Evening journal., 1890-02-21
ISOLATED MACHINES.
PROVIDING INDEPENDENT POWER
FOR DRIVING THEM.

Possesses Advantages Over Air and Steam,
Yet II Is Lacking in Some Things.
1t seems to be the tendency at the present
time to subdivide, or. in other words, to pro-
vide each machine with an individual or in !
dependent power for driving. Naturally |
these methods divide themselves, considered |
from the motive end into three parts
steam, air and electricity. The advantages
to be derived from such subdivision Of power
| are apparent. When power is used solely
| for the propulsion of one machine il Is under
| the sole control OF the operator using that
machine. No matter what system is used,
| this method does away entirely with all ex-
| pense, both constructive and operative, con
nected with the use of shafting vid reduces
most materially the expense of wear and
tear. As an additional advantage when the
machine is used only when needed, all ex-
| pense ceases when the operator has no further
use for that particular machine The disad-
vantages are the first cost. wear and tear and
the expense Of maintenance In this, Of
course, it is apparent that whether steam
| engine, air motor or an electric motor be
| used the first cost is greater as compared with
the cost Of extending shafting and driving
the machine through the usual belts and pull
leys. This as is evident, initiates against
the use Of an individual driving power for
each machine.
Considering the three motors which are
possible as individual powers for the driving
Of isolated machines, steam is out OF the
question for several evident reasons. Com
pressed air has been used with more or less
success In Paris as was recently noted IN The
Iron age, and yet the advantages to be de-
rived from its use are not equal TO the ex-
sary piping peculiar 70 the machine itself
and the deficiency in the power obtained
Doing away, therefore, with the two medi-
uns which are very similar in their operation
steam and compressed air-we fluid ourselves
confined 10 the electrical motor. As self
regulating machine this is beyond all doubt
the superior OF any machine now ia the mar
ket for the generation of power, for the sim
pie reason that Of the power brought TO il
1t win transmit, in the best forms, % OF %
! per cent. effective work. Again, it re-
, quires no attendance whatever, except occa-
sional oiling. In wear and tear it is reduced
TO mere journal wearing, which may be over
come by proper fabrication and construction
, Of parts, and in attention it requires practi-
cally nothing Further than this it requires
, no piping whatever TO carry away hateful
gases, for the simple reason that it generates
I nothing.
In point Of regulation it is as effective as
: the best steam engine governor, because the
motor as now built is guaranteed torun with
a in 2 per cent OF the speed regulation provided
by the contract This regulation is independ-
/. ent Of any outside influence, as the motor is
so constructed that an excess Of current will
act to decrease the speed, while at the same
time an excess OF load win act TO increase the
!, current, SO that the two are counterbalanced
\ within the 2 per cent mentioned.
! Another decided advantage in the use Of
4 the electric iuotor IS that IL is essentially a
rotary engine The power is applied to the
q Development Of a rotary motion IN contradic-
4 ton TO that applied 10 the ordinary steam
engine a recprocating motion, and in
i, consequence there is no lost motion in the
i engine The power being applied continually
\ and az al times TO the periphery Of the wheel
l. obviates those difficulties which have urigi-
mated ia the ordinary steam engine ia chang
ing the reciprocatine to the rotating motion.
Concerning tho efficiency Of the electric
motor as now constructed, we find that three
/ essential questions affect the result: First Il
]. is necessary to change the power as mani
I, Tested in steam under pressure to electricity.
4 Then this electricity must be conveyed along
y a suitable conductor 10 the motor. Finally,
the power so conducted must be reconvesNed
4 into power 70 be expended on the shaft
Taking the power OF the steam engine as 10
= we can convert 30 per cent. into the dynamo
= as electricity The latter we can convey fol
r. short or long distances, as may be necessary
i and will lose according to the resistance o.
!, the wire a smaller or greater percentage o.
= the initial current generated by the dynamo
. Assuming this average loss due TO resistanc,
"a I OF the conducting wire as 10 per cent, w
= have delivered 10 the electric motor some 81
per cent Of the effective power Of the engine
,o The best electric motors as now constructet
will deliver in effective work from 30 to O
20 per cent. Of the electrical power supplied I,
= thcm through the conductors. We therefor,
:, have in work actually performed by the cleo
= trio motor from 20 20 IS per cent. Of thu
a actual work performed by the steam engine
,a which may be near or far away, and the dis
N lance of which governs, as will be understoo,
~ from the above, the effective work performe'
II by the motor.
A Il is very evident from this which is ever,
~ day practice that the electric motor pos
i, sesses, in a certain sense, decided advantages
~. when considered in connection with dyna
IL mo and transmitting wire, over any othe
method of transmitting power from know
n, source TO the point Of destination; but it Is
be remembered that while the electric motto
ho possesses these advantages in regard to ecor
Va omy self regulation and economy Of main
tenance, it is also ev ident that it labors unde
most decided disadvantages Considered fror
this aspect the first and most evident featur
is the high speed. An electric motor Of tire
4, or five horse power, placed in an isolated p'
/, sition TO run a large lathe or planer requii
=, ing this amount Of power, must have its il
- itial speed OF 500 or 1000 revolutions Of il
- armature per minute reduced down TO the Il
~ or l25 required by the driving shaft opera
- ing the machine by the introduction Of a r.
if- ducing mechanism. The latter must nece
Al sarily be either Of the worm or gear patterl
~ THIS introduction Of quick revolving par
NJ and Of the several parts needed TO reduce u
"a | motion from the high speed to that OF II
he low speed needed to drive the machine, eas
- 20 wear OF the parts not only in the mote
~ itself. but in the intermedium through whic
its power is transmitted
a, The good points of the electric motor al
III not appreciated as they should be. The ele
~ trio motor would be more extensively used
to its driving shaft, or, in other words, its arm
NJ ture shaft were reduced in speed. The ord
,en nary mechanic, knowing that he wants on
~ a speed of fifty revolutions q minute to dri'
~ his machine, viii look with suspicion upc
mo any power which travels at a speed Of Is
ans revolutions minute
In Another feature which acts against Il
,er introduction Of the electric motor in cas-