MENTS IN THERMO-ELECTRIC GENERATORS
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry Woodward at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th November 1882.
HENRY WOODWARD, of Shepherd's Bush, in the County of Middlesex, IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THERMO-ELECTRIC GENERATORS,
My Invention relates to improvements in Thermo-electric generators, whereby
they are rendered more efficient, compact and durable, than those hitherto
constructed.
In carrying out my Invention, I prepare an alloy of antimony and zinc, and cast
or form it into a number of elements of any suitable shape, but the form which I
prefer to give to my elements greatly resembles that of a grooved pulley in cross
section, and to these el-ments I attach, by casting, or otherwise, suitably shaped
tinned-iron pieces or strips. These elements and the tinned-iron pieces thus
combined, are arranged to form a foundation of any required shape, and upon this
foundation continue to build up or place the requisite number of such elements,
(electrically insulated) in order to form a generator of the required strength and
efficiency. The elements are connected in the usual manner. The inner en:ls or
faces of the pairs thus formed, are kept heated, and the outer ends or faces are kept
cool, in the manner hereinafter described.
The tinned-iron strips are attached to the bottoms of these elements, and carried
up between the ends of the same, and then attached to the upper part of the next
element, and so on. The open spaces formed between the elements (resulting from
the shape I prefer to give to the elements, but which space I always form between
my elements, no matter what shape I may give them) may be filled up with any
non-conductor of heat, or they may be left open. By this arrangement the difference
of temperature between the ends of the elements can be greatly increased, thereby
enhancing the value of the generator.
I obtain the heat necessary to produce the greatest quantity of electricity, either
from an ordinary fire, or (by preference) from gas, burnt through a Buusen, or
other suitable burner, around and about which I place a quantity of asbestos for
the purpose of producing a clean and permanent fire, and one giving a temperature
which is distributed equally throughout the generator.
The beat thus obtained is not brought into direct contact with the inner faces
of the elements, but is made to heat a number of pieces of iron which are so formed

page_text: and arranged as to constitute channels, and through these channels the heat
generated is diffused, and loss of generating power prevented, the heat being all, or
nearly all, utilized before reaching its final exit.
Around the generator I place a inetal jacket, to which I fasten a number of pieces
or strips of copper which are corrugated, in order to obtain an extensive surface for
diffusing the heat.
To preserve the elements from destruction by heat, I apply one or more coatings
of asbestos paint which renders them almost indestructible, and the application of
this asbestos paint forms an important feature in my invention, as all thermo-
electric generators, heretofore constructed, have, after a very short time, become
non-effective from constant exposure to the high temperature necessary to generate
the electricity.
Instead of the copper diffusers, herein mentioned, I sometimes fit or place a worm
around the elements, in such a manner, that the coils of the worm lie against the
outer faces of the layers or tiers of elements, and through this worm I cause a
stream of cold water to circulate, in order to keep the outer faces of the elements
cool.