Abstract
THE British Coal Utilization Research Association held its first annual meeting in London on June 28, when Sir Evan Williams, the president, gave an account of its first year's work, which has been largely concerned with the erection and organization of its research station in Fulham. It has been a subject of reproach that the coal industry has been largely indifferent to promoting efficiency in the utilization of coal. They now foresee, the president said, that the future will call for fuels of accurately controlled characteristics; the development of these is being investigated. The programme of research includes work on pulverized fuel firing which, it is believed, will play an increasingly important part in industry, and also on combustion in the fuel bed. The study of producer gas is to receive greater attention in view of its present importance in heavy industry and its potential application to mechanical transport. Great store is laid by the coal industry on the open coal fire, and efforts are being mado to minimize its admitted defects—smoke and labour. It is recognized that coal-burning appliances have suffered in comparison with gas and electrical appliances owing to the neglect of scientific principles in design, and it is hoped to raise the standards of performance and eliminate inferior and ineffective appliances. Efforts are being made to advance the use of coal for cooking. A solid fuel cooker has been designed for use on railways. Some of these have been installed on trains, including the Coronation Scot. It is believed that gravity feed firing will play a considerable influence on hotel and institution cookery in the future.
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Utilization of Coal. Nature 144, 106–107 (1939). https://doi.org/10.1038/144106c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/144106c0