Abstract
This paper presents an account of an extended systematic investigation which resulted in the development of a method for burning bituminous coals in nonmechanical hand-fired heaters or stoves with substantially smokeless operation. The research was sponsored by Bituminous Coal Research, Inc., and a group of stove manufacturers. An experimental investigation of the three principles of combustion in fuel beds led to the adoption of the cross-feed principle. The design of a special grate and the research to prevent puffing, a difficulty often encountered with magazine heaters, are described. The principles of a calorimeter room in which the output of a space heater can be directly measured are presented. Data given show the thermal efficiency of a manufacturer’s model of the heater, which had an output of 41,000 Btu per hr, to be 65 per cent.
