"SUNBEAMS FROM CUCUMBERS."

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11650, 1 August 1903, Page 7

"SUNBEAMS FROM CUCUMBERS."

TH- CITY'S ELECIKIC.U. IXSfAI-L-U noy. THE FORMAL OPENING. The Christchurch City Council's electric light and power installation at the Destructor was last night taken over, o-t behalt of the city, from the contractor;, by the Mayor .the Hon. Henry F. Wuiam). wao formally starts the. nuwhuiery in the. presence of a large gathering of representative. citizens mid others. The party gathered at the Destructor at eight o clock, and some minutes were spent in examining the plant. Mr W. G- IGoodman, manager and engineer of Messrs Novo* Brothers. Dunedin. the contractors, bneilv explainvd the dit.enut portions oi Cue i'nstallatio.l. The Mayor, iv forma ly taking over the installation, remarked at ooportumty would be given, m anothei place." to speak, and he wou.J re-em further remarks till they rv.ui..d i- -> ' Wigiam then opened the main ll.ro * valve of the engines, and went to . - switchboard and put the genera tors into service. He also sturte- the boosters, uud put the battery into operation. Before the pariv left, the Destructor for Warners Hotel, "a lio-hiight photograph of the scene was taken. THE INSTALLATION.

The electric light and power plant at the Destructor is probably the most modern ex.uup!-- of a Destrue.or turned to , useful industrial purpose, and is the only ( on- of its kind in Australasia. Iv hni,- | hind several destructor works are -<1 W* with electrical plant usin,' steam g.neated by the heat from the desmutor _iiv.« aa to example, l.landuduo and .-lu.-.vuiteb. -he local installation is of the bU-t type ot plant, and one that it is hoped will tx a £od investment for tlte Council U economically managed. I uilv «re«.ed. is fitted with two Labc-eh » | Wilcox water tube boilers of a total steam raising capacity of 500 h.p.. and tnese »v heated by the"hot from the burn.iig rubbish, and, if necessary, by coal bunu in auxiliary grate- titled to the boileis The working pressure is 1501b 1 be pknt has been laid out by them « , h a view to utilising the steam duringoidmar} working hours For the operation ot an electric l.gnt and power supply station a id by the.installation of a wry large stoia «- battery sufficient energy can be st om durmg" the day to serve for the night loa-1 Ttfth-itt running the engines. Ihe engines are of the high speed enclosed patu.n, running at 4.0 revolutions mm „10. with an Sin stroke, and are of the triple tandem compound typo. I eaclie f wtert, and made by Davey, raxu.un and Co. The crank shaft runs m au oil bath and the engines run noiselessly even,ou full load. Each *«_■«■« ls "Ued ■** ,--,* i Lottie valve, governor, separator coo Ing pipe* for crank case and ind.citing 8- r Coupled direct to the crank shaft of each engine is a British Westinghouse 100 kilowatt multipolar dynamo, generating current at 250 volts, and mounted on the same bed plate as the engine. A noticeable feature of the dynamos is their sparkte* running at heavy loads. In order to provide power for the all-night load a storage battery- is provided. This battery is the largest" in the colonies, having a capacity of 1000 ampere hours. It is equivalent in output to one of the dynamos running at about half load for five hours. The construction of the battery is uuique. as al the plates are assembled on the work, aud burned up by oxybydrogen blow-pipe, for which purpose an expert was specially brought over by the contractors from their Svduey staff. Each cell is insulated separately, and the whole battery is insulated" by glass from the floor. There are 124 cells in the battery. 14 of which are used as regulating cells. Each cell contains 15 positive plates. 12 negative plates, and 22 gallons of acid. Specially distilled sulphuric acid was made by Kempthorne. Prosper and Co. for this battery, as the manufacturers —the Accumulatoren Fabrik Actiengesellshaft of Hasten, the largest battery makers in the world— insist on pure acid and distilled water. It is a noted fact that the life of storage batteries depends principally on the use of pure acid and materials in manufacture, I careful erection, and treatment. The charging of this battery required twenty hours continuous running of one dynamo at nearly full load, and a test of its capacity made after charging showed that the results were much better even than the guarantee. Consumers on the Council's mains will fully appreciate the absolute steadiness of voltage resulting from the use of the battery at night. The regulating cells and battery are controlled by a switch and minimum, cut out, mounted" on the partition separating tho battery room from the engine room. In order to" charge the battery without interfering with the supply to consumer--, two motor boosters are provided. These are of Wcstiughouse manufacture, and each consists of a 50 h.p. motor, working at 220 volts, coupled to a 37£ kilowatt generator at 125 volts, both mounted on the same bed plate. The motor is controlled by a starting switch and resistance fixed near it. and also by switches on the main switchboard. The main switchbourd consists of five panels of I white marble, and is about 7ft 6in high. Each dynamo has a controlling panel fitted with necessary switches, circuit breaker, ammeter and field rheostat, Tho battery and booster dynamo aro controlled by switches and instruments on a separate "panel, and aho the booster motors. The board is lighted by a lamp ou each panel, and the combination of polished copper and white marble has a very handsome appearance. Tho voltemeters are carried on a swinging bracket at the end of the switchboard, and the framework on wliich the marble is bolted is of angle irons securely braced to tho wall. All the connections" at tho back nrc of massive copper strips, and the cables connecting the dynamos to the switchlioard are carried on trenches in the floor covered with iron chequer plates. The four main panels were manufactured by the British Company, but the fifth or feeder panel has been locally made by Turnbull and Jones, and in in design •similar to the other panels. The steam piping is of wrought iron, and thickly lagged, and fitted with Sirius automatic steam traps, the exhaust piping is partly of cast iron and partly of wrought iron. Tho exhaust piping has been laid out to permit of the addition of condensers later on, and a very fine automatic relief valve has lieen fitted in the main exhaust in anticipation. The steam piping and valves were supplied to the contractors by Ander.sons, Limited, of Christchurch. The exhaust piping is carried in trendies covered with cast iron chequer plate... Provision has been made in the building for a third engine, and all th. plant has been so fitted that the extension can be made with iho least difficulty. Tho whole of the plant was designed, supplied, and erected by Messrs Noyes Brothers, Dunedin, under the 'jupcrvisiou of their engineering stall. THE -"OCTAL GATHERING. After the formal opening the party adjourned to Warner's Hotel, and were the guests of the city and Messrs Noyes Brothers, at a social gathering. The Mayor (Mr Wigr.tm) presided, and had on his right tiie Mayor of Dunedin (Mr T. ijcott), aiwl the Mayor of ."umiier (Mr W. Roilitt), and on -liia left Mr Goodman and the Mayor of Woobtoa (Mr J. Richardson). Councillor C. M. Gray occupied the vice-chair. After the health of "The King" had been honoured, the iLiyor extended a hearty welcome to the visitors, the Mayor of Dunedin and Councillor T. It. Christie, of Dunedin, who is also chairman of the Tramway Committee. His Worship, continuing, said he remembered many years ago at a comic operatic performance hearing a song the words of which, _s lie remembered them, wer.: — "We intend to send a wire to the moon, to tiie moon. And to _et the Thames on fire very soon, very coon. To get sunbeams from cucumbers we've a plan, .we've & plan." I. -»s to thsss words—-"Suabsaaai tram

Cucumbers"—that he wished 4o direcb their attention. At the l-ine the verse was written the pr;>piis.i! wae> not c-oiisideivd within, the re.u-h of science, but from what they liad seen that evening they saw they were getting 6unbeams---_ight--f.o__ -omethiag v«ry much worse than cucumbers. (Laughter.) He was not going to say that they would 'set the Thames on tir.." but they would try to do so with th* Waimakariri. Th. -present installation, ho pointed out, was not a rival scheme to tt_» VYainiakariri one. The ui_U-.at.en they had just seen was a strictly ut ilitariaa OM, the object oi" which was to convert, waste product* into auseful commodity—the waste product- in tins case bein.; the city rubbish. He il'.d not want the '.nsi«l!atio_ to be judged entirely on commercial liu__=. Undetf ordinary circumstance* the Council would have had to employ a cerw.ii ninoiiiit of labour in connection wiui the de-;ruction of the city ivfu-v. but the electric.! installation made it poiv.sible to com en that rubblsh to a useful purpcre. lie intimated that- apologies had U-en received from Mr W. IU-ece (chairman of tiie Tramway Board) and Mr G!a_-s. He proposed 100 health of "The <h-ntiiivlois, Messrs Noyes Brothers." and said there was no necessity for __!Ui to speak of their work, ."U present had a.vn it fir themselves. 'bit- whole contract had gone tin or.-, h with perfect smoothm".-. and there liad been i.o t fiction of any kind. He thought he eoiild congratulate tlie coiitnietors very heartily for the maimer in which they had puD tlte contract through.

Mr Goodman. _n -responding. «:vid it olways gave one, pleasure to hear such flattering remarks as those made by tho Mayor, and his linn liked to tiuisli their contracts in audi a way as to deserve such remarks. 11- 'briefly lebted the steps taken by the City Conned to in ilise. the power _it- lhe IV-true: or. He had been asked, on behalf of his firm, to submit a report as to the best means' of utilising the energy going to wasiaj. and had suggested throe schemes. on.» of which had be*>n adopted. Under i.ils Heheme two generators had been put hi, each of sufficient, capacity to be operated by one of the Destructor boilers. As tiny knew, «»rdinary domestic refuse did not p.ivM-»s a high caloritic value, and in order to U» perfectly s.iie in his estimate, lie had carefully considered nil the. data available. It was found that, ihe average calorific value of one ton of refuse was one-eleventh of that of ordinary Meaniing coal. To be perfectly safe lie had estimated on the caloritic value at one-thirteenth of ordinary coal, whioh would give 2001b of steam p. r hour from one ton of refuse. '1 he t.'ity Engineerinformation was that about 25 tons of re» fuse were received daily, and on this it was estimated that with the plant which had been installed the Council would be able to net a very fair let urn in revenue. The battery wits necessary because the refuse was only collected and destroyed during tho daytime, and provision had to bo made to supply a. lighting load at night. The generators would be operated during the day, and the energy would be stored in tho accumulators, and lain oil after nightfall. With a load factor of 60 per cent. —the load factor lx-ing the percentage of tho average load to the total capacity of the station—24o units could be generated daily, which being disposed at 3d [XT unit, would realise approximately £3 per day. It was estimated that the amount of electricity j>er annum would be 62,867 units, which for lighting purpo:«-s would realise »vi average of 6d per unit. In arriving at this estimate he liad considered that the Council would bo able to obtain a fair demand within a very small area, which would reduce the distribution cost. The estimated revenue was £2071 per annum. He had also intimated the cost of generating the electricity, providing for aa operating engineer to look after the engines for eight hours per day and other labour. H- also allowed 15 per cent, for interest, wages, depreciation, and estimated the value, of the rubbish at 3s per toa. The total operating cost was estimated at £1122 per annum, wliich left a profit of £949 per annum. This profit tho Council could make with careful and judicious management, and he wus sure the electrioal department would have that management. Tho battery was capable of operating 125* 16 candle-power lights for three hours; 846 for five hours; 618 for 1_ hours; and 504 for 10 hours.

Mr o. H. Bn.-ark-y, Mr Goodman's assistant, also briefly responded, and mentioned specially the assistance he had re* ceived from the Council and the City Engineer (Mr Dobsou), and his stuff. He felt . sathified that tho installation had been put in up to tho modern standard, and he sincerely hoped it would be a success. In responding to tho toast of "Ihe Visi*., tors" (proposed by the Mayor), Mr Scott, the Mayor of Dunedin, expressed his pleasure at having been present at the opening of the installation. He referred to the success of the muiucipalisation of publio services in Dunedin. He was sorry he oould not say "Greater Dunedin" —Uiafc was one direction in which Christohurch was ahead of his city. He contended that such services as the supply of gas and water and the provision of tramways could not be brought under municipal control too soon. He hoped that he would havo the honour of representing Dunedin when the Wainiakariri scheme was accomplished. lie referred to the fact that in the southern capital they were spending £32,000 in obtaining power from the Lee stream. In - uiunncipul matters the greatest trouble they had was with the Government. There was far too much red tape in Wellington, and as proof thereof he spoke of the delay which had occurred in getting aa Order-in-Council passed with regard to the Dunediu tramways. As the mtuucipality. owned the gas and water pipe- likely to be affected by the installation of the tram-, ways, he thought the Dunedin City Council "could be trusted to look after their own property. He spoke in eulogistic terms of the manner in which Messrs Noyes Brothers were installing the Dunedin electric tramways. Councillor Christie also responded. Mr Arthur E. G. Rhodes, who waa alsO called upon to respond, said it waa hardly fair to class him as a visitor, as he had probably been a few years in this city. (Laughter.) During his term of office aa Mayor the Council had to do with the, destructor, but they had not discussed the utilisation of tho eniirgy produced by it. He was of opinion that the citizens would; be satisfied that the installation was a goo*. one, and he anticipated that before long one shift of eight hours would not be sufficient to meet the demands for light and power. (Applause.) Mr Goodman proposed the toast of " Tbfl Mayor and Councillors of Greater Christchurch,' and spoke in terms of approval of the amalgamation of the city with the surrounding boroughs. He also congratulated Mr Wigram on being called to tho Legislative Council. ' Councillor Gray, in the course of his remarks, referred to similar electrical installations in connection with refuse destructors in England, and stated that at Shipley, St. Helms, aud Wrexham 37 units of electricity were obtained from each ton of refuse;" at Darwen, 33 units; at Shoreditcb, j 27 units; and at Accrington 20 unita. Aa--uming they only got 24 units per ton at.] the local destructor, it would amount to 224,640 units per annum, which, at 6d per! unit, would mean a revenue of £6616 per annum; at 4d per unit, £5744; and at 3d per unit, £2808. He also referred to! the fact, that in England the mud from; the Thames is being made into briquette* and burned in destructors, and is found to be high in calorific value. _ Mr R. M. Macdouald said that lumM been chairman in the previous Council ol 1 the lighting and Works tee, he hud been able to tafct' a small part in the ordering aas fixing up generally of the plant for tOJ electrical installation. The CommiU*© a_a no trouble in selecting Mr Good-naa *■ • suitable man to give them advioe oa t-W| proposal. There had been difference* oa some part of the scheme, but he was «Fr tain tliat all who had seen the inst-tf*-tion had no doubts as to its success. . Ja-w-as quite euro they had an -_d_ura«Ha plant. He did not pretend to know much about electrical machinery, but ho OMl; know something about engines, and he waa satisfied that the engines they had all right. Ho complimented the coatjafitora on the good work they had dome. : . Councillor H. Pearoo (chairman of tjttS Works -Committee), -dr A. Dudtey Dobaj* (city surveyor and engineer), and _« at. 1^

Faith (town clorl.l also briefly responded. At intervals duriug the evening songs were given by Air W. Radcliffe (mayor of Lyttelton). Councillor Hadfield, Messrs Goodman. Rtvarbv. and P. S. .Lemon, and Mr <". P. Williams contributed a recitation. Trie singing of "Atild Lang Syne" brought the gathering to a close.