New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-27
SCIENCE AND MECHANICS.
From The Weekly Tribune
70 GENERATE ELECTRICITY CHEAPLY.

-,,,.,,,o. ri rcTJ,lc BATTERY WHICH is SAID
TO BE AN IMPROVEMENT on THE STEAM
ENGINE AND DYNAMO
VIII, . nla,e Of copper and plate of zinc are
soa l., an acid solution. that they do not
n, Zach other and their upper extremtes are
n,o,,ed bv q wire an electric currcn; is mmedi-
o.o.v found TO be flowing through the after. Now
:, tho same plates. having been cleaned ana u''e'
- ,i,.d n their lower ends with solder. and IL the
..,..,,, then be subjected TO unusual neat, cur
ro,, will again he discovered in the wire when con-
- ,heir INNER ends. In other words. In the
.,ber,,o-electrc couple heat will produce the same
so,, in kind but not in degree. as chemical acu'"
49,, f., the galvanic battery. Although ms prih-
$50 has been known for more than seventy years,
- Va not been extensively utilized. Its principal
aonlcation has been to delicate instruments Tor de
1.sr, changes of temperature too small. TO be reg
,.,sred py an ordinary thermometer For 'hls pun
- variety of metals have been employed but
,,,,,n,h and anthony long constituted the i'Vorle
n,ro.lon Several attempts have also been made
. car srct thermO-electrc batteries for such pTac-
ia, service a. tclcgraphng and ecctro-p.athE'
7, the diamond apparatus. for Instance. alternate
ri,rs Of tin and an alloy containing antinohV ana
,s we're built np with the aid of asbesto IS paste
,r.o q hollow cylinder. the interior of which was
heated lv a gas-fame produced around perIo'd'eu
earthenware tube inserted from be.ow.
Hitherto. however the thermo-electric pa''ei.
~ M, heen considered economical means Oh
ronvcriing heat into electricity Fuel thus en-
Moved would not give the same results as Il useu
IN run a steam engine. which IN TURN u'oNe
DYNAMO Nevertheless as The tribune mas IT,
neafedlv mentioned. even this latter plan Involves
an enormous waste OF the energy stored IN COAL
and for nearly twenty years the problem OF lessen
ing If not entirely averting this loss has occupied
The attention Of eminent scientists in Europe and
America II s now announced that Harry Barringer
Cox. OF Hartford. Conn. after years OF experiment.
on 10
OF Clamond's. but differing therefrom in important
details and Welding az is claimed. much greater
output for the same fuel than tho steam engine
and dynamo II the event fully justines this as
ser-ion important revolution MIL De eHeV'cu
in electrical engineering. TO say nothing OF indus
tries requiring power. Professor Dolbeare. recog'
MED authority in such matters. has been quoted
as saying: When heat energy can he transformer
directly into electrical energy withou: needing an
steam engine. j, is probable that the
OF electrical energy would be easily reduced 10
one-tenth It's present figures The Hartford in
vertor is reported as believing that he can accom-
pl.sh reduction nearly but not quite as great as
this
Precisely what metals he has subordnated to his
ends is yet a secret Both OF the elements form
ing each couple. though. are said TO be alloys
Wedges OF these alloys combined in n ring.
pains being taken 10 avoid wel-defned functions
and to merge one alloy gradually with the other
where the wedges come together. Several such
rings may be used. above another. but with
asbestos sheets between. The cylinder, moreover,
is lined with 'ireprcof plastic cement. metallic
casing incoses the cylinder although insulated
II ON il: and "a current OF water for cooling pur
poses" according The Hartford Times. is
made TO circulate between the metal casing and
the outer shell of the generator" Thus is secured
dn indcstructible stove. in which you may burn
fuel for year without interruption for repairs.
and from which you lead OF your electricity
through wires from dynamo
4 test OF Mr. Cox's invention was made several
months ago by the Commercial cable Company. OF
which George G. Ward Is ice-presiient and general
manager For about a month the new apparatus
run by burning gas) was locked up ana left alone;
and during that time Mr.. Ward says Il worked his
oompanys land wires between New-fork and Bos-
tor QUITE efficiently the batteries commonly
used for such service II Is further stated that the
generator occupied very much less space than the
b ttery and cost about one-eghth much to oper-
ate 1t is estimated that the first cost Of such
plant would be much less than that OF battery.
As yet Mr. Cox himself does not talk about the ap-
central stations for electric lighting. But Il seems
proba BILE that Of the earliest uses OF his
orators viii be 10 charge small storage batteries for
ringing housebel operating surgeons cauterizng
a pparatus and similar work The inconvenience Of
sending storage battery 10 be recharged may thus
be avoided.