Improvements in Pressure Regulating Apparatus for Electric Mains used chiefly in connection with Storage Batteries.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Jan., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 10th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 11th Nov., 1899
Improvements in Pressure Regulating Apparatus for Electric Mains
used chiefly in connection with Storage Batteries.
I, JOHN SOMERVILLE HIGHFIELD, of Wolseley Road, St. Helens, Electrical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows;-
-
My invention consists in the employment of an improved form of generator
of electric energy by means of which I increase or decrease the pressure of a
supply from a source giving variable pressure so as to keep the circuits supplied
from such source at constant electrical pressure; and further when the variable
source is a storage battery. I employ this generator or booster in such a way
as to keep constant the circuits that the battery is supplying on discharge and
I also, by means of the booster, raise the pressure of a constant voltage circuit
so as to charge the battery; so that the arrangement of my generator, a battery
and a power driven dynamo supplying an electrical circuit enables me to keep
the dynamo at or near its full load at all times by giving to the battery what
energy is not required on the circuit and by causing the battery to help the
dynamo when more energy is required than the battery can give, and so long as
the load or demand for energy in the circuit does not exceed the combined output
of dynamo and battery the generator and arrangement of circuits according to
my invention serve to keep the pressure in such circuits constant. My invention
may be thus shortly described. The source of electrical energy at varying
potential is arranged so as to send the current it may supply through the armature
of a generator or booster arranged in series with the source; this generator is to
increase or diminish the pressure of the varying source so as to keep the pressure
on the circuit supplied constant. The generator is driven at nearly constant
speed by a suitable motor and the field magnets are excited in this manner.
small exciting generator preferably driven by the same motor that drives the
first generator or booster is employed to give the same constant voltage as that
required on the circuit to be controlled. This machine is connected in series
with the field exciting coils of the generator or booster and the varying source
is to be controlled in
exciter
source SO that the current through the
that due to the difference of the pressures.
that the volts
so designed
whose
or
such wisc
that the
across
A
its
pressure
acts in opposition to the
field coils of the booster is
The
booster is
generator
terminals vary as nearly as possible as the volts on its field coils, that is as the
difference of the pressures of the source and the exciter. The polarity of the
generator or booster will also vary according as the pressure given by the source
is greater or less than that given by the exciter, consequently the booster or
generator will decrease or add to the pressure of the source in the same manner.
In some cases as for instance a storage battery the source or battery will receive
energy from the circuit and in this case the generator or booster will add to the
pressure of the circuit exactly as the pressure of the battery increases as the
charge progresses and should the charge be suddenly stopped and discharge com-
menced the generator will oppose the pressure given by the battery for such time

page_text: as its pressure exceeds that required on the circuit, as the pressure of the battery
varies so will the generator correct the variation. The exciter will at times act
as a generator and at times as a motor according as its voltage is less or greater
than that of the source, but at constant speed it will give approximately constant
volts. I may use a second winding on the field magnets of the generator or
booster and of its exciter through which the whole current given by either may
pass so as to correct for fall of potential due to the ohmic resistance of the circuits
supplied by each.
7
2 T
1000
Improvements in Pressure Regulating Apparatus for Electric Mains
used chiefly in connection with Storage Batteries.
I, JOHN SOMERville Highfield, of Wolseley Road, St. Helens, in the County
of Lancaster, 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 consists in the employment of an improved form of generator
of electric energy by means of which I increase or decrease the pressure of a
supply from a source giving variable pressure so as to keep the circuits supplied
from such source at constant electrical pressure and further when the variable
source is a storage battery, I employ this generator or booster in such a way
as to keep constant the circuits that the battery is supplying on discharge and
I also by means of the booster raise the pressure of a constant voltage circuit
so as to charge the battery; so that the arrangement of the generator a battery
and a power driven dynamo supplying an electrical circuit enables me to keep
the dynamo at or near its full load at all times by giving to the battery what
energy is not required on the circuit and by causing the battery to help the
dynamo when more energy is required than the dynamo can give and so long as
the load or demand for energy in the circuit does not exceed the combined output
of dynamo and battery the generator and arrangement of circuits according to
my invention serve to keep the pressure in such circuits constant.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a diagram illustrating the arrangement
of electrical apparatus and connections according to my invention.
Fig. 2 is a diagram shewing the three machines on one shaft and their electrical
circuits.
a is a motor which may be electrical as shewn having on its shaft the armature
of an exciter b and a generator or booster c, the field coils d of which, are supplied
from the exciter b.
e and are the leads connecting to a source such as an accumulator battery k,
giving currents of variable pressure and 9 and h are the leads connecting to the
circuit or network of lamps 7 motor or the like which has to be supplied with
currents of constant pressure.
The currents from the exciter 6 being opposed to those from the source by e
and f and the booster c being so designed that the volts across its terminals vary
as nearly as possible as the volts on its field coils which are equivalent to the
difference of the pressure of the currents from the source by e and f and those
from the exciter b, the polarity of the booster c necessarily varies according as
the pressure of the currents from the source is greater or less than that of the

page_text: currents given by the exciter b6 and the booster accordingly lessens or increases
the pressure of the currents from the source, so that if the motor a and conse-
quently the exciter 6 and booster e be driven at nearly uniform speed the pressure
of the currents in the leads g h is nearly constant.
In some cases as for instance when a storage battery k is the source of energy,
it receives energy from the circuit and the booster then adds to the pressure of
the circuit as the pressure of the battery increases while the charge progresses.
When the charge is suddenly stopped and discharge is commenced then the booster
opposes the pressure given by the battery while that pressure exceeds that required
on the circuit, and thus as the pressure of the battery varies, the booster corrects
the variation. The exciter also at times acts as a generator and at times as a
motor according as its voltage is less or greater than that of the source, but at
constant speed it gives approximately constant volts.
These results may be understood from the following examples of the working
of the system.
When the pressure at gh due to supply from the battery k is less than that
required, the exciter 6 sends a current owing to the pressure given by the battery
being lower than that of the exciter b: this current traverses the coil d and so
excites the field of the booster to such an extent that the armature c developes
an electrical pressure sufficient to make up the difference between the pressure
of the battery k and of the exciter b and the coil d is so connected that the pres-
sure given by e helps the pressure given by k. Thus the leads 9 h receive current
at the desired pressure, namely that given by the exciter b. As the battery k
discharges. its pressure falls, and then the exciter b sends a greater current
through d owing to the greater difference of pressure between the exciter b and
the battery k and hence the booster developes a greater pressure and keeps up
the pressure on g h.
C
When the pressure in ef is raised by supplying electric energy from some
external source to the mains g h and thus relieving the battery k of some of its
work, the pressure on ef gradually approaches that given by the exciter b and
hence the current sent through the field coils d is decreased and the pressure given
bye is correspondingly diminished so that the pressure at g h is still kept constant.
Again when a greater amount of energy is supplied to the leads gh than that
required by the consuming devices, the surplus energy then tends to go through
the booster c in such a way as to charge the storage cells k.
The pressure given by thus gradually increases till it is equal to that given
by the exciter b so that there is no current through b.
The field magnets of the booster and of the exciter may have a second winding
through which the whole current given by either may pass so as to correct for
fall of potential due to the ohmic resistance on the circuits supplied by each.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
-
A pressure regulator for electric mains comprising a motor, an exciting dynamo
and a generating dynamo or booster all having their armatures on one shaft, the
exciter being arranged so that its currents opposite those from the source of
energy and excite the field magnet of the booster which has its armature coils
in the lead from the source to the circuit, substantially as described.
Dated this 9th day of October 1899
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.