New or Improved Methods of and Apparatus for Utilising Electric Energy, and the Application thereof to the Propulsion of Aërial Vessels.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 7th June, 1889-Accepted, 7th Sept., 1889
TRUVINIUNAL SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Methods of and Apparatus for Utilising Electric
Energy, and the Application thereof to the Propulsion of Aërial
Vessels.
I, JAMES GRIEVE LORRAIN, of Norfolk House, Victoria Embankment, Loudon,
W.C., Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to new or improved methods of and apparatus for utilising
electrical energy and to the application thereof to the propulsion of aerial vessels.
It is known that when two electrostatic machines are connected up electrically
and one of them rotated the other will rotate also, and thus constitute an electrostatic
motor.
My invention embraces an electrostatic motor; but instead of feeding it by a
current generated by an electrostatic machine I feed it by a current from a source
of current electricity, such for example as a primary battery. I may raise the
current furnished by this source of current electricity to a sufficient electromotive
force by means of an induction coil or transformer, the primary coil of which is in
circuit with the said source of current electricity and the secondary coil of which
may be in circuit with the electrostatic motor. To enable the current in the primary
circuit, of the transformer to induce a current in the secondary circuit I may inter-
pose in the said primary circuit a device for rendering the current therein an
alternating or an undulating or an interrupted one. This device may be actuated
either directly or indirectly by the current or by the electrostatic motor or by an
independent motor of any suitable kind.
Instead of raising the current furnished by the source of current electricity to an
electromotive force sufficient to actuate an electrostatic motor by means of a trans-
former or induction coil, I may do so by means of a secondary battery in conjunction
with a Planté commutator, or other equivalent device. When I employ this method I
may charge the secondary battery (consisting of a large number of cells) in quantity,
and then by means of the Planté commutator arrange them in series so that they
may give out a current of sufficiently high electromotive force to actuate the electro-
static motor.
In some cases I may use the source of current electricity direct to actuate the
electrostatic motor. In this case the source of current electricity necessarily consists
of a large number of cells which are arranged in series when the electrostatic motor is
actuated.
I may sometimes employ what I may for convenience term an electrostatic relay.
This consists essentially of two electrostatic machines coupled together the one acting
as a motor and the other as a generator. When the machine which acts as a motor
is fed by a suitable current it revolves and with it the machine which acts as a
generator, the latter generating a new current which actuates the electrostatic motor
first hereinbefore mentioned.
In the case in which I use a transformer or induction coil I may start and stop
the electrostatic motor by means of a suitable switch or circuit closing device in
the primary circuit. In this case also when I employ adjustable resistances or other
regulating devices I preferably place them in the primary circuit.
A drawback which presents itself when a transformer or induction coil is employed
to transform a large current of low electromotive force into a small one of high
electromotive force is the chance of sparking between the secondary coil and the
primary coil and the consequent destruction of the insulation. The greater the
difference between the electromotive forces in the secondary and primary coils
espectively, the greater is this liability of sparking. I may get over this difficulty,

page_text: by means of what I may for convenience term a compound or a graded transformer,
that is a transformer consisting practically of two or more transformers, each of
which will alter the electro motive force to a certain extent but not to the full
extent required. Thus suppose the electromotive force were required to be raised
from a to y. Instead of employing a single transformer the difference of potential
in the two coils of which would be y-a, I should employ a compound or graded
transformer consisting practically of say six transformers or pairs of coils, the first
having a difference of potential between its primary and secondary coils of say e-a
the second of say i-e, the third of say mi, the fourth of say q-m, the fifth of
say u-g, and the sixth of say y-u. In this illustration it will be seen that the
compound or graded transformer will raise the electromotive force six times as
high as would one of its constituent transformers, whilst the difference of potential
between any two coils of a constituent transformer is only one sixth of what would
be the case if an ordinary transformer were employed.
I may apply my invention, amongst other purposes, to the propulsion of acrial
vessols for which purpose it is particularly applicable on account of the light weight
of the apparatus as compared with that which has hitherto been employed. When
my invention is employed for this purpose the electrostatic motor may conveniently be
geared to a light screw propeller of the kind at present employed for aërial navigation.
It is not necessary that the whole of the apparatus hereinbefore mentioned be
actually carried by the aerial vessel.
1
1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Methods of and Apparatus for Utilising Electric
Energy, and the Application thereof to the Propulsion of Aërial
Vessels.
1, JAMES GRIEVE LORRAIN, of Norfolk House, Victoria Embankment, London,
W.C., Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to new or improved methods of and apparatus for utilising
electrical energy and also to the application of such methods and apparatus to the
propulsion of aërial vessels.
It is known that when two electrostatic machines are connected up electrically and
one of them rotated so as to generate a current the said current will cause the other
to rotate also so as to act as an electrostatic motor.
My invention embraces an electrostatic motor; but instead of feeding it by a
current generated by an electrostatic machine I feed it by a current from a source of
current, or in other words dynamic, electricity.
Any convenient source of current electricity may be employed for the purpose
provided it be used or arranged so, or in conjunction with such other apparatus, as to
yield a current of sufficiently high electromotive force to actuate the electrostatic
motor.
The current furnished by the source of current electricity may be raised to a
sufficiently high electromotive force by any convenient known means of transforming
electric currents of comparatively large quantity and low electromotive force into
currents of small quantity and high electromotive force. Such means (for example
continuous current transformers or motor-generators as they are sometimes though
not always correctly termed, alternating current transforiners or induction coils,
secondary battery transformers), are well known, and need not be described here. It
is however necessary to mention that if the current delivered to the electrostatic motor
be an alternating one then it is necessary that the electrostatic machine employed as a
motor should be one which does not reverse its direction of movement upon reversal
of the direction (or in other words reversal of sign), of the current. It would be

page_text: necessary to take this precaution whenever an induction coil, or so called alternating
current transformer, is used for whether the current in the primary wire of such
induction coil were an alternating one, or one caused to be undulating or interrupted,
the current in the secondary wire, in which is the motor, would he alternating.
When I raise the current furnished by the source of current electricity to the
requisite electromotive force by means of secondary battery transformers I prefer to
charge the secondary cells in quantity and discharge them (through the electrostatic
motor so as to actuate it when required), in series. What is known as a Planté
cominutator is a convenient device for arranging the secondary cells in quantity or
series as may be required. By this means I am enabled to charge the secondary
cells by any ordinary source of electrical energy yielding continuous currents, such
for example as a continuous current dynamo or a primary battery, as, when the
secondary cells are so arrange in quantity, the electromotive force is not sufficiently
great to cause discharge through the charging source. When however the cells
are arranged in series they will yield a current of sufficient electromotive force to
actuate the electrostatic motor. In saying that I prefer to charge the secondary
cells in quantity I do not mean to imply that could charge them them in series
if I desired to do so. I know of no practical way of charging such a large number
of cells in series as is required to work an electrostatic motor. The secondary cells
need not have a large storago capacity as the quantity of current required is small.
A drawback which presents itself when an alternating current transformer or
induction coil is employed to transform a large current of low electromotive force
into a small one of high electromotive force is the chance of sparking between the
secondary coil and the primary coil and the consequent destruction of the insulation.
The greater the difference between the electromotive forces in the secondary and
primary coils respectively, the greater is this liability of sparking. A way of getting
over this difficulty is by means of what I may for convenience term a compound or a
graded transformer, that is a transformer consisting practically of two or more trans-
formers, each of which will alter the electromotive force to a certain extent but not to
the full extent required. Thus suppose the electromotive force were required to be
raised from a to y. Instead of employing a single transformer the difference of
potential in the two coils of which would be y-a, I might employ a compound or
graded transformer consisting practically of say six constituent transformers or pairs
of coils, the first having a difference of potential between its primary and secondary
coils of say e-u, the second of say i-e, the third of say m-i, the fourth of say q―m,
the fifth of say u-y, and the sixth of say y-u. In this illustration it will be scen
that the compound or graded transformer will raise the electromotive force six times
as high as would one of its constituent transformers, whilst the difference of potential
between the two coils of a constituent transformer is only one sixth of what would be
the case if an ordinary induction-coil transformer were employed.
The accompanying drawing illustrates diagrammatically a graded transformer such
as I have just described. A, B and C are three transforming elements or pairs of
coils constituting one graded transformer. P, P1, P2 are the primary or inducing
coils and S, S¹, S are the secondary or induced coils. D D is the core common to
the elements constituting the graded transformer. The primary P of the first
element A may be assumed to be in circuit with the source of current electricity.
The secondary coil S of the element A is in circnit with the primary coil P¹ of the
element B. The secondary coil S₁ is in circuit with the primary P². The
secondary S forms part of the working circuit which contains the apparatus or
devices (lamps, motors &c.), employed to utilise the high tension electric current
produced. The current in P induces in S one of higher electromotive force and
Smaller quantity. This current traversing P¹ induces in S' a current of still higher
electromotive force and still smaller quantity, which latter traversing P induces
in Sa current whose electromotive force is still higher again. In this way, which
though very wasteful is yet convenient in some cases, the electromotive force of a
current may be raised much higher than can be done in a two-coil transformer
as ordinarily constructed. It will be obvious that S and P' constitute practically a

page_text: single coil closed upon itself and the same remark applies to S¹ and P³. I prefer
however that each element shall have its own magnetic shell. When the current
traversing the primary coil is an alternating one I prefer that the magnetic circuit
of each element shall be a closed one. When the current traversing the primary
is a pulsating or interrupted one I so construct the transformer that the magnetic
circuit is not closed. Subject to these remarks any of the usual forms and arrange-
ments of electric and magnetic circuits existing in the ordinary forms of transformer
in the market will answer the purpose.
When I employ a primary battery to feed the electrostatic motor direct, that is to
say without the intervention of any intermediate transforming apparatus, it necessarily
consists of a large number of cells arranged in series. These cells need not be of
large size. They must however be very carefully insulated to prevent leakage of the
current. I find it convenient to keep the electrodes raised out of the electrolyte
during the period that the battery is not feeding the electrostatic motor. It is a
good plan to employ a compound switch for opening and closing the circuit, namely
one which instead of opening and closing the circuit at one point only opens and closes
it simultaneously at a number of points separating the cells of the battery into groups
or units.
When I use switches in conjunction with transforming apparatus I prefer to have
such whenever possible in the low electromotive force circuit only rather than in the
high electromotive force circuit...
In my Provisional Specification 1 referred to a device which I termed an electro-
static relay and which consisted of two electrostatic machines coupled together so as
to constitute what might be considered an electrostatic transformer or electrostatic
motor-generator. As I bave not been able to make a practical apparatus of this
within the time at my disposal I lay no claim to it under this application for Letters
Patent.
The number of practical purposes to which my invention can be economically
applied is very limited. One such application for which my invention is particularly
suitable, on account of the light weight of the apparatus as compared with that
which has hitherto been employed for the purpose, is the propulsion of. aerial vessels.
So far as I am aware the most successful method of propelling aerial vessels hitherto
adopted is that associated with the names of Monsieur Gaston Tissandier and Captains
Renard & Krebs. The great drawback in the case of these gentlemen's experiments
lay in the heavy weight of the motor employed (a Siemens electro-dynamic machine),
and the large and heavy primary battery necessary to feed the same. By adopting
my invention and substituting a light electrostatic machine, say of the Wimshurst
type, which can be fed by a comparatively light primary battery an enormous gain
in the matter of weight is obtained.
The electrostatic motor may propel the aërial vessel by means of a light screw
propeller of silk stretched upon cane and braced in the usual manner of such
propellers. The propeller may steer as well as drive the vessel.
When my invention is applied to the propulsion of aerial vessels it is not necessary
that the whole of the apparatus hereinbefore specified as requisite should be carried
by the aerial vessel. When it is required that the aerial vessel should be quite free
then I prefer to employ an electrostatic motor fed direct by a primary battery con-
sisting of a large number of cells arranged in series and provided with a compound
switch as before mentioned, the said primary battery being carried by the aërial
vessel. When the aërial vessel is not free, as in the case of a captive balloon
required to be mancevred within certain limits, then part of the apparatus herein-
before mentioned may be on the earth. When secondary battery transformers are
employed the secondary cells may be charged by a source of electrical energy on the
earth and then disconnected therefrom & the aerial vessel set free.
In the cases
wherein transforming apparatus is employed and part of the apparatus is on the
earth I prefer that such part should be the source of electrical energy only so that
the circuit extending from the earth to the vessel should be the low electromotive
force one.

page_text: In practice I prefer to employ an electrostatic machine of the Wimshurst type as
a motor and to feed this directly by a primary battery consisting of a large number of
small cells. Any ordinary type of primary battery will answer the purpose but the
best results will be obtained, other things being equal, by the cells which give the
highest electromotive force and polarise least.
With the exception of the graded transformer, which I have hereinbefore minutely
described, all the pieces of apparatus or devices mentioned are well known and need
not be further referred to here. The inanner in which they should be connected
up will be obvious to every electrician.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.
1. The new or improved method of utilising electric energy consisting in the
employment of a source of current or dynamic electricity, either with or without
intermediate transforming apparatus, to actuate an electrostatic motor.
2. The new or improved method of propelling aërial vessels substantially as
described.
3. The application of the method of utilising electric energy set out in claim 1
to the propulsion of aërial vessels.
4. The new or improved apparatus for utilising electric energy consisting in the
combination of a source of current or dynamic electricity and an electrostatic motor
substantially as described.
5. The new or improved apparatus for utilising electric energy consisting in the
combination of a source of current or dynamic electricity a transforming apparatus
and an electrostatic motor substantially as described.
6. The application of the apparatus set out in claim 4 to the propulsion of aërial
vessels.
7. The application of the apparatus set out in claim 5 to the propulsion of aërial
vessels.
8. The new or improved apparatus for utilising electric energy consisting in the
compound or graded transformer substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 7th der of June 1880
J. G. LORRAIN.