Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1913-07-11
100 HORSEPOWER SOLAR
PLANT SET UP IN EGYPT

Frank Shuman, Philadelphia en-
gineer, who recently left London for
Egypt, is making a redical depart
ure in the generation Of natural
power. He is going TO harness the
sun to the Nile. He has already in
stalled near Cairo n 100 horsepower
sun plant for irrigation and his
present mission in Egypt is to COM
plete the installation and to begin
operations almost Immediately.
Four times only in the history Of
the human race has the generation
of power been the subject of inven-
ton. FIRST came the windmill, then
the water-wheel The third depart
ure, aud the greatest 50 far, was the
combustion of fuel.
Now comes the use of the solar
rays, which, If Succcssful-and Mr..
Shuman says that success is already
secured will be the most complete
revolution of all, solving at once for
the Tropics the problem of fuel,
which in the past has been so great
II handicap to remunerative labor and
which in the future, with the dimin-
ishing supplies of coal, must become
greater handicap still.
I Explaining in an interview the
character and purpose of his sun
power plant, Mr.. Shuman said
by means of parabolc mirrors
the heat of the sun is concentrated
to five times its natural intensity.
This gives MS temperature of
about 600 degrees Fahrenheit, and by
means Of this heat concentrated on
boilers the steam is generated, which
is used for driving low.pressure
condensing engine This engine in
turn drives large reciprocating
pump capable of pumping $4,000 gal
Ion, Of minute, and thus Of irrigating
in this particular locality ! 900 acres
OF land.
"Iou can do the same thing, OF
course" Mr.. Shmau went on to say,
"by means of steam generated from
coal. But coal in the Tropics costs
from $40 to S2O a Ton, Sunlight does
moi cost anything, II is true that the
cost ior first construction Of 4 sun.
power irrigation plant is double that
of a fr,t-claS, plant using coal. Es-
timatlng the interest on the in
creased Investment at 4 per cent,
this places us on an equality of coal
at $50 ton delivered at the site
of the plant.
"The plant, moreover, is construct
ed so that with ordinary care il will
last for many generations. 1t is
composed entirely Of reinforced con-
crete, iron and glass. The glass and
concrete will last indefinitely, and
so will the ironwork, provided it is
painted every five years.
You have, therefore, a permanent
plant, the upkeep of which costs very
little The labor that is required 10
run a sun-power plant is, indeed,
great deal less than that which is
necessary for a coal plant. No stok-
crs are needed, there is no coal to
be- >hovclcd aud there are no ashes
to be removed
Hitherto the great handicap to
the cultivation of the soil in the
Tropics has been the high cost of
fuel, making the irrigation of all
great areas of land prohibitive. Sun
power plants, by working without
fuel, sweep away the handicap COM
pletely, and as soon as its use be-
comes general, as it is certainly
bound to do, it will make wide areas
of deserts productive and will enable
the Tropics to support vastly
greater population than they are able
to do at present.
"In America in the summer and
fall of 1911 n 33-horsc sun-power
plant was thoroughly tested with
perfect success. In Cairo we hope
to have the plant working by the first
Of next month.
IF its success there is established,
its use in Tropical countries must
become general, because 10 one need
have to face any longer the difficult
problem of fuel. In addition to the
Tropics the sun-power plant could
also be used with immense advantage
in the south of France, Spain, and
Italy, and in fact in all countries
where they have on an average IS
per cent of sunshine every day Of
: the year"