1450
Council. Monograph on Biochemistry. Longmans, Green & Co., New York 320 pp. 34 figs. City, 1930. xi 85 tables. 15.5 X 24.5 em. $7.00. For the first time the varied and manifold chemical processes which underlie the life and growth of bacteria have been brought together within the limits of a single volume A brief introduction to the early views of fermentation is followed by a presentation of the energy relations based on the work of Rubner and his school; the biological significance of fermentation is considered in the light of Pasteur's views and the mare recent work of Meyerhof. Chapter I11 on Respiration is an exposition of the theory of hydrogen transfer (Wieland) a s elaborated largely by Quastel, the significance and use of oaidation-reduction potentials, the r61e of activators of oxygen and anaerobiosis. Chapter IV on Growth and Nutrition, dealing with reproduction and the nutritional requirements of batteria, is followed by chapters on the breakdown of carbohydrates and proteins. I n these sections in particular, as well as throughout the book, an immense amount of material has been most ably organized. The Synthesis of Polysaccharides, Nitrogen Fixation, and Autotrophic Bacteria form the subject matter of the remaining chapters; an appendix contains the important media used for the different types of organisms and there is an alphabetical bibliography of 32 pages. This book will be eagerly welcomed by biologists and chemists alike for its clear and critical emosition of the fundamental =hemistry and physics of bacterial life. The author aratefully acknowledges her indebtedness to Professor Sir Frederick Hopkins "at whose suggestion the book was written and t o whose influence alone I owe thc incentive to think on hiochemical matters." H. A. MATTILL
Utilizing Energy Released by the ComE. BUTTERbustion of Fuels. THOMAS PIELD, M.E., C.E., professor of heat power engineering a t Lehigh University, Member A.S.M.E. First edition, D. Van Nostrand Co., Inc., New York City, 1929. xv 481 PP. 16.5 X 23.5 a n . 335 figures. W.50.
+
ST*=
JUNE,1930
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
UNIYGRElTY OF IOWA IOWA crru. l o w *
Steam and Gas Engineering. A Text Covering Power-Generating Apparatus
+
*'
This book gives teachers of physics and chemistry encouragement. They are given little opportunity to observe the effectivenessof their teaching on the whole t o the great mass of students who go out from under their care with none too sanguine notions that anything very real has been accomplished for them. The author states: "Engineering students usually have a good preparatory knowledge of ~ h y s i c sand chemistry when they take up the study of this subject. They are well able t o perform the computations required to find air, gas, and fuel quantities and readily learn how to calculate efficiencies and losses associated with the combustion f. fuel in power plants." Teachers of science quite naturally continue to question the effectiveness of thei* teaching. They should continue to doubt their own conclusions as to the soundness of the. basis of their work, thereby seeking improvement. Testimony of experienced teachers in entirely unrelated fields, such as that of this teacher of engineering, shows that the foundation wmk of the universities and colleges in education carries with it an unknown effectiveness that should stimulate the teacher's faith in education and his desire for constant improvement, not for their own sake as teachers, but for that of the great group of students who will never know themselves from whence they derive such clearness of ideas and thinking as they acquire through the years. The author presents "an introductory text for engineering students and for engineers dealing with the utilization of fuels for the development of power." "Thermodynamics is the backbone of the text." The plan of the text calls for alternate discussions of theory and practice.
VOS. 7. No. 6
RECENT
Much mathematical formulation is eliminated and whenever possible scientific principles or natural laws have been expressed in words and illustrated by concrete examples. Simple fomulas are given for practical calculations, covering heating values of fuels, air requirements for combustion, the use of the steam tables, and engine power and efficiency. I n a single volume every type of power equipment is described and illustrated with regard t o both design and operation. Special emphasis is laid upon up-to-date modem practice, including most recent information on pulverized coal, heavy oil engines, accessories for intemal combustion engines, modem turbine engineering and high-pressure development in present-day power plants. Although the internal combustion engine supplies most of the mechanical energy in industry (the author was formerly chief engineer of the Otto Engine Works), nevertheless large sizes developing high economy have made the steam power plant the accepted unit in large central stations for both manufacturing plants and public utilities, steam engineering, therefore, still possesses the greater interest and more space is devoted to it. The ground covered is Fuels, Combustion Calculations, Boiler Furnaces, Grates and Stokers. Pulverized Coal, Heat and Work, Properties of Steam. The Steam Boiler, Boiler Auxiliaries, Laws of Gases, Gas Cycles, Steam Cycles, The Simple Steam Engine, The Corliss Engine, The Uniffow Engine, Steam Diagrams, Valve Gears, Governing Steam Engines, Steam Turbines, Nozzle Calculations, Blade Calculations, Gas Producers, Internal Combustion Engines, Gas and Gasoline Engine Types, and Heavy Oil Engines. The chapter on Fuels introduces the whole work and develops the important engineering principle that a knowledge of the nature and combustion of fuels determines the design of the apparatus for their combustion. These very characteristics teach the students also that powerplant requirements vary in type with
BOOKS
1451
different regions due t o the variation in fuel economics in different localities. This factor also shows the necessity of spending time and money in raising thermodynamic efficiency in power-plant apparatus. The author could have added also chemical and chemical engineering. studies on the nature of the fuels themselves. Much labor has been expended by the author upon giving to the student an opportunity to correlate theory with practice, becoming familiar with the construction and methods of operation of various kinds of apparatus used in connection with the deveioping of power from heat energy, describing various kinds of engines, boilers, gas producers, and auxiliary apparatus. To this material the individual teacher will add his own experience. The book is particularly well illustrated with drawings, cuts, diagrams, and curves of equipment, as well as sectional views of assembled and unassembled apparatus. One of the excellent features of the text is the thorough series of examples when such things as the properties of steam are being discussed with complete solution of the problems involved. % addition a series of problems are added a t the close of the various chapters where the problems will make the tent dear, such as: Fuels, Combustion, Boiler Furnaces, Grates and Stokers, Heat and Work, Properties of Steam, Auxiliary Apparatus for the Steam Boiler, Laws of Gases, Gas Cycles, Steam Cycles, Steam Diagrams and Power of Simple and Compound Engines, Governing Steam Engines, Nozzle Calculations, Blade Calculations, Internal-Combustion Engines. From these teachers of physics and chemistry could get valuable help in devising their illustrative problems. Another excellent feature is the thorough list of reference t o engineering literature as well as books and pamphlets. The author appears to have succeeded in large measure in helping t o a firmer grasp of the relation between thermodynamic conceptions and practical application. The students should permanently
1452
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
retain the essentials. The author h a accomplished his purpose in making the subject easy t o acquire and assimilate, and has followed the plan throughout for alternate discussion of theory and practice. The apparent lack of coherence in the development of the theory of thermodynamics has been eliminated by an adequate number of thorough reviews a t the beginnings of such chapters where there is a continuation of the theory of thermodynamics in its applications. The book is commendable t o the chemist or the themicsl engineer in the field, as a reference boak, in which the practical items of steam and gas engineering are adequately correlated with thermodynamics in a manner which can be easily assimilated. From the standpoint of academic chemical education there are no applications beyond the chapters dealing with fuels and their combustion. Every scientific man going into technical work in industry should he aware of power engineering as the basis of all engineering and industry. I n every kind of plant, power appears as an important item in cost and operation. To the engineer this hook is an aid to development of power cost economics and operating improvement. The paper used is good. The surface is not too heavily calendered to interfere with intensive study. The book's size is unusually compact. The binding is garnet buckram. All in all, the book is physically well executed as well as written in simple and understandable language, covering both the theory involved and practices in industry. JAMES R. WITHROW OUIO STATEUNIVERSITY COLUMBUS, OHIO
The Elements of Fractional Distillation. C L ~ RSHOVE ~ ROBINSON,associate professor of chemical engineering, Mass. Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass. Second edition. McGraw-Hill Book Company. Inc., 370 Seventh Avenue. New York City. 1930. xii 255 pp. 6 tables and 61 figures. 14 X 20.5 cm. $3.00,
+
JUNE, 1930
Contrary t o public opinion, distillation as a chemical engineering unit process is extremely important in other fields besides alcohol. Professor Robinson, in the second edition of his famous h w k entitled, "The Elements of Fractional Distillation." brings out very clearly the importance of distillation in petroleum refining. There is no question but that Professor Robinson's hook is still the outstanding book on this subject written in the English language. The elementary physical chemistry involved in this unit process of chemical engineering is well described, as it was in the first edition. Some material of a theoretical nature has been added; for example, the famous McCahe-Thiele method of calculating the number of plates necessary in a fractionating column. The differential method as developed by Professor W. K. Lewis k also described as in the previous edition. The author has been very careful to maintain a scientific aspect to the general problem. He has given considerable practical data; however, he might be criticized hy the engineer for not giving quite enough of the socall& "rule-of-thumb" methods used commonly in the design of columns and stills. These practical methods would not only he extremely interesting but would not destroy in any way the high standard of the theoretical work described in the book. The boak may he said to he divided into four parts. The 6rst part involves simple physical chemistry, such as the phase rule, the gas laws and their application to distillation. The second part covers the fundamental laws involved in distillation and fractionation. The third part describes a method for the design of a continuous still, including the fractionating columns and the condensers. The last section of the book gives examples of continuous distillation and a portion of this subject which involves the fractionation of hydrocarbon mixtures is of special interest. There is no question that as an ele-
