The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-15
ELECTRICITY'S NEW WORK.
FRoGRESS IN APPLYING POWER IN
M MECHANICAL ARTS.

electrical Installations In New Ra rtories-
Their tircat t~tcon0my-Cost OF steam Power
sud That OF Electrical Fewer Compared.
In this tho end Of tho nineteenth cen.
fury, among other things, one witnesses
surprising changes in the uso OF mcchNnl.
cal power for purposes OF manufacture
and OF transportas ion. and especially In
the substitution of electrical apparatus for
shaftinE and betting ns tho method for trans
uniting mechanical powcr-R substitution that
hat become so general ms to become n principal
aubject Of discussion before technical associa.
tons, both old and new.
The general application OF electricity 10 the
propulsion Of street cars and other vehicles in
great measure has diverted attention from the
important work of that same agent In the in
dustrial arts; and it is the purpose OF this
article to indicate and TO Illustrate tho cxtont
and tho advantages OF tho use of electricity in
the mechanical arts,
After getting from animals all the aid that no
could, man turned naturally for moro power TO
the winds and to water, and ut such points MS
involved the least cost and preparation.
Ultimately the invention OF tho steam engine
nrndo It possible 10 apply power at any locality
where 10 was wanted, TO a certain extent, and
the various forms Of applying steam power
have been so worked out and applied that now.
In spite OF Its low theoretical economy, steam
power easily completes with water power in
many localities where fuel is not too dear or
where special conditions do not render 1t pos.
sible to develop the water power and equipment
at a very low expenditure.
Since the early eighties the new agent, cleo
tricity. has pushed forward so fast that there is
q popular impression that it is the source OF all
power, mechanically speaking. and not merely
a convenient agent for Transmission of the
real energy otherwise developed. In fact, we
who FOR some time have been intimately asso-
ciated with electrical applications nre almost
too prone to attribute to it all power and posi-.
bilities and at times mistakenly to attempt its
application to some purposes better served by a
plain, Old-fashiOnod crowbar.
Doubtless the enthusiasm OF those connected
with this development has accelerated its prog.
ress, but in many cases we may dcploro as
premature attempts to apply the new agent.
For instance, in Tho cnse of tho storage battery
street car: much money and energy were cx-
pended while the accumulntor was yet n mere
toy. and with such poor results that now when
well qualified engineers and equally well quail.
fed financicrs take up the problem OF the
storage battery, past failures come to mind, and
the opportunity to mako new applications Of the
method. fairly promising success notwithstand-
ing the continuing diilculty Of excessive weight,
IS correspondingly difficult OF Improvement.
Our old fricnl |, compressed air. very recently
has been rcsuscitated AMI partially rehabili-
tated. but In spite OF stronger storage cans. per-
hitting tho application of moro economical
methods in its compression. tho results arc yet
in question; and although it cannot be denied
that progress has been made. and that on various
trials at least ono car has been kept running. yet
80 many inherent difficulties attend its very
general application that electricians seem to
feel no fcor that their technical services will
soon become unnecessary or that they will be
obliged to adopt this rival method.
Indeed, II would appear that now the electric
current has all its own way, and few are the
newly erected factories whose projectors. before
deciding on Its method OF power distribution,
do not first discuss the applicability of electrical
apparatus. ana not a few adopt Its use generally
or to such extent as their special line of bust
ness may rendor possible.
In a previous paragraph 1t WINS observed that
electricity. of course. is a means of distribution
OF energy and not the prime mover. md not
withstanding Its Introduction we still have to
trust to steam or water or to some other power
for generating the electric current. whether in
our own buildings or in sono more or less dis
tant station.
A question of momcnt has boen the distrihu.
tion OF power developed at some central point
more or less distant from the point of use, but
beyond ordinary limits OF the close or nearby
transinissions made by the use OF II belt or of
gears. Such transmisslons over some distance,
whether thirty or a hundred feet or more, have
been mado by the various methods of steam
piping to separate engines, by textile and
wire ropes. and by shafting of various
kinds. For local distribution of power In
factories shaftins has been the most
LARGELY used. and in spite Of n very largo
application of electricity to such PURPOSES, tho
line ana The counter shaft still hold their own,
and where the individual machines are srnnll.
will continue 20 DO so. Consequently one OF tho
puZZling questions for the iHcchnnical engineer
Is Just where to draw the line, and TO cut of the
shaft nnd aUply the individual motor.
While doubtless It is n fnct that in the diff
forelt methods Of power distribution the losses
have always been taken into account in calculat-
ing on expenditures for power. 1t is during only
the comparatively short period since tho electric
motor came before tho powcr.using public that
especial attention has been given to the very
heavy losses inherent In all prior methods Of
power transmission, and especially to the exces-
Bive waste of energy that takes place in all
shafting and boiling where both are used in
long lines and with many connections. Under
these conditions tho loss Of power has been
proved to be considerably moro than the part
actually employed by tho machines in doing
useful work.
Specialists havo devoted their energies to de-
tern,ining all tho factors involved in tho most
economical condition Of applied power; omc to
ascertaining tho actual power required by
separate machines rhd by groups OF machines
under all conditions OF use: others to tho fric-
tion of the distributing methods, ms shnfting and
betting. and to tho discovery of the ratio of use-
full horse power TO tho amount actually dcvel.
opod Mt tho prime mover. and attn others to the
comparative economy Of tho overall methods.
In the most remarkable manner all agree TINT
under almost any condition the results favor
the use Of electrical distribution rather than of
shafting or OF any Othcr method yet tried.
Various Investigations as to the proportion
Of developed nowor u~scfully applied. In fac
tories equipped with shafting and betting, show
that In most cases less than onc.halt the de-
velOpod ppw or IL used. and that in fact II 10 n
pretty good plant that has II power efficiency of
90 per cent. some plants running as low as 20
per cent. Of effect, and most running along at
an mud An nj po,,t .uIcionrr