The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-11-30

time. Very few people have ever
seen the modern water wheel used
for generating power or electricity.
But most people have seen the
simple old paddle wheel turning
under a water fall with most of the
water and power wasted. A good
many people have seen the genera
tor on an automobile, and 1t is likely
that II you could reproduce the pic
ture that comes to most minds when
a hydrO-electric or water wheel
generator is spoken Of, it would be
a wooden paddle wheel with an ex.
tension on the shaft for generating
electricity as it does on car. With
this kind of a generating station, a
dam, wheel, some shafting and a
copper wire attached to carry the
electricity off to where it is con.
sumed, we have a simpler idea Of
power plants than are now actually
in use. This kind Of equipment has
developed so rapidly in recent years,
and it has generally been installed
in such out of the way places, it Is
little wonder that very few people
have the correct understanding Of
it. Two things have done much to
rivet old ideas in peoples minds
the memory Of the wooden water
wheel, and the simple little batter
les turned by hand, that were not
long ago used in schools that pre-
tended to teach something about
electricity, and which were much
used to entertain people by having
them all sit or stand in circle with
hands joined, while some leader
turned the crank and shocked them,
excited them or froze them together
with too strong current accord
ing to his whims and tricks.
The old water wheel was made of
wood and weighed few hundred
pounds. The modern water wheel
and generator is made of metals and
weighs few tons and up. The
largest one in the Snake river can
yon weighs forty-fve tons. The
little generator riggin' used in
schools and colleges used to weigh a |,
few pounds and was held on some
body's lap. When they wanted q
little current to pass thru the people
in the circle the crank was turned
slowly. When they wanted more, it
was speeded up.
People who remember these
things have very naturally applied
those methods to power plants, and
in thinking about their operation
for domestic purposes, they are apt
to suppose that somebody opens the
mill race at sunset and let's the |
water rush in and hit the water |
wheel with jolt and set it to light
ing the houses. When it is not
needed any longer, they close the
mill race and let it set. There was
time when electrical engineers, or
students of electricity thought of
lighting service in nose terms. But
methods have changed. Generating
have carried out some Of those
ideas, but people furnishing electric
ity for sale for power and lights,
heating, pumping, decorating and
signs, have revolutionized methods,
and this series is an attempt to
spread information that will bring
a more correct understanding and
enable people to approach the
electric market with better chances
to get and apply what they need.
A Modern Water Wheel
A modern water wheel is made of
bronze and is the shape Of an apple
an apple that is naturally slightly
flatened so it will rest securely on
the blossom end and the stem end
up. "A shaft goes thru the water
wheel where the stem grows in the
apple, but goes clear thru and other
parts of the generator are on the
same shaft. I have said that the
modern water wheel is the shape of
an apple, but am referring in that
statement, only to the outer form Of
the wheel as it would be covered
with something fitting the outer
parts, as the skin covers an apple. !