J

MAGAZINE

August, 1914

PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE

No. 8

UDGING from the character of the discussion now going on relative to the merits of ozone for ventilation purposes, especially that conducted by those whose conclusions have led them to oppose its use, it is evident that the proposition must go through the mill of biased argument before the actual facts are settled to the satisfaction of the engineering world. In these days of scientific advance, one might have expected that this matter could have been settled strictly on its merits, without recourse to prejudice, yet after reading of the most extensive laboratory tests yet conducted, it is impossible to escape the impression that the comments made on the tests, as published in our last issue and as presented in a paper on the subject before the heating engineers' society, were generally justified, and that the conclusions. made by the experimenters are susceptible of radically different interpretation.

A rather new aspect of the general subject was brought out in a recent discussion on the chemical composition of

odors, "for," said one speaker, "we do not know the chemical properties of odors, and it may be a question whether ozone destroys or neutralizes odors. When it is considered that sandal wood, for instance, will give forth an odor for 2000 years, it will be seen how subtle a thing we are dealing with."

RE

ECENT developments of air moistening devices for use in connection with warm air furnaces, or warm air "heaters," as the new association of furnace manufacturers would have them called, are a welcome indication that this feature of furnace heating is at last receiving the scientific attention of which it has been sorely in need. It is safe to say that outside of the possible leakage of carbon monoxide to the entering air, which, by the way, may be said to be practically eliminated in modern furnace construction, the one thing that has stood effectually in the way of the wider acceptance, by engineers, of furnace heating is the excessive dryness of such heat. This fact, of course, has long been recognized, but most of the efforts that have been made to remedy the trouble, such as the familiar water pan in the furnace casing, have been so pitiably inadequate as to cast a stigma upon the system itself. During the past month humidifying apparatus no fewer than three distinct types of for furnaces

have been announced to the trade and it is evident that a general awakening has taken place in this important matter.

AMERICAN SOCIETY

VENTILATING

S

OF

HEATING AND ENGINEERS

The strategic importance of a meeting of The American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers in Cleveland, July 9-11, 1914, with headquarters at the Hotel Hollenden, was shown in the influx of new members from that city, which will add materially to the society's strength. Both the professional and entertainment programmes were carried out under excellent weather conditions and were thoroughly enjoyed by all who were so fortunate as to participate in them.

MORNING SESSION, JULY 9.

The opening session was held Thursday morning with President S. R. Lewis in the chair. Following the usual preliminaries President Lewis presented his address.

THE IMPORTANCE OF A PROPER PERSPECTIVE.

One of the limitations of the human mind is its normal inability to become. sufficiently detached as to view things in their proper perspective. After taking the utmost care in refining some detail of a process we operate for years with combinations of such refined details in connection with the most redundant, unconsidered rules of thumb, we are prone to follow precedent or to be conventional, at the expense of progress. We fail to view a clear perspective.

The history of medicine, electricity and mechanics teems with instances in which we groped all around radical improvements, finally to stumble over them. At how many points we have failed yet to stumble no man knows. The improvements in heating and ventilating have largely been developed by the stumbling process. The most elaborate computations will be made, for instance, of heat losses, pipe sizes and radiator surfaces, affecting possibly one-third of the cost. of an installation and then we find that

IDEAL OF SOCIETY IS SUCCESS FOR ALL.

Our ideal of this society is success for all. That all may succeed it is not necessary that any shall fail. The process of developing, by careful committee work, by consultation with successful outsiders, by individual genius, such as we have in our membership, is progressing safely and sanely, and our proceedings from year to year are surely becoming more and more enriched with valuable information.

I desire to emphasize, however, the necessity of proper perspective and in doing so suggest some questions which I believe the future will prove worthy of our most earnest consideration.

CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES.

Overshadowing everything else is the question of conservation of natural resources. For how much longer may we waste stored heat resources to save first cost only, of buildings? Our instinct is. so to live as to make living for our descendants a better proposition. How are we intelligently following this instinct?

Nature provides winter coats for the animals that must remain out in the cold

We learned long ago to insulate our bodies partially against the cold with warmer winter clothing. Have we approached seriously the application of this idea to our buildings? We refine the artificial heating plant, spend time and dollars and skill and genius in elaborating the heat transmitting appliances and the fuel consuming devices with no more than a cursory investigation of the type of construction of the building, and with no effort to influence the construction of the building so as to reduce the heat losses.

Many of us, I believe, stand convicted. of crime in this regard against future generations. There are instances available where 5% of the cost of the building, expended on heat transmission insulation rather than on a larger heating plant, saved in fuel charges alone its cost within three years. The field this opens up is almost unexplored. We know, however, how much more efficient as regards heat insulation is an ordinary sawdust packed icehouse than an ordinary dwelling, and how much longer heat is retained in an ordinary fireless cooker than in any part of the best insulated transmission department of an ordinary. heating plant.

IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED IN BUILDING
CONSTRUCTION.

We know that poor insulation of walls. and windows is the greatest enemy of good ventilation, preventing proper diffusion of the fresh air. We know that tight windows or storm sash permit of very considerable fuel savings. We know that warm winter buildings are cool summer buildings. We know that a $10,000 investment with a 5% interest charge is better for the borrower than an $8,000 investment with a 20% interest charge. We seem, however, unable to get perspective enough to use this knowledge, else buildings with rattling windows and no storm sash, thin walls, cold attics and cellars, direct-indirect radiators, unduly high ceilings, single slab roofs, etc., coupled with the most elaborate and expensive heating plants, would cease to exist.

LOCATION OF HEAT SOURCE.

In our practice as engineers are we losing perspective in regard to the loca

tion in the room of the heat source?

We

learned, very early in our experience, that the heat transmission varies, among other things, in a certain proportion as the difference in temperature between the hot and cold objects varies. Is it then the best practice to place the hottest thing in a room against the coldest object? The dean of one of our greatest engineering schools agreed with me that in most instances the radiator location was far more a factor of the convenience of the occupants of the room than of their comfort. Granted reasonably tight windows and fairly well insulated walls, the radiator may be alongside the inside wall as satisfactorily as alongside the outside wall. May not the radiator be smallerwill not the piping be less expensivewill not the fuel cost be lower, if this procedure is carried out consistently?

COLD AIR FOR VENTILATION.

It is not a loss of perspective to cling to the idea that air for ventilation shall all have been heated prior to its entry to a room? Our belief in this is traditional. Is it based on truth? It has been demonstrated that unheated air may be introduced into rooms under certain peculiar ideal conditions, and that under these conditions the air feels better to us than air which has been heated. This process has proven good for street cars. Shall we not hope for the development of the process for buildings, so perfected that it shall operate continuously and effectively? I believe that it will surely follow the construction of properly insulated buildings, and that we cannot attain approximately perfect ventilation until we build insulated buildings.

MOISTENING AND DIRT REMOVAL FROM

AIR TWO SEPARATE PROCESSES.

air cleaning apparatus? Are there no Is our perspective normal as affecting other natural processes from which we may take a hint aside from the reduction in atmospheric dust after rain? Will not our progress accelerate when moisture content and dirt removal from air are seen as clearly as separate processes? It is impossible to bring forth an air cleaner which shall operate continuously, economically and efficiently at less original and maintenance cost than the modern commercial air washer, and thus become more popularly possible? Is

there no device which can do for our homes approximately what our nasal functions do for our lungs? Despite the dust which autopsies show these cleaners have let by, are they not more efficient than any of our artificial cleaners?

I have attempted to suggest some improvements to stumble over some perspectives to be viewed.

By the friendly contact of our organization and a helping hand, many of us will stumble over desirable elements to success.

By the inspiration of this society's contact many of us may climb the heights enclosing our narrow valley and view the distant peaks of achievement in a perfect perspective. Those of us remaining, who can neither stumble or see, forming the rank and file, who are achieving genius by infinite care and pains, will always find, I hope, in the contact engendered by our organization and our meetings some alleviation of the grind of life's turmoil.

Secretary Blackmore told of the work done since he became secretary in March. This included a report of the society's present financial condition, which was shown to be excellent, the receipts to date being $4,010 and the expenditures $3,617. The present balance on hand is $3,216. A balance is owing on dues amounting to $1,945.

Mr. Blackmore told of a visit he had made to Princeton University, where he succeeded in interesting a number of the professors in the work of the society, with the prospect of securing their cooperation in the way of making tests and providing for instruction in heating and ventilating engineering.

A letter was read from Mrs. Frank L. Busey offering to the society the paper on "The Development of the Centrifugal Fan," which was presented by Mr. Busey to the New York and Illinois Chapters and which had been revised by the author shortly before his death. President Lewis announced that he had written Mrs. Busey, accepting the paper on behalf of the society.

CHAPTER REPORTS.

Chapter reports were presented from the Illinois, New York and Massachu

setts chapters, covering their work for the previous year. The Illinois Chapter report stated that the idea adopted of carrying on debates on given subjects had been a success. It was announced that a preliminary report of the Chicago Ventilation Commission would shortly be published.

The first paper on the program was that by James A. Donnelly on "Tests on the Heat Transmission of Direct Radiators at Low Differences in Temperature, Also on the Heat Transmission from Steam to Water in Special Form of Convertor.'

In discussing the paper Willis H. Carrier stated that the transmission varies considerably in different types of standard radiators. He thought most transmission figures were too high and that a transmission of 1.6 to 1.8 B. T. U. per square foot per degree difference had been secured in his own tests.

Prof. John R. Allen said that it was also necessary to have a standard room and that dry steam should be used. He said the same radiator located in an ordinary room and in a greenhouse would give much different transmission figures, amounting perhaps to 20%.

Mr. Donnelly said that by placing the thermometer below the radiator, the varying air conditions in the room would not effect the tests so much, especially as the tests depend principally on the air immediately surrounding the radiator rather than that of the room itself.

A committee report, prepared by A. M. Feldman, chairman, was presented on "Reducing Fire Risks in Blower Systems Used for Heating and Ventilating." This report was one prepared for the National Fire Protection association and was published, practically in full, in THE HEATING AND VENTILATING MAGAZINE for May, 1914.

Secretary Blackmore, who read the report, said that it was a striking instance of the co-operation that was possible between different engineering bodies and that, by having heating engineers on the fire protection association committee it was very likely that points had been covered or omitted that were of distinct advantage to the heating engineer.

Mr. Donnelly urged a full discussion of the report as any modification of the