NEW BATTERY

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 82, 3 October 1929, Page 27

NEW BATTERY

AN IRISH SECRET

":■ The shroud of mystery drawn around ;the electric battery invented by Mr. James T. Drumm, of University College, Dublin, is tightly drawn, says a Loudon paper. All attempts to get details of ; the discovery have failed. The youthful inventor himself refuses to be interviewed, and Government Departments, which have taken elaborate .steps to prevent leakage of information', courteously decline to go beyond the statement made some time ago in the. Dail'by the Minister for Industry and Commerce.

Attention was first drawn to Mr. Drumm's laboratory work a few weeks ago by Professor Nolan, of the Experimental Physics Faculty, University College, Dublin. "When the newly-invent-ed bafiery had reached a stage at which there was ground for believing that it iiad potentialities wliich might produco revolutionary results in the transport world the Free State Government caused a_ company to be formed to develop the invention. The Government obtained the sanction of the Dail to make a grant in aid of the devolop«eat of the invention, and nominees of

the Government took a majority of the shares in the £5000 capital provided for exploiting the discovery. It is claimed that battery charging, now such a slow process, would be reduced *rom hqu^s to minutes, and if the expectations ra.sed by the invention are realised it will be possiblo to charge a railwajr locomotive with sufficient power in'seven to ten minutes to enable it to do a considerable journey. .

What this would mean to the Free State at a moment when it is about to begin production of electricity on the Shannon scheme may bo easily imagined. By providing at a single stroke an enormous additional demand for elec: tricity, it would not merely put beyond all possible doubt the success of the Shannon undertaking, but also convert it into a tremendous national asset producing quite unexpectedly profitable results. , ' - ■ '■'

Moreover the invention would be the salvation of the railway companies in the Free State, now badly in need of some magic touch to restore them to prosperity.. The calculations made suggest that the time spent on long Tailway journeys would be almost halved and that an electrically driven train would cut two hours off the time at present taken on a tri- to Cork or Galway. '

Again, - while the electrification of the line to Cork by means of overhead wire or third rail would-cost £1,000,----000,. this secret: battery .would, it has1 been calculated, provide electrification of the line at £80,000. Engineering and scientific quarters were: excited some time ago when it was announced that tests of the new battery, would be made on the Great Southern Baiiway toward the end ~bf July. It is) impossible to ascertain what pi'ogress has been made, toward the holding .of these tests. The Government and the inventor alike meet every inquiry with a polite refusal to disclose their plans, and railway officials know nothing, or profess to know nothing, of the arrangements for the trials.

Public interest in the matter has, however, been again raised to a high pitch by an announcement in the "Star," the semi-official organ of the Government. The Drumm battery, says this journal,, has'been submitted to exhaustive laboratory tests during the past few weeks, and the results justify the highest hopes for 'success when the battery is tested. under, working conditions upon the railway in the course of the next week or two. Those competent to; express an opinion upon the Drumm battery are -. convinced that there are very good grounds for believing- that it will stand up to the' tests under actual Working conditions. One thing seems to be certain, at any rate, and that is that.Dr. Drumm's discovery will change the whole system of battery manufacture as it exists at present. Should the new invention prove capable of being utilised for transport purposes it will be necessary to proceed almost immediately with the full development of the Shannon scheme, the first stage of which is now almost complete.

The "Star" adds that tho scheme is certain, despite uninformed lay critics, fo be an overwhelming success. ■ ■. . ■