Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1915-10-09
new TYPE OF
WATER ENGINE
Effort is Being Made to Try il Out
In Snake River to Pump
For Irrigation.

Frank Englehart returned Tuesday
from business trip to North Yakima
Washington, and while there became
interested In q water engine which
VAS De4ng used Tor puAp,ms water
for irrigation. This engine is the in
yenuion of a Yakima man and Is be-
ing financed by business men OF Yaki-
ma
Mr.. Englehart made Investigations
ls to the feasibility OF installing one
OF these engines near Hammett for
he purpose of pumping water from
Snake river to irrigate Hammett
lands.
In talking over the matter with the
company's engineer, Mr.. Englehart
gathered great deal OF information
regarding cost OF construction. install
alton and an approximate cost per
ere for irrigation.
The engineer stated that he be-
ieved the engine could be installed and j.
'atre pumped onto the Hammett iand
.or about s35 per acre. This water
.lSht he believes could be arranged
n payments of about So per acre per
ear with a small rate OF interest,
aus doing away with maintenance
almost entirely.
The company agreed to send their
ensineer here and install on OF their
Sarer engines and demonstrate what
:ould be done, tree Of all cost to the
and owners which will probably be
arranged for in the near future.
The Crow Water Engine 10 device
Tor the utilization OF low heads OF
water for generating power. BY low
Aeads we mean heads 21a to 3 or
teet, which are Of course out OF the
question In turbines.
The principle OF the water engine
3 the buoyancy OF water. When q
Jodv is immerced In water the up
ward force or buoyancy exerted upon
it by the water, or loss OF weight OF
the body, due TO immersion. is equal
% the water displaced by immersion
Of the body. That Ii body is lighter
shan water, 1t must be entirely Inn
nerscd and held down. against its
endency to rise.
When body Is placed In liquid
whether 1t floats or sinks 1t dis
places q bulk OF liquid equal to the
immersed portion Of the body; and
the body In both cases and at any
depth, and In any position. In BUOYED
UP by the liquid with FORCE
DQUAL TO TILE WEIGHT 90 dis
placed.
The operation OF the water engine
% based on the principle OF buoyanco
and causing the water to flow In and
out the pontoons is made to- rise and
fall.
The engine LIS a flume Of suitable
with compartments divided
off by two revolving gates iat either
end. In this compartment is the pom
toon which is held In place by two
beams provided with shafting and
bearers at the other end which serve
as q rocker shaft, the ponfoon NOV
ing In an up and down direction only.
The gates which control the passage
of water are both the same size and
mounted on axis and revolve about
their axis with equal speed. being con-
nected by sprocket and chain.
The latch ON the back gate Is
operated by the pontoon rising In
and allowing the gate to open and
the water spills out and the front
gatec loses and the pontoon then
comes down. The water then builds
lp against the front gate until IT is
and opens. this closes
the back gate and the water fiils the
compartment and causes the pontoon
to rise.
This alternating rising and falling
of the pontoon generates power
which is transmitted by walking
beam to pump or other apparatus
which It Is desired TO run.
The compartment is empied ana
filled fifteen times mdnnte thus gav-
ing 80 strokes per minute.
The power Of course is dependent up
ON the displacement, the number OF
strokes and the length OF the stroke.