A Practical Manual On Sea Water Distillation
With A Description Of The Necessary Machinery For The Process

FUELS. 6 I TABLE I.—Composition of Various Combustibles, as given by Péclet and Others (Percentages). Component Parts. Coal. Coke. Wood (Dry). Peat (Dry)- Petroleum Paraffin (Oil). Alcohol. Pure Spirits of Wine. Carbon, Oxygen, Hydrogen, . Nitrogen, Ashes or refuse, Total, . 80’40 7’87 5-19 2'46 85 51 41-7 5’3 58 31 6 85'22 14'78 52-0 34-3 13'7 95-92 4-08 85 15 98-0 2-0 95 5 100-00 .. 100-0 100-00 100 100-0 100 100-00 100-0 i The approximate heating power per 1 lb. is as follows :— B.T.U. (Table H). 15,600 11,000 6,600 7,200 20,000 12,000 (e) Coal Gas. 11. We have hitherto considered various kinds of fuely both solid and liquid ; now, let us briefly notice gas as a fuel. 12. Coal gas is really the only gas we need consider, as no other is so readily provided for our use for heating purposes, and it is, of course, only as regards its heating power that we need concern ourselves, in dealing with its use for distillation purposes. Petroleum is sometimes volatilised by an apparatus which is adapted for house- hold use, and the vapour thus produced is mixed with various proportions of air, so as to be used either for lighting or for heating purposes. A further description of the apparatus may be obtained on application to the makers of this class of apparatus. Acetylene is also a gas that is made by an apparatus suitable for a house-