The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-03-08
AN IDAHO FIRM
PROVES IT

Down on the Twin Falls North
Side project is large company
pumping plant operated by electri-
city to pump water for irrigation. A
year or two ago, the manager, r. e.
Shepherd observed that electric
pumping plants were not getting the
results which he thought they ought
to get from the power expended, and
he went to studying the question.
According to the reports Of the en-
gineers, they were getting about GO
per cent efficiency from the power
expended in pumping, and Shepherd
thought they ought to be getting
more
After Investigating the plant to
try to find where there was undue
friction or loss d power that could
Re remedied he found that he wds
unable to tell where the resistance
was encountered that exhausted the
amount of energy that was not ac-
counted for. They were using
large amount of electrical energy,
and he decided to push some kind
of an Investigation to see if better
results could be secured He sent
TO San Francisco and engaged the
service Of some experts to come to
Idaho and, as the engineers say.
check up the power applied, the
friction, the weight and resistance
in the water lifted, and if possible
tell him where the loss was. These
men spent considerable time on the
study and could only determine what
he had done-fnd that there was
an undue loss. Either the amount |
of current consumed was too great |
or the amount of water lifted was too
small They said it would be nee
essary to take the machines apart
and make an examination of the
parts.
The pumps used were OF the CEN
trifugal kind, working somewhat like
a ships propeller does in the water,
only the propeller in the pumps has
to remain stationery and the water
absolutely has to move on. In the
moving on process it goes up thru
the tubes and makes the ascent.
When the propellers were examined,
it was found that the blades were
not finely finished at the edges and
were dull The dull edges that sliced
the water did not make a clean cut,
but ripped thru it by force A first
glance a person would not think that
made any perceptible difference in
slicing water, but the experts said it
should make a difference, and there
was a way to finish off the blades so
they would have smooth, sharp
edges, so they were put thru the
process.
When they were put into commits
sion again, It was found that they
had made a gain of 20 per cent in
the amount of water lifted with the
same amount of energy applied The
sharp blades had made the difference
in slicing water. When they footed
up the bills for the service of the
they travelling expenses and
all the cost of the work on the ma
it made a total of about
$4,000. Il
We did not learn how long it
would take the firm to gain that
money back in the savings on oper-
ating cost or on the increased amount
Of water lifted, but we want to ask
our readers to consider the fact that {
they had the courage to eXpend so
much money on mere venture to
see if they could make an important
discovery. They did not know ;
" llOIHCl VI ilot dHs lCouiIo
would come of their investment to i
,ring the experts up from San Fran [
,iscO. But it was private enter I
rise and if they could make saw i
ng it would be a good thing for them t
md for the community they served.
n the natural run of events the COM
,any would get the benefit of their f
Investment if the discovery was S
made, and if not, it was their own I
money they were losing and nobody |
lse would feel concerned. q
compare That With Govern
nent Work
Now compare this with a govern a
nent-owned plant, and consider =
yhether a manager or superintend-
mt holding the position by virtue of a
political appointment would have s
elt so much concern about the loss il
hat he would exhaust his own ca t
acity studying hard problem and s
aen expend so much money out OF
is appropriation on a mere venture e
1,k>