An Elementary Treatise on the Combustion of Coal and the Prevention of Smoke (Classic Reprint)

Book excerpt: Excerpt from An Elementary Treatise on the Combustion of Coal and the Prevention of Smoke In the proper place I will shew, that, of late years, as much uncertainty as to the success of a new boiler has prevailed as when I first began operations, thirty years ago; and that few boilers, for land or marine engines, exhibit more in the way of effecting perfect combustion or economy of fuel than those of any former period since the days of Watt. I here observe, that I do not affect to give any new view of the nature of combustion, much less do I make any claim to discovery. What I take credit for is, the practical application, on the large scale of thefumace, of those chemical truths which are so well known in every laboratory. I also take credit for bringing together the scattered facts and illustrations of such authorities as bear on the subj ect before us, and so applying them as to enable practical men to understand that part which chemistry has to act in the construction, arrangements, and working of our boilers and furnaces. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.