Scientific American Supplement, No. 288, July 9, 1881Various
Science
Scientific American Supplement, No. 288, July 9, 1881
Various
Science -- Periodicals
"An excellent example of economic electric lighting, is that of Messrs.
Henry Tate & Sons, sugar refinery, Silvertown. A small Tangye engine,
placed under the supervision of the driver of a large engine of the
works, drives an 'A' size 'Gramme' machine, which feeds a 'Crompton' 'E'
lamp. This is hung at a height of about 12 feet from the ground in a
single story shed, about 80 feet long, and 50 feet wide, and having an
open trussed roof. The light, placed about midway, lengthways, has a
flat canvas frame, forming a sort of ceiling directly over it, to help
to diffuse the illumination. The whole of the shed is well lit; and a
large quantity of light also penetrates into an adjoining one of similar
dimensions, and separated by a row of columns. The light is used
regularly all through the night, and has been so all through the winter.
Messrs. Tate speak highly of its efficiency. To ascertain the exact cost
of the light, as well as of the gas illumination which it replaced, a
gas-meter was placed to measure the consumption of the gas through
the jets affected; and also the carbons consumed by the electric
illumination were noted. A series of careful experiments showed that
during a winter's night of 14 hours' duration the illumination by
electricity cost 1s. 9d., while that by gas was 3s. 6d., or 1½d. per
hour against 3d. per hour. To this must be added the greatly increased
illumination, four to five times, given by the electric light, to the
benefit of the work; while this last illuminant also allowed, during the
process of manufacture of the sugar, the delicate gradations of tint
to be detected; and so to avoid those mistakes, sometimes costly ones,
liable to arise through the yellow tinge of gas illumination. This alone
would add much to the above-named economy, arising from the use of
electric illumination in sugar works."
I am indebted for these facts to Mr. J. N. Shoolbred, under whose
supervision the arrangements were made.
Some excellent experience has been gained at the shipbuilding docks in
Barrow-in-Furness, where the Brush system has been applied to illuminate
several large sheds covering the punching and shearing machinery,
bending blocks, furnaces, and other branches of this gigantic business.
In one shed, which was formerly lighted by large blast-lamps, in which
torch oil was burnt, costing about 5d. per gallon, and involving an
expenditure of £8 9s. per week, the electric light has been adopted at
an expenditure of £4 14s. per week.
The erecting shop, 450 feet by 150 feet, formerly dimly lit by gas at a
cost of £22 per week, is now efficiently lit by electricity at half the
cost.
I am indebted for these facts to Mr. Humphreys, the manager of the
works.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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