Local Industries

Fair Play, Volume I, Issue 3, 18 November 1893, Page 9

Local Industries

The New Zealand Electrical Syndicate.

We publish above the picture of Mr Alfred Inigo SucklingBaron, M.I.E.E, Managing Director of the New Zealand Electrical Syndicate. Mr Baron is comparatively a young man for the important position which he holds, but his natural bent for the profession of an electrician, and the excellent training he has received make him an officer, whom it would be difficult to replace in the old Country and next to impossible in the Colonies. Mr Baron comes originally from Somersetshire, and was sent to New Zealand in 1888 by the Gulcher Electric Company for the purpose of carrying out their contract to erect the Wellington Electric plant. It should be understood that the Gulcher Company is a manufacturing institution whose business is to prepare

plants and see that they are properlyputup, while the Now Zealand Electrical Syndicate is purely a supply company, and of the latter Mr Boron was mode manager as soon as matters wore so far advanced as to supply the city with olectricity. There are two supply stations in Wellington, one in Panama street and the other and larger depot on the reclaimed land. Tho former station is used exclusively for public lighting, and tho company has a contract with the Municipality extending over 21 years. The motive powor at this station is supplied by water. There are throe turbines of 40 horse power, two of which are always in use, and five large dynamos, three of which are used at once. At presont there are over 600 lamps distributed over about 86 miles of streets, and those ore kept lit from sunset until dawn. The lamps are of 20 candle power each, and in addition to theso there is one largo arc lamp at Martin’s Fountain of 2000 candle power. At the larger depot on tiro reclaimed land a description of which is given below, and which is now used oxolu* sively for private lighting, arrangements have been made to light the entire city by means of steam powor if tho corporation should at any time in the future soo fit to do away with the water power. The buildings aro situated on tho reclaimed- land on one of the Corporation reserves, and front on Harris streot. Thoy were designed by Messrs Cloro and Richmond, architects, of this city, and the contractors woro Messrs Carmioluiol and Sons ; the buildings are of briclc, one portion being two storeys high and the upper part of this is used as offices, thowholo of tho ground floor being occupied by tho oxtensive machinery necessary for tho requirements of lighting tho city. Tho foundations for tho groat chimnoy stack are of the most substantial character, and to got a solid foundation it was necessary to construct a coffer dam to get in the concrete as a substructure. This is in ono solid block of about 200 tons, and is brought up to tho ground lovol, from whence the stack rises to a height of 102 foot. Upwards of 60,000 picked bricks wore used in tho construction of it, and its internal diameter is 4ft. 9in. on tho bottom, gradually roducing to 4ft on top. In the boiler-room are four boilers constructed by Davoy, Paxman, and Co., of mild steel,[treble-riveted, tho plates being Jin. thick. They are of tho marine typo, and are hydraulic rivotod, the holes being bored and not punched. Each boiler is fitted with two circulating tubes with patent strengthening and expansion joints so as to offer tho greatest possible resistance to collapse. All the rivots are out of the way of tho firo, and aro not subject to the scouring action of tho flames. Each boiler is 12ft. 6in. long and 7ft. 6in. in diameter, and contains 72 8-in. tubes. There is a heating surface of 792 superficial foot to each, and they are provided with anti-priming pipes and injectors. 1 ; They have been tested to a pressure of 2821b8. to tho inch, and will be worked at 1401bs.' A novel featuro for saving fuel is one of Green’s economisers, which consists of an arrangement of twelve rows of twelve pipes, each 4in. diameter. Tho object of these is to conserve the heat which would otherwise pass up the chimney. At a convenient part of the boilor-houso is a bunker with a capacity of 60 tons of coal. The engines are five in number, four of them having cylinders of 12Jin. and 20in. diameter, with 24in. stroke, with automatic expansion of the most modem type, tho normal speed of 100 revolutions per minute not altering more than 1 per cent, between doing its maximum and minimum work. A condensor is attached to each, and the flywheel is 12ft. in diameter, grooved for nine ljin. cotton ropes in lieu of belts, as the utmost steadiness is requisite to prevent flickering in the lamps. These four engines are capable of supplying motive power for an average of 10,000 eightcandle lights. Two boilerß are capable of driving three of the engines, so there is an ample provision of surplus steam power. With a further view of economising the working expenses the water for cooling the condensors is drawn from the harbour, ina; 10-in. pipe connected with a centrifugal pmnp, being Jervois Quay, and through the breastwork, at a depth of two

feet below low water mark, the pipe being fitted with a foot valve to prevent a return of the water when the pump is not working. When the condensed steam leaves the cylinders it is usually charged with a quantity of lubricating oil used in the cylinders; this is objectionable, and a row of tanks is arranged under the floor, with a view of getting rid of it before the hot water returns to the boilers. Each engine developes 135 h.p. indicated. The smaller engine, of 35 h.p., has cylinders of 7 and in diameter, a speed of 155 revolutions per minute, and a 6ft. fly wheel. Its mission is to drive a dynamo for supplying lights required in the daytime. There are five dynamos, and provision has been made for a sixth. Each dynamo is capable of supplying electricity for 2000 incandescent lamps, of eight-candle power, the speed being 480 revolutions per minute. Each machine is furnished with a pulley grooved for nine cotton ropes, liin. thick, and the armature of each dynamo is 30in. in diameter. Nearly all one side of the engine-house is occupied by the switch board, which is a very handsome piece of cabinetmaker’s work, a number of ornamental native woods being tastefully worked in, in its construction. The whole of the appliances are so arranged that practically any combination of any dynamo with any circuit may be effected. In the centre are two dynamo tablets, on which are arranged fuzes, double pole switches, annemeters for registering the current passing through from each machine, a volt meter for each dynamo, besides five sets of each, and seven feeder tablets. There are seven circuits going out of the station to distribute the current over the city, with one pair of wires to each, each pair having a separate tablet on the switch board. All the dynamo terminal, are brought to each tablet, and by the mere insertion of a plug, any dynamo may be connected with any circuit. All the switches and electrical connections are mounted on black enamelled slate. There are upwards of 300 connections at the back of the board, and this is connected with the dynamos by underground wires. From the top of the switch board the seven circuits pass up to the top of the building, and the wires are carried thence to all parts of the city. There are over forty miles of wire erected in connection with these circuits. On the board are arranged sets of lightning arresters, which are connected with each lead going out of the station, so that, should any circuit be struck with lightning, it will enter the building and go, by means of the arresters, to earth, and thus protect the dynamos from damage. Should any circuit be struck, it will not interfere in any way with the light in the houses. The service wires vary in size from a solid and commercially pure copper wire of no 14 guage to cables of 19 strands .of no. 16 guage. All wires are covered with an insulation of vulcanised bitumen, one-tenth of an inch thick, and were manufactured by Messrs. Callender and Co., of London. They are carried on insulators attached to the poles. These insulators are constructed of white porcelain, having in them a receptacle filled with a peculiar oil which will neither evaporaten or support a film of dust, thus rendering them as nearly perfect as insulators can practically be made. The total cost of the works up to the present has been upwards of £30,000, and the Company are receiving applications for installation in a most satisfactory manner. There are now ever 1500 lamps in private use in the the city, and applications have been made for 1500 more ; the wires for these latter have been laid, and it is only a question of a few weeks when the 3000 will be in working order. The system used by the company is known as the alternating current, and is the only one capable of distributing the current over a large area. It is generated at a pressure of 2100 volts, which is an extremely high tension, but this is reduced before it reaches the consumers by transformers placed on an adjacent pole outside the consumers’ houses to a pressure of 100 volts, which is quite harmless to any person coming in contact with the wires. “Mr. Baron’s residence is a marvel of 19th century illumination. Students’ lamps, bull’s eye lanterns, travelling lamps, vest pocket illuminators, candelabras, and a host of other inventions,’all run by electricity, are scattered loosely about the place. He greets you in an atmosphere of gloom, and suddenly, without the slightest warning, except a slight clicking noise, you find yourself looking into the gentleman’s smiling face, while everything about you is in a perfect blaze of light. Mr. Baron’s desire is to see the city throughout relying on electricity for lighting purposes, and if he goes on as he has commenced he will have his wish fulfilled.