A System of Electric Supply or Distribution.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Dec., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 30th Sept., 1890-Accepted, 27th Dec., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A System of Electric Supply or Distribution.
I, FRANÇOIS VAN RYSSELBERGHE, Electrical Engineer, of 37, Rue Philippe-le-Bon,
Bruxelles, Belgium, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as
follows:-
My invention consists in a method of producing electricity and of distributing it
economically in a great centre of population.
In an electric distribution the canalisation is very costly, because the conductors
must have a sectional area sufficient, not only to avoid their being heated by the
passage of the current, but also, and chiefly, to keep the loss of pressure at a minimum,
for instance from 1 to 2 volts in a distribution of 100 volts, because the good working
of glow lamps admits but a small difference of potential.
My system consists in reducing the electric transport to a minimum, by establishing
on a uniform electric canalisation a great number of electric generators which produce
the electricity on the spot, these electric generators being set in motion by hydraulic
motors fed by a canalisation of water at high pressure, established parallel to the
electric canalisation.
This system has the advantage to render the dimensions of the electric canalisation
independent of the intensity or the rate at which the electricity is consumed, because
it is sufficient for keeping the potential uniform in the different parts of the conduit,
to multiply, the number of generators and to place them close together in proportion
to the rate of consumption.
It is true, that this system requires a hydraulic conduit in addition to the electric
conduit; but in hydraulics, the loss of pressure for a given supply diminishes pro-
portionately to the. fifth power of the diameter, while in electricity, the losses of
pressure diminish only as the square of the diameter.
The combination of the two canalisations leads to the economical distribution of
electricity on a much larger area than would be possible by an exclusively electric
distribution.
The following appear to be the features of novelty of my invention :-
1. A system of hydro-electric distribution, which consists in combinining an electric
canalisation or conduit with a hydraulic canalisation or conduit and with hydro-
electric generators, the latter being fed by the hydraulic conduit and feeding in their
turn the electric conduit.
2. The combination of an electric canalisation of uniform sectional area with a
great number of hydro-electric generators, this number, as well as the distance
between the same being determined by the rate of consumption.
Dated this 30th day of December 1889.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433 Strand, London, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A System of Electric Supply or Distribution.
I, FRANÇOIS VAN RYSSELBERGHE, Electrical Engineer, of 37, Rue Philippe-le-Bon,
Bruxelles, Belgium, do hereby declare the nature of my 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 consists in a method of producing electricity and of distributing it.
ically in areat centres of population.

page_text: In an electric distribution, the canalisation is very costly, because the conductors
must have a sectional area sufficient, not only to avoid their being heated by the
passage of the current, but also, and chiefly, to keep the loss of pressure at a minimum,
for instance from 1 to 2 volts in a distribution of 100 volts, because the good working
of glow-lamps admits but a small variation of voltage.
My system has for its object, to reduce the electric transport to a minimum, by
establishing on a uniform electric canalisation a great number of electric generators
which produce the electricity on the spot, these electric generators being set in motion
by, hydraulic 'motors fed by a canalisation of water at high pressure, established
parallel to the electric canalisation.
This system has the advantage, to render the dimensions of the electric canalisation
independent of the intensity or the rate at which the electricity is consumed, because
it is sufficient for keeping the electro-motive force uniform in the different parts of
the conduit, to multiply the number of generators and to place them close together
in proportion to the rate of consumption.
It is true, that this system requires a hydraulic conduit in addition to the electric
conduit; but in hydraulics, the loss of pressure for a given supply diminishes pro-
portionately to the fifth power of the diameter, while in electricity, the losses of
pressure diminish only as the square of the diameter.
The combination of the two canalisations leads to the economical distribution of
electricity on a much larger area, than would be possible by an exclusively electric
distribution.
I have therefore specially applied myself to the construction of a high-pressure
hydraulic motor acting directly on the axle of a dynamo-electric machine.
My hydro-electric generator is obtained by directly coupling the revolving part of
a dynamo with a hydraulic turnstile or reaction wheel constructed as hereinafter
described and illustrated by the drawing annexed to the present Specification. In
these drawings Fig. 1 is a vertical and Fig. 2 a horizontal section of a hydro-electric
generator, while Figs. 3 to 5 represent certain details on a larger scale.
The motor comprises two straight tubes R1 R2, each of which has at its extremity
a lateral aperture c¹ c², through which the water escapes in exerting on the arms a
pressure in a direction opposite to the motion of the water itself. In other words, it
is a hydraulic reaction wheel with straight arms and vertical axis.
The water enters through the hollow pivot F, which is of hardened steel, and turns
on a hollow step-bearing made of gun inetal. The bore of the step-bearing is of such
a diameter, that the upward pressure of the water will be slightly less than the
weight of the revolving part of the whole apparatus, so that the joint may be kept
tight (a task generally difficult to solve in this kind of apparatus) by simply placing
the pivot on this step-bearing. These two organs, by their mutual wear, keep the
joint tight, without unnecessary friction. As the weight of the apparatus is almost
balanced by the pressure of the liquid, the friction will be almost nil. This kind of
joint is an essential part of the apparatus.
Another essential part is the cylindrical casing D E, which encloses the two arms
of the motor, in order to avoid, that the latter during their revolution, strike the air
perpendicularly, which would absorb considerable energy, because for securing a
high efficiency with water at high pressure, it is necessary, to give to the discharge
openings a considerable circumferential speed.
By enclosing the arms in a cylindrical casing, I avoid the loss of energy caused
by impact with air, and substitute for it a frictional loss much less injurious.
The water discharged from the orifices c¹ c² spreads out in a receiving vessel O S.
It is important, that the water, after its impact with the walls of this vessel, should
not fall back upon the casing in motion, which would again produce a considerable
waste of energy. For this purpose, I have applied the shields K and L.
The most important part of the hydro-electric generator, however, is the speed
regulator.
- :
The speed of dynamos must be kept as constant as possible, whatever the amount

page_text: of electric work required. Consequently, the motor should be governed by a regulator
of great precision.
My governor comprises two obturators illustrated separately on.a larger scale by
Figs. 3, 4 and 5, Fig. 3 being a horizontal section through the left-hand obturator,
Fig. 4 through the right-hand one, and Fig. 5 a section along line A-B of Fig. 4.
C¹ and C are the obturators movable around their respective axes B1 and B2 and
connected by a single rod A¹ X A?, which forces them to work together, and balances
at the same time the lateral pressure of the water on the obturators.
It was necessary
to establish this equilibrium, which. in this case results from a differential action,
because this lateral pressure, if not balanced, renders all exact regulation of speed
impossible. The centrifugal force of a mass M arranged on one side of the connecting
rod A¹ X A2 exerts constantly a pull on the latter and tends to close the obturators.
But it meets with a counter effort in the action of the weight P, which pivots on
the axle Y and acts at X on the connecting rod in a direction opposite to the
centrifugal force of the mass M. The motion of the weight P is limited by a pair
of set screws, and the rod A' X A² is connected with the vertical arm of the weight
by a ball and socket or toggle joint X. When the speed has become such, as to
establish equilibrium between these two antagonistic efforts, any increase of speed,
however, sinall it may be, has for its consequence, to partly close the obturators and
to render the consumption of water exactly proportional to the work to be produced
at a constant speed.
Absolute isochronism of the governor, at the same time with its stability, is
obtained by means of a light spring T', which is essential to good working; because
if the speed tends to increase and the mass M. is shifted, the centrifugal force of the
latter will slightly increase in proportion to this small displacement; but then the
tension of the spring T increases also in proportion to the displacement, and it is
easy, to regulate the force of the spring in such a manner, that there is again
equilibrium, for the same working speed, between the increase of the centrifugal
force of the mass M and the complementary tension of the spring T.
In this manner, the conditions of isochronism and stability are completely fulfilled.
It is evident, firstly, that the action of the weight P could be replaced by that of
a spring, and secondly, that the combined effect of the weight P and the spring T
could be replaced by that of a single spring, which would have to satisfy the
following conditions ;--
(a) The initial tension of the spring should be equal to the centrifugal force
which the mass M possesses in its starting position and when the working speed is
attained.
(b) Every displacement of the mass M should produce in the spring a comple-
mentary compression, the amount of which should be equivalent to the increase of
the centrifugal force of the mass M due to its displacement.
It is well known to experts, that the first condition (a) determines the resistance
of each convolution of the spring, and that the second condition (b) determines the
number of these convolutions.
Having now particularly described my invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed, I declare that I claim-
1. A system of hydro-electric distribution, which consists in combining an electric
canalisation or conduit with a hydraulic canalisation or conduit and with hydro-
electric generators, the latter being fed by the hydraulic conduit and feeding in their
turn the electric conduit.
2. The combination of an electric canalisation of uniform sectional area, with a
great number of hydro-electric generators, this number, as well as the distance
between the same, being determined by the rate of consumption.
3. The combination of a high-pressure hydraulic canalisation (for instance
50 atmospheres), with an electric canalisation having uniform, but comparatively
small sectional areas, and a large number of hydro-electric generators of the type

page_text: described above, the number of generators to be established or to be set in action
varying according to the consumption of electric energy.
Dated this 30th day of September 1890.
F. VAN RYSSELBERGHE.
By Fairfax & Wetter,
433, Strand, London, Agents.