Cement in central station design

The Illinois Steel Company has just completed and placed in operation at its plant in South Chicago, a new power-house for the supply of power to its various mills at South Chicago, and at Buffington, 10 miles distant. This station contains, at the present time, two units, each consisting of a 2000-kw., 25-cycle, 2200-volt, three-phase generator, direct driven by a 24-in. by 60-in. by 48-in. horizontal-vertical, cross-compound engine. The addition of two more generating units, of a capacity of 4000 kw. each, is contemplated in the near future. This alternating-current station operates in conjunction with a direct-current station which has been in operation for some time. The two power-houses are connected by means of synchronous converters. Both stations take steam from blast-furnace boiler-houses, in which the fuel is excess blast-furnace gas. The supply of this excess gas is quite variable at times, and it is desirable under such conditions to be able to shift load from one station to the other, as desired. Such an arrangement gives the opportunity of utilizing completely all excess blast-furnace gas at either point. The principal points of interest with which we are concerned to-night, deal entirely with the use of cement in the building of this and other power-houses.