Year: 1887

page_text: A communication from abroad by EDWARD G. ACHESON, of Pittsburgh, in the State
of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Electrician.
I, PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents 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 correspondents invention has for its object the generation of electricity from
beat or the conversion of heat energy directly into electric energy, and it consists in
the new method of, and apparatus for carrying out this object, substantially as
hereinafter set forth, the description of same being in his own language.
Heretofore many attempts have been made to produce electricity by the direct
conversion of heat, as in what are known as thermo-electric piles, pyro-magnetic
generators and the like, but my invention differs from all these both in principle and
construction, and in order to embody my invention in practical form 1 have
constructed various mechanisms, the essentials of which I am about to set forth, and
which constructions I have designated as "Calelectric Generators."
My invention is based primarily upon the discovery that, if what is known to those
skilled in the art as the "magnetic whirl" is produced in or about an electric
conductor which is traversed by currents of heat, which tend to escape by radiation
or otherwise from the conductor at such points as may be below the temperature of
the point at which the heat is introduced, an electric current will be generated in said
conductor at each establishment and disestablishment of such "magnetic whirl"
cutting said conductor.
I have also discovered that such electric currents may be produced in such a
conductor in such a manner that they may be utilized as power for all purposes for
which electricity is applicable.
In my experiments leading up to and in demonstrating and applying this discovery
I have used various means for producing these electric whirls in or about a conductor
into which heat has been introduced, and through which heat was caused to pass, and

page_text: without attempting to describe all the various ways in which this can be done I will
refer to the accompanying drawings which clearly describe several simple ways which
will serve to illustrate the principle of my discovery, and it is to be understood that
my invention is in no way limited to the construction and arrangement of parts as
herein shown as many other arrangements will be apparent to those skilled in
the art.
Fig. 1 represents a very simple form of apparatus which may be operated in
accordance with my new principle and in which, 1 is a bar or other electric conductor
having comparatively high conductivity for lines of magnetic force, while 2 is a bar
or other electric conductor having comparatively low conductivity for lines of
magnetic force. These two conductors are joined, as at 3, and their other extremities
are closed, as by a conductor 4, which is arranged in inductive relation to an electric
circuit 5, in which an intermittent alternating or vibrating current of electricity may
be produced. Heat is applied to one of the conductors 2, by any suitable means, as a
burner 6. The heat entering the conductor 2, has a tendency to flow through and
radiate from conductor 1, at all points that are of a lower temperature than the point
at which the heat enters. When the electric current in circuit 5 is established,
disestablished, or varied, an induced current is set up in the circuit 1, 2, 4, producing
under well known laws "magnetic whirls" in or about the conductors forming said
circuit. In conductor 1 the magnetic whirls will be more completely retained within
the conductor than in conductor 2, owing to their relatively different specific
conductivity for lines of magnetic force. Under these circumstances I have found
that the current produced in the circuit 1, 2, 4, gives a greater indication upon a
translator located in said circuit, as for instance, a galvanometer 7, than is due to the
ordinary inductive current produced in said circuit when heat is not applied to said
conductors, and this augmented current is due to the direct conversion of heat energy,
into electric energy.
In Fig. 2, 8 is a conductor having comparatively high conductivity for lines of
magnetic force, which conductivity may be altered or varied by the application of
heat. This conductor is arranged in inductive relation to a circuit 5, similar to that
of Fig. 1, and upon the application of heat to a part of the conductor 8, the heat tends
to traverse and radiate from the conductor at all points having a lower temperature
than the part at which it enters, and I find the current produced in the conductor S,
upon varying the current in the circuit 5, as indicated upon the galvanometer 7 or
other translator, is greater than the inductive action due to the ordinary induced
current when the heat is not employed.
In Fig. 3, 9 is a conductor of comparatively low conductivity for lines of magnetic
force, portions of which, as at 10, 11, are surrounded by a material having com-
paratively high conductivity for lines of magnetic force, as a spiral of iron wire, for
instance, and when this circuit is arranged as set forth above, in connection with
another circuit the same results are perceived.
In Fig. 4 I have shown an arrangement of circuits similar to that shown in Fig. 2,
excepting that the heat is applied to a point of the conductor within the inductive
field so that the magnetic whirls are produced on either side of the point to which the
heat is applied, but as in this case the heat is applied to both circuits I prefer to
arrange the circuits as shown in Fig. 5, in which the primary circuit 5 looped around
a portion of the generating circuit is subjected to heat.
In order to embody this principle in a working machine I have shown in Fig. 6 an
arrangement wherein I use a cylindrical core 12, of some magnetic material and wind
the same with a series of convolutions 13, of insulated wire, the terminals of which
are connected to the primary circuit having means for supplying alternating inter-
mittent or vibratory currents of electricity. Through this coil is passed the conductor
or conductors 14 forming the generating or converting coil, the terminals of which
are connected to a working circuit and means are provided for heating these coils as
before. If now the electric current is closed through the convolutions 13 and
magnetic whirls are produced in and about the conductors 14, and if at the same time
heat is applied to said conductors within the influence of said whirls an electric

page_text: current will be generated in said conductors at each establishment and disestablishment
of the whirls cutting the heat lines, and a conversion of the heat energy into electric
energy takes place in said conductor. I prefer to provide two magnetic whirls
around the conductor with the direction of the lines of force in opposition and by
locating the source of heat between said whirls so that the heat will pass from a
central point in opposite directions, as shown in the drawing, the direction of the lines
of force of the whirls with relation to the direction of the heat will be such as to
produce or convert said heat into electric currents of the same direction. It will be
understood that the cores 12 are not necessary as the convolutions themselves will
produce the whirl.
In Figs. 7 and 8 I have shown another means for applying the principles of my
invention, in which 15 is a stack, tube or other device of nonconducting and
refractory material, having an interior opening, resting upon a suitable base and
supplied with a source of heat. Passing through the walls and crossing the opening
in this stack is a continuous conductor 9, of comparatively low conductivity for lines
of magnetic force and the exterior loops of this conductor are surrounded by a
material 10 of comparatively high conductivity for lines of magnetic force, similar to
that shown in Fig. 3. In the said drawings I have shown the stack as being
rectangular and the loops as extending upon the four sides thereof, but it is evident
that the stack may be any shape and the loops may extend in any and all directions,
and the portions within the stack crossing the opening may be arranged in any
suitable way that may be found best for extracting the heat passing through said
stack.
The arrangement of the circuits is apparent from the drawings and need not be
specifically described.
While I have shown in the illustrations thus far given an inductorium for causing
the energizing current to flow through the converting conductor, it will be understood
that this current may be produced in any known manner, as, for instance, a direct
current generator may be used and by means of suitable commutators the current
may be made to flow through and energize the converting coils at internals, and
between said intervals the saine commutator may be used to close the converting coils
through the working circuit.
From the above, the nature of my invention and the principle upon which it is
based, will be understood by those skilled in the art, I do not however limit myself to
what has been specifically described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The method, substantially as herein set forth, of converting heat energy into
electrical energy,
which consists in causing heat lines to traverse an electric conductor
and producing a magnetic whirl cutting said heat lines.
2. The method, substantially as herein set forth, of converting heat energy into
electrical energy, which consists in causing heat currents to traverse an electric
conductor, and in establishing and disestablishing magnetic whirls cutting said heat
conductor.
3. The combination with an electric conductor of comparatively poor conductivity
for lines of magnetic force, of another conductor having comparatively high con-
ductivity for lines of magnetic force, a source of heat for heating said first conductor,
and means for magnetizing said conductors, substantially as described.
4. The combination with an electric conductor and a heat generator for producing
heat therein, of another electric conductor through which varying electric currents
are passed, the said conductors being arranged in relation to each other so that the
heat conductor shall be within the influence of the magnetic whirl of the electric
conductor, substantially as described.
5. The combination with an electric conductor and a heat generator for producing
heat therein, of an electric conductor through which varying electric currents are

page_text: passed, arranged to produce magnetic whirls cutting the heat conductor, substantially
as described.
6. The combination with an electric conductor of comparatively low conductivity
for lines of magnetic force and a generator for producing heat in said conductor, of
another conductor of comparatively high conductivity for lines of magnetic force
surrounding portions of the first conductor, and means for producing intermittent or
varying electric currents in said first conductor, substantially as described.
Dated this 28th day of December 1887.