THE RELATION BETWEEN HEATING VALUE of GAS and ITS USEFULNESS to the CONSUMER a CRITICAL REVIEW of the PUBLISHED DATA Bye
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T290 THE RELATION BETWEEN HEATING VALUE OF GAS AND ITS USEFULNESS TO THE CONSUMER A CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE PUBLISHED DATA ByE. R. Weaver ABSTRACT The introduction, Section I, contains a description of the sources and a dis- cussion of the character of the available information which has an important bearing upon the subject treated. The data are divided into two classes, (1) direct observations of the useful effects obtained from the utilization of gases of different qualities in the appliances in common use, and (2) statistical data showing changes in the quantity of gas used which accompanied changes in heating value. Section II contains a summary and some discussion of the data of the first class. Because of the large amount of such material only the briefest summary of such information consistent with clearness has been given. In some cases in which data are not available to the public in published form, and in others in which the reviewer does not agree with the authors upon the interpretation of the data, detailed figures are presented. Section III contains a summary and discussion of the general significance of the information presented in Section II. There is very general agreement that in all kinds of commercial appliances the potential heat of the gas is used with substantially equal efficiency, whatever the other properties of the gas may be. An explanation is offered for the general applicability of this relation to the results observed with appliances of the most varied character when using gases of any composition within the ordinary limits of commercial supply. Section IV presents the statistical data bearing upon the subject. It is found that within the limits which could be expected, in view of the numerous con- ditions which affect the volume of gas used by a community, this volume is inversely proportional to the heating value of the gas supplied. In other words, the amount of potential heat used by a community in the form of gas does not appear to be affected by the heating value of the supply. Section V contains a discussion of the statistical data in general and points out the application of the facts established to standards and rates. CONTENTS I. Introduction 040 1. Character of available data 350 II. Direct observations upon the use of gas 352 1. Various early investigators 352 2. Bureau of Standards, 1913-1917 ''~~ 355 3. R. F. Pierce 362 4. C. N. Cross 365 5. Investigations in 1918 36g 6. Gas research committee 3gg 7. Committee on efficiency and economy of gas, California 373 Recent investigations 374. 9. Detroit testing laboratory 377 10. Efficiency in gas engines 3§2 347 i.... .,. ,, i i i^i i w .,,»u.u. w mm hl.^. i. hi 11 i 348 Technologic Papers of the Bureau of Standards [Voi.19 Page III. Discussion of direct evidence regarding the usefulness of various qualities of gas 383 IV. Data regarding quantity of gas used by customers and its relation to the usefulness of the gas 391 1. Eight Stone & Webster companies 399 2. California 408 3. Massachusetts 416 4. Montreal and Toronto 425 „ 5. Reading, Pa 427 6. Providence, R. I 429 7. Sheboygan, Wis 434 8. Seattle, Spokane, and Tacoma, Wash 435 9. Philadelphia, Pa 450 10. New Jersey 452 11. Rochester, N. Y 453 12. Selected groups of customers 456 V. Discussion of changes in volume of gas used before and after a change of heating value 458 1. Relation of decreased heating value to complaints 461 2. Relation of relative usefulness of different gases to standards and rates 461 VI. Summary 463 I. INTRODUCTION For many years the question of the relative usefulness of gases of different heating values has been a subject of great interest to the gas industry and one of more or less active controversy. Opinion has been rather sharply divided between (1) those who believe that the available heat delivered to a customer in the form of gas is the useful commodity for which the customer pays and the amount of heat delivered is a measure of the value received, and (2) those who regard the meter readings as a true measure of the service rendered, without much regard to whether the gas metered has a high or a low heating value. The importance of the subject can not be overestimated. If the second view is an entirely correct one, then there is no reason why each gas company should not distribute gas of whatever heating value it pleases, without any consideration of the rate at which the gas is sold. If the first view is correct, then the heating value of the gas per cubic foot is of as much interest to each customer as the readings of his meter; and the heating value maintained must be regarded as one of two equally important factors, both in the measure- ment of the service for which the customer pays and in the determi- nation of the rate at which he should pay for such service. The engineering problems of the industry are equally affected. If avail- able heat is essentially what the utility is furnishing, the engineer should determine and adopt the method of manufacture which will deliver at the point of sale the maximum amount of heat per unit weaver] Relative Usefulness of Gases 349 cost. If the meter reading is the true measure of the company's service, as well as the means of determining how the company's product is distributed among its customers, then the engineer has only to determine and adopt the methods of manufacture and dis- tribution which will deliver some kind of gas at the lowest cost per cubic foot, always, of course, with the reservation that the gas distributed will burn. If neither of these extreme views is entirely correct, but the truth lies somewhere between them, it is of the utmost importance to determine what relation does exist between the quality of a gas supply and its usefulness, primarily as an aid to the engineers of the industry who are responsible for serving the public at minimum cost; secondarily, to assist the gas companies and the State commissions, or other regulatory bodies in arriving at a satisfactory arrangement with respect to service requirements and rates. This paper is the result of an effort to collect and evaluate the existing data which have a bearing upon the question. Partly because of lack of time, and partly because the evidence of that portion of the data which can ever be made complete (statistics regarding consumption can be selected without end) is so consistent that the conclusions to be drawn from it could not be modified by a few additional observations, no exhaustive search of the literature has been made; but those papers which have been found to contain definite and original data have all been included in the review. Approximately 300 articles, including editorials, which had a bearing upon the subject were scanned, and those which seemed important were carefully read; but most of these contained no original quan- titative data and are therefore of little value in this connection. The public service commissions of all the States were asked to supply any data which they might have on file. A similar request was sent to the president of the American Gas Association. The past correspondence of the Bureau of Standards relating to this subject was also reviewed. In order to limit the length of the paper, it was finally decided to use only data which had been published (or had been used in support of published arguments without quotation) and data which had been used before National, State, or municipal regulatory bodies as evidence in hearings on rates or standards. The review when completed was submitted for criticism to the American Gas Association, which appointed a committee for the purpose. The association printed the text of the paper in full, but without illustrations, and distributed it widely, collecting from executives and engineers among its membership such corrections and opinions as were offered. The reviewer has endeavored to meet all the suggestions presented, and in the few cases of remaining differences of opinion care has been taken to distinguish between the reviewer's opinion and what are unquestioned facts. 350 Technologic Papers of the Bureau of Standards [Voiw The assistance of the association, especially that of Dr. J. F. Wing, who assembled and presented the opinions of the industry, is gratefully acknowledged. 1. CHARACTER OF AVAILABLE DATA The data available are of two kinds: (1) The direct observation of the useful effect which may be obtained by burning gases of different heating values in representative appliances, and (2) the amount of gas burned by all the customers of a gas company or by a selected group of customers before and after the heating value of the gas has been changed. A distinction is frequently made between practical and theoretical methods of determining technical facts and relationships. By the practical method is usually meant the most direct observation of the facts in question that can be made; by the theoretical method is meant the observation of facts from which the desired information may be obtained only by the use of a relationship or theory which is known or assumed to hold with more or less accuracy. Unquestion- ably the practical or direct method is the more valuable when it can be applied, because few of our theories are entirely complete and reliable, and complicating factors are likely to enter which we either overlook or do not know how to allow for.