New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-27
CONVEYING ELECTRIC POWER
A SUCCESSFUL CIRCUIT OF A HUNDRED
MILES.
Frankfort, September 0.
- f..ux1o.f a n 4

MILES.
Frankfort, September 0.
Probably the most interesting and important
feature of the Electrical Exhibition here Is the
creat experiment in transmitting power over
long distance No other feature has attracted so
much attention. It is said that never before was
so striking an attempt made in this department. OF
electric engineering. Not only all those directly
concerned in it, but electricians ana lnechanio~A
engineers all over the world have wa'cheu enc
rrooress NJ the work with intense solicitude Inc
result ~ the great experiment would, they be
lieved. mark new era in mechanical science
What was the problem To convey the water
mower of the Neckar River at Laufen, IN Wur'fm-
burc over n wire to Frankfort and utilize IL
there From Iauffen TO Frankfort is something
moro than 100 miles. 1t was therefore as IL one
had proposed TO gather power from tne huu0on
River at Albany transmit it by Telegraph 10 Ne"'
Yorl, and there set it TO running machinery, hn'N
inc a turbine wheel at Albany run an engine LII
New-York with only telegraph wire cohheo'ine
them. One would say this YVES hard tning ~
achieve. But these German engineers went at IL
=. nest So did the statesmen for the line oil
transmission passed through the territory OF thlee
S+o+os-- Wurtemburg, Baden and Eesse But tne
three Governments not only gladly gave permis7,
sion hut did all in their power to facllltate tne
work ,,o.t,
raufen is an interesting little town, on poVh
sidas of the Neckar There is one picturesque DuO
rather ruinous old bridge across the river there'
Tho chief industry is the manufacture OF ceneh"
in which the place leads all other towns OF EUROPE
A fine system of turbine wheels supplies Uhe
motive power for the works; or raonel "Vin~''
the power Of the Nec<ars current. lheS aAe
nlaced in n raceway at the side OF the rlVer'
ilo or 90 above the town. and have mead OF water
of twelve or thirteen feet. Inc wafer FURNISHES
about | 500 horsepower, or winch onS wv
horsepower is used. The cement works nave ewo
turbines of 300 horsepower each, making ,"iOS
ro,-oIutjons minute. A third turbine, Of similar
action and power, drives an electric dynamo "o ue
ro+o IF 40 revolutions per minute, and mus
Ia.o.o+os +bo energy that is to be transmitted to
Frankfort The dynamo is coupled directly WIN
tho watermelon and produces what is called a
" mutiple-phasc" or rotation" current ihiS
= really a combination of alternating currents
l,oob If the three cOmponents-each OF tue
three constituent currents which, BLENDED To-
+hor form the current that Is trahs-
ni++ed TO Franl<fort-has an elecuomoUNe
orercv of 40 volts and 1,400 amperes. Inc uo''A
'soroo therefore is $50 volts and 4,2OO anpereS'
or 9oO l,lowatts No collector and no brushes
GRO used Cheapness and simplicity are ATTAINED
in q remarkable degree. And the WORKING vi '4o
whole apparatus is made as safe as thaC Vi @u VI
binary telegraphic battery.
Tho line of transmission begins at Laufen, ana
masses through Hebron, Jagstfeld, EoerDacn'
Erbach. Babenhausen and Hanau. to Frankfort
IT. begins with the falls of the Neckar at Ldunen'
and its energy is finally expended IN the plouu"'
tion of an artificial waterfall at Frankfort from
the DYNAMO the current is conveyed by means OIL
two brass wire ropes to the Transforming machlne'
passing on the way through SWITCHBOARD anu
automatic power-regulator. Inc TRANSFORMER loi
nerfect insulation. is placed in tank of OIL 1t
has capacity of 200 kilowatts, and it transforms
the compound lowpressure current above described
into a bigh-pressure current. having a force OF
Il 600 volts at twelve or thirteen amperes. And
this is The current that is sent forth on the nun
dred-mile Journey to Frankfort. Ii traverses this
distance by way of three copper wires. each about
four millimetres in thickness. These wires are
not covered with any insulating sheath or coating,
but are entirely bare. They are carried across
the country like ordinary telegraph wires In
America strung along on poles twenty-five Ieet
high and hundred and twenty-five feet apart.
The insulatOrs by which the wires are fastened 10
the poles are, however, of special KIND. lhey
are made of porcelain, in the usual manner. but
or the surface of such nsuators moisture is apt TO
be condensed, IHub greatly lmPfAAAhS VHNAA IN
cheney. To prevent this each insulator is pro-
yided with three troughs filled with oil, and thus
no fraction of it's usefulness is lost
Thus the potent and mysterious fluid Is
conveyed from Lauffen to Frankfort. Here
il is received by an oil transformer like that
at Lauffen and is turned into a low pres
sure current again. of about 100 volts. Then
part of it goes to the electric lighting apparatus,
and furnishes the current for 200 incandescent
lamps. The rest of it goes 10 three motors and
there takes the form of mechanical energy. The
largest of the three motors drives huge centri-
mCal pump. which supplies the stream for the
waterfall above mentioned some thirty.odd feet
high The actual loss of power in transmission is
scarcely one-fourth. Thereto for every 100
horse power of energy sent out from the works at
Lauffcn, more than seventy-ive horsepower Is
actually available for Use here in Frankfort, a
hundred miles and more away This result has not
only been attained but it has been constantly
maintained for the last two weeks. In view OF
this il is not surprising that the projectors of the
enterprise are more than satisfied, and are eXultng
in having accomplished the most remarkable feat
on record in electric engineering.
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MAGLSIER SACRI PALATII.