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1920 - 1929
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| 1920s |
Coal provides 70 percent of world's fuel energy. Latest carburetted water gas generators were in the diameters of eight feet and capable of producing 500,000 cf/day. Common for carburetted water-gas plants to consume bituminous coal in lieu of the costly and scarce coke or anthracite for which the process had been designed; result was widespread occurrence of separation-resistant tar-water emulsions of reduced value to distillers and which were often stored or dumped around the gas plants. Mixed coal gas and uncarburetted water gas to achieve candle-power requirements for lighting. Battelle Memorial Institute reports 11,000 gas producers in use in U.S.; down from previous use. Demise of the beehive coke works. Coke recognized as ideal smokeless fuel in smog fight Gas tar distillers succeed in blending and distributing high-performance road oils for dust abatement as well as paving tars for permanent surfacing. Petroleum refiners take "tops" from gas oil leaving poorer-quality gas oil causing ever-more severe and virtually non-separable tar-water emulsions to occur at gas plants; dehydration largely required to prepare carburetted water-gas tar for sale or effluents needing pretreatment prior to discharge from plants. Manufactured gas-industry-wide discussions on desirability of effluent pretreatment; begins orchestrated public relations programs, by-the-company. Reliable natural gas deposits located and developed, in California; Mixing at Los Angeles. General phase-out of manufactured gas plants in areas served regionally by natural gas; Mainly oil gas plants replaced in California. |
| 1920 |
Petroleum-cracking puts pressure on coal-tar industry residuals such as pitch. AGA forms Committee on Waste Disposal to meet governmental complaints on water quality. Introduction of improved (silica) retort refractory materials, mainly as preformed segments, especially for by-product coke ovens. Maximum retort temperatures reduced to 1300 C and goal-gas retort life extended to 2500 days. Spherical and hemispherical-ended horizontal gas holders introduced. U.S. Supreme Court rejects Justice Department anti-trust suit of U.S. Steel Corp., whose production had dropped 50 percent since formation in 1901. |
| 1921 |
AGA recommends avoidance of tar and tar-water emulsions placed in relief and storage holders. Introduction of electric arc-welding (U.S.); Gives impetus to longer natural gas pipelines. |
| 1922 |
Manufactured gas production peaks for all time, worldwide; U.S. produces 4,052,000,000,000 cf/yr. U.S. enacts Fordney-McCumber Tariff Act to oppose German organic chemical cartel. |
| 1923 |
Introduction of waste-heat steam boiler for recovery of 1.5 lb. of steam per pound of producer fuel consumed; Spent heating gases used to produce steam as gases worked from 600 C down to 240 C. Pennsylvania Sanitary Water Board institutes policies, programs, and regulation for water quality of streams, including three classes (A, B, C) of streams based on water quality; especially concerned with the presence of CN (Not more than [NMT] 100 ppb; ammonia or ammonia compounds; NMT 2 ppm at pH > 8.0; Ferrocyanide NMT 400 ppb. |
| 1924 |
Chicago Bridge & Iron Works adapts the spherical gasoline storage tank to manufactured gas as the Hortonsphere, more commonly as "bullet" tanks; horizontal tanks with hemispherical ends. Benzo-A-pyrene (then known as benzpyrene) identified as a coal-tar carcinogen |
| 1925 |
American Gas Association sponsors new home study curriculum in gas engineering at Columbia University, under direction of Assistant Prof. Jerome J. Morgan, later a prominent consultant. Larger companies building or enlarging larger city plants to supply outlying town from large holders (>2,000,000 cf) to distances of up to 20 miles; Situation still expanding service rather than decommissioning MGPs. Klonne waterless gas holder, Dortmund, Germany; Constructed at Los Angeles (15,000,000 cf, Los Angeles Gas & Electric Co. and 10,00,000 cf for Southern California Gas Co.). 1925-1934: Era of isolated West Coast use of Standard Oil Company "Gasair" butane-air gas generation for small towns located remotely from natural gas pipelines or electric transmission lines. S.O. leaves market due to the Depression but sold the units to local entrepreneurs. |
| 1926 |
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports on status of pollution under Federal Oil Pollution Act of 1924; Cites wastes from wastes from coal distillation in the production of gas and coke. Electrolux gas-powered home refrigerator introduced in America. Discovery of Oklahoma City gas field; Destined to become nation's largest. French and Germans are fueling vehicles with solid gas works naphthalene with benzol as starting fuel and engine heat to liquefy the naphthalene. |
| 1927 |
Straight natural gas introduced to Los Angeles, CA (Feb). |
| 1928 |
Welding of high-pressure gas transmission pipes perfected U.S. Government Hoover Administration begins investigation of utility holding companies Inclined and vertical retorts common to larger city plants in U.S. |
| 1929 |
Commonwealth & Southern Power Company formed by Consumers Power Company of Detroit; tied to Commonwealth Edison Company of Chicago; Jan 1933 names Wendell Wilkie as Corporate President. |
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