GENERAL SUMMARY
The places visited by the writer included London, Bournemouth, Billingham, Sheffield, and Buxton, England; Paris, France; Brussels, Belgium; Amsterdam, The Hague, Delft, Netherlands; Essen, Frankfort, and Heidelberg, Germany.
In London we had extended discussions with the Fuel Research Board on the gas synthesis process. The fuel Research Board is also doing work in the field of coal carbonization, combustion, gasification, coal constitution and atmospheric pollution. Only a limited amount of time was spent in discussions of the work in these fields and the results of these discussions will be summarized here. Their interest in coal carbonization stems from a desire to conserve coking coal. The probable life of the best coking coals in Great Britain is 50 years. They are, therefore, attempting to extend these by blending the coking coals with non-coking coals and are using two vertical chamber ovens in these tests. Another objective in this work is the development of a smokeless domestic fuel having a high combustibility. The chief interest of the Fuel Research Board in the field of combustion lies in the studies of pulverized fuel combustion, both in boilers and gas in gas turbines. Their chief activity in this field now is the development of a Vortex burner. They are also active and interested in the study of deposits in boilers. At present they have no gasification at the mine to utilize the large quantity of small coal produced. In the field of atmospheric pollution, the Fuel Research Board serves as a coordinating agency and assembles and analyzes all of the data collected by other Governmental agencies concerned with this problem. It was pointed out that the need for efficient utilization of coal in Great Britain is evident when it is realized that the cost of coil in England is 50 shillings per ton, as compared with 5 to 7 shillings per ton in some of the colonies (1 shilling is equal to 14 cents).
One day was spent at the Bournemouth gas works on the south coast of England, in discussions of the work of the Gas Research Board. Another day in England was spent at the Billingham works of the Imperial Chemical Industries. Ltd.
In Paris, Hirst and Elliot visited Kuhlman Industries to arrange for a trip to the Hames Fischer-Tropsch plant. However, this plant was not in operation and was, therefore, not visited. The rest of the time in Paris was spent, in discussions on gasification. The new research laboratories at Veneuil, north of Paris, were inspected.
In Belgium our entire discussions related to the activities of Socogaz, a cooperative research organization studying underground gasification of coal. A detailed report on this phase of the trip is being prepared by Dr. Schroeder. A limited amount of information on certain shaft gasification studies is included in the present report. We visited the experimental installation at Bois de Dame near the Liége. The underground gasification experiment had been interrupted and we went into the mine to inspect the underground installation. Small fires were still in progress.
In Holland we visited the Royal Dutch Shell Company. Discussions were held with the process evaluation group in The Hague and with research laboratory personnel in Amsterdam. The writer remained in Holland an extra day to discuss Diesel engine testing with the personnel at the Shell laboratory in Delft.
In Frankfurt, Germany, discussions on gasification and on the gas synthesis process was held with the Lurgi Company. A short trip was made to Heidelberg to discuss hydrogenation with Dr. Mathias Pier.
Activities in Essen, Germany, were concerned chiefly with the gas synthesis process and gasification, and to a minor extent with coal hydrogenation. Discussions on the gas synthesis process were held with representatives of Ruhrchemie at Oberhaussen-Holten, with the Kaiser Wilheml Institute at Mulheim Ruhr, and with Rheinprussen at Moers-Homberg. The gasification discussions were held in Essen with representatives of the Heinrich Koppers Company and of Rurhgas. In traveling from Essen back to Frankfurt by automobile a short stop was made at the coal hydrogenation plant at Wesseling.
The writer returned to England from Frankfurt and remained in London for further discussions with the Fuel Research Board on the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and for discussions with representatives of the Safety in Mines Research Board at Buxton. These latter discussions involved a trip from London to Sheffield, England, and return.
The foregoing summary if the itinerary indicates the locations and subjects discussed. In reporting on these discussions in detail, it is more convenient to group all of the discussions relating to one subject together and this will be done in this report.