The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-18
ELECTRICITY DIRECT FROM COAL
Jacques He Dissolve red the ScreAbout Five Times
More Energy 0btained-Mr. Rockefeller Now
Backing the Project.

, rod in the potash is consumed. DR.. JAG
cues states that the consumption of carbon
by it's combination with the oxygen Of the
air forced thru the iron pipe Is the source
of the electrical energy obtained.
One thing IS certain, the apparatus de-
scribed does yield an electric current.
It should be noted that this apparatus
consumes fuel for three distinct purposes.
First there Is the furnace fire to keep the
potash In the iron pot liquid. Then steam
or some other source of power must be APP
piled to operate the air pump. Lastly
there is the mysterious consumption Of the
| carbon rod In the potash. which DR.. JAG
| cues holds to be the real source of the
electric current. Besides, to the question
whether the consumption OF the carbon
rod in the potash is the true source OF the
electricity obtained, the most interesting
point to be decided in relation to this pro-
| cess Is Its efficiency. How much carbon
rod and how much other fuel must be con-
sumed In order to deliver a given amount
of electrical force?
Dr. jacques has not left us in doubt on
this point. He has stated that a test OF
one of these carbon batteries OF two morse
power capacity had shown a consumption
of only O.223 pound Of carbon rod in the
iron pot and O.336 Of pound Of coal in the
furnace for each electrical horse power
hour developed About 8 per cent OF the
electric power developed was used IN an
electric motor to drive the air pump that
| forced the air thru the iron pipe leading
into the molten potash. From the data
given 1t is not clear whether the cleo
| tricity necessary to operate the air pump
| was included In the figures given for the
consumption Of carbon and COAL Taking
| the view less favorable to the battery the
| weights of fuel named generated one
| electrical horse power hour including the
| electric energy used to operate the air
n nj
| work.
One pound Of pure carbon, when It en-
| tiers into chemical union with the largest
amount Of oxygen that will combine with
| it, liberates an amount of heat measured
by 1850 heat units. One electrical horse
| power hour Is the equivalent of 2,564.8 Of
these units. The 0.223 pound Of carbon
| rod consumed per electric horse power
| hour in the test reported by DR.. jacques,
was thus capable of generating 1928 units
! Of heat. If, as DR.. jacques contends, the
electrical horse power hour said to be de-
livered by the battery was developed by
| union Of oxygen with the carbon rod, the
efficiency Of the process was 70 per cent,
| If no account Is taken of the power used
| by the air pump or Of the coal consumed
In the furnace. Anthracite coal of the
best quality contains about 80 per cent
Of pure carbon, and on this basis the
| O.336 pound Of coal consumed in the fur
mace per electrical horse power hour de-
veloped had heating capacity of 1884
heat units.
Considering the heating power Of both
the carbon consumed In the pot and Of the
coal burned in the furnace, also the loss
in driving the air pump, the complete ap-
paratus delivered for outside work 8:
per cent of the energy Of the fuel con-
sumed, according to the figures given by
DR.. Jaques. This efficiency of 80 pc,
cent Is about five times that attained al
electric lighting stations Of the better
class. ..s -.@