El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-11-22


In the inventors laboratory-or sun
power yard" "a he prefers to call it
there are in all 800 small mirrors ar
ranged on frames of different sizes the
largest holding $40 mirrors. and the
smallest 2s. Each mirror has been
found capable. by actual thermomet-
rical measurement. to reefict from 10 TO
Is degrees of heat. according to the To-
cation of the sun. the angle of the mir
ror. and the heat or warmth of the
day. With all these mirrors in use.
therefore. a total heat of some $4,000
degrees Is generated.
In the ordinary way DIR. Calver never
uses more than one or two of his mir
ror frames simuiatneously-in fact.
unless he required to melt down a
mountain of stone. or TO perform some
gigantic operation of the kind. he
would hardly have cause to do so. The
sun rays are focused on a piece of
highly Furnished metal. shaped like
the smooth inside of wash basin. only
much larger. A piece of wood three
feet in length and an inch across.
drawn soaking from a barrel of water
and thrust into the reflected rays. dries
in about a half a second. and in ano.h-
er half bursts into flame.
Each of the mirror frames operates
neIlO-ulOLOT OI It's OWL ne
like ice. may be stored up indefinitely.
for use in cloudy weather. The heat
reservoir is a round metal tank. not
unlike an ordinary gas storage tank.
filled with a combination of minerals
and fitted with tight sliding doors. The
heat is absorbed by the minerals. and
may be drawn off when required with
as much ease as beer is drawn from
casket
The principle of the heat reservoir
is secret which DIR. Calver guards so
jealousy that he has not even patented
it, 1T is SO simple" he told me. that
no matter how many patents | secured
on it. | could not prevent other inven-
tors from appropriating the idea"
The reservoir. however. is not an es-
sential feature of the motor invention.
III the heat cannot be conveniently
stored in its original form. IL can be
caused to make steam from water. and
with this steam electricity can be made
which can be kept for any length of
time in ordinary storage batteries
This would be an expensive method.
but not more so than storing the heat
itself
An interesting day may he spent
with DIR. Calver in his laboratory at the
end of North Capitol street in Wash
ington. The usual workshops occupy
the front of a field. inclosed by a high
board fence. At the further end of the
field Is the heat reservoir. mounted on
a platform raised about feet from the
ground: and running around the reser-
voir in complete circles. with diameters
of about so feet are two wooden tracks.
On these tracks the large mirror
frames are arranged on wheels. to be
easily shifted into the proper places To
catch the rays of the sun when desired.
When a certain amount OF heat is
required for storage in the reservoir. or
for immediate uses. the corresponding
mirror frame is brought out from its
case and pushed into position on the
track so that IL may catch the rays OF
the sun. Every one of the mirrors in
the frame is separately fitted with
gearing device. by which IL can be ad-
justed to the proper angle at touch
from the operators hand. The mirrors
are all focused on the same spot. and
as the sun moves the frame is moved
also. the mirrors being kept at the
proper inclination