Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1908-01-22
HEATING BY ELECTRICITY.
A New Order Of Things Which Science Has
Developed.


Scientists have settled anon
} themselves that a hot body diff
| fers from cold body in that tn
very small particles or molecules
of which it Is composed, are in
state of rapid to-and-fro motion
or oscillation. Increasing tn,
temperature only serves to in
= crease the violence of these mol
ocular vibrations until the body
. is melted down or evaporated
When body is deprived of al.
its heat the oscillations entirely
cease. Therefore it becomes ap.
parent that energy must be trans.
mitted or work done on the mole.
cules before heat oscillations can
be produced. If a body is warm.
ed at the fire the heat energy is
transmitted. If two pieces of
steel are heated by friction, work
is done on the molecules by the
application of power.
Heat developed by electricity
is. no exception to the above prin-
clples. In the transmission or
coal energy to sheat there is al
ways a great loss, while electrical
energy can always be converted en-
tlrely to heat. This fact alone
was sufficient to lead the scien-
lists and inventors to the develop
melt of electric heaters and cleo.
trio cooking devices. |
The principle Of heat by elec-
tricity is very simple. Suppose
an electric current is passed over
large copper wire, which is a
good conductor, and at a certain
point it has to pass over a small
poorly conducting plantinum
wire, The plantinum resists the
current; consequently the elec-
trlclty has to work hard to get
across the gap. This working
energy expended on the molecules
produces heat. The "work"
starts the molecular vibrations
which increase as the labor con-
tinues until the platinum wire is
red hot.
All electric heating devices are
constructed on this principle.
Wire or strips of metal of high
resisting properties are wound on
blocks of earthenware or other
non-lnhamable. and insulating
material. When the current is
turned on the metal becomes hot.
Electric beating differs materially
from electric lighting. In the
electric light the engineers are
trying to produce the largest
amount of light with the smallest
amount of heat. So far the per-
cehtage of light secured, compar-
ed with the percentage of heat, is
very small. In electric heating
the inventors seek the greatest
amount of heat with the least
amount of light.
Electric heat finds its greatest
fiald for usefulness in the art1.
ficlal heating of air in buildings,
cars and steamboats,. In street
cars and steamboats,, where econ.
omy of space and simplicity Of
control are essential, the small
electric heaters which can be
easily secreted under the seats OF
in out-of-the-way corners, are the
best possible sources of warmth
These heaters consist of high re.
sistance wire coils loosely wound
around a porcelain base and pro.
teeted with a cast iron screen
they best serve their purpose
when they rapidly impart thei1
heat to the surrounding air.
The General Electric Company
was the first to introduce tht
luminous electric radiator into
this country. This device con
sists of an ornamental cast iro1
frame fitted with a polished cop
per reflector at the back and will
three or.more large glowers. Tht
bulbs differ from the ordinary in
candescent lamps for lighting, be
: ing designed to transform nearl,
all the electrical energy to hea
and at the Same time give out
; cheerful glow. The luminou
radiator gives quick heat as
utilizes radiation and not onl
, the slow process of setting up
, current of hot air to warm tn
l room. 1t is far superior to tn