, well regulated during the coking process, especially in the case of the narrower ovens, firm, blocky coke may be made from coal usually regarded as having a fingery tendency. The heat applied to the coking mass from the oven wall must be uniform from end to end of the oven, and also from top to bottom of the oven, except for the usual thin layer on top of the coking mass, to protect the space in the upper part of the oven from high temperatures destructive to by-product recovery. The coking should reach the center of the oven over the total area of the oven at the same time, otherwise the portion which has been completely coked will become over-coked in order to complete the lagging portion. With the old-style wide oven it is necessary to apply the heat longer and at higher temperatures to drive the heat to the center of the coal mass. This produces coke of unequal structure from wall to center, due to over-coking at the wall end, and is apt to cause cross fracture. With the narrower oven, with shorter coking time, the heat will penetrate to the center 0! the oven with equal or even lower temperatures * . shorter time and make a more uniformly strong, block) coke. snort become Ss coals of After a thorough investigation of various typ and designs of ovens, the new deyelopment by the Koppers Co. in the coke oven design, fis embodied in the ) — type of narrow width, was chosen as fulfilling v2" requirements essential to the conversion of high-\ pon coal into blast furnace coke. This type of ove! pruary 21, 1924 ribed in a paper by Joseph Becker, read before the stern States Blast Furnace and Coke Oven Associa- [See THE IRON AGE, Nov. 16, 1922, page 1275.] In the old style Koppers ovens operating on longer king time, the quantity of gas per flue becomes cor- spondingly less and the combustion is quicker and flame shorter. Thus the bottom of the oven is mpletely coked in advance of the top and, to com- ete the coking of the top portion, longer application heat at the bottom increases the temperatures in e oven walls, causing over-coking of the mass in the ttom of the oven. In the new type of oven, which is of the vertical ectangular flue design, one side of the oven is heated its entirety. The products of combustion, joining n the horizontal] flues, pass over the top of the oven, through cross-over flues—one pair located on the coke ide and the other pair on the pusher side. The products of combustion then enter the horizontal flues f the adjacent heating wall and pass downward hroughout the entire wall into the regenerators. The flow of gases has been worked out so that there is a minimum of leakage between individual flues, since adjacent flues are all working under the ame flow and pressure condition, there being no counter-flow in any adjacent heating flues. This theory has also been carried out in the arrangement and design of the regenerators, which reverse longitudinally with the battery instead of crossways, as in the older type. Due to the design of these flues and the faster heat absorption, the height of the flame in the flues has been increased until it extends far up toward the top of the oven, with the result that the heating of the coal charge is uniform over the entire area in contact with the oven wall, so that the coking reaches the center of the oven over the total area at virtually the same time. The ovens were built with combination regenerators, to permit the use of blast furnace or producer gas at any time, so that all of the coke oven gas can be utilized as fuel throughout the plants. In case pro- ducer or blast furnace gas is used the arrangement if regenerators and flow of gas are such that there 9 ttery of 37 Kop Becker - Type 'vens, With Capa- Carbonize Tons of Coal Day, Viewed Krom Pusher Side. al bin and head coal conveyors hown at left Al ingement of gas ecting main long the battery, witl cross - over iin is shown eading to the by- roduct building at the right Wmee een erento Tenn tsanentes THE IRON AGE 575 does not exist at any time counterflow between incoming fuel gas and outgoing products of combustion in ad- jacent regenerator chambers. Fuel gas and outgoing products of combustion are separated by a regenerator containing ingoing air and, should a slight leakage occur in the waste-gas regenerator chamber, it can result only in the loss of air and it would be impos- sible to waste producer or blast furnace gas. These features minimize the dangers of leakage from one part of the oven to the other as the battery gets old, with lessened liability of damage by local overheating of the brickwork on account of leaks through cracks or joints, due to the relatively low differential pres- sures existing in any part of the battery. Arrange- ment of flues and regenerators is such that it has been found possible to maintain lower uniform stack temperature, indicating less waste of heat to the stack and lower fuel consumption for heating the ovens, due to more efficient heat distribution and transmission to the coal. The following comparison at Chicago indicates the above advantage of the new design of oven: Temperatures Flue Width Coking Flue Stack Fuel Gas Stack Differ- of Oven Time (Deg. Fahr.) Pressure Draft ential 14in l4hr. 2,300 500 150 mm. 23 mm. 6 mm. 16 in, 16hr. 2,550 575 90 mm. 14 mm. 9 mm. From this it will be observed that the new type of oven operates at an equivalent coking speed with less flue temperatures, also lower stack temperature, with a more nearly balanced condition indicated by the lower flue differential pressure. By tests made on the ex- perimental ovens at Chicago it was-demonstrated that about 200 deg. less temperature is required in this type of oven for the same oven width as compared with the older type. With the same flue temperature the new type 14-in. oven will coke in 11 hr., as compared with 16-hr. coki