Cornelius James Field

“ Regarding the use of Corliss engines in a plant of this kind, we are frank to state our objections. Excessive first cost, ponderous machinery, counter-shafting, pulleys, clutches, etc., lead us to believe that these things are unnecessary when the problem is carefully considered from an unbiased standpoint. What we are after is results; not theory, but actual practice. Assume, for the sake of argument, that we can save five or ten per cent, in steam economy ”

“ Overhead travelling cranes are installed here and in the engine-room for ready and quick handling of all apparatus. Through the centre of the dynamo-room is located the electrical gallery. From here are con- trolled the workings of all the dynamos and other apparatus, also all outside lines. Everything in connection with handling, generation, and furnishing of current is directly under the eye of one man in this gallery, and from which he has a general view of the dynamo-room floor and the workings of the dynamo, a second man being on the floor to see to the bearings and brushes. ”

“ The underground system installed in Brooklyn has a network of underground conductors in the mains and feeders of over twenty-five miles. This entire system is so arranged, distributed and connected in a network that, with a drop or resistance of 1 per cent, on the mains and 10 per cent, on the feeders, we are able to maintain in the system practically a perfect regulation in the distribution of the current. ”

“ The weekly records from stations of this class charge the horsepower output with all the coal used by the engine, pumps, condensers, well pumps, cleaning fires, blowing-off boilers, etc., and where the former item is about three pounds of coal per horse power per hour, we have in the latter case, making no allowance for the engine running empty, a result fifty per cent, greater than this. Economy in this line, however, is not going to stop at compound engines, as there are being built by at least two manufacturers, triple expansion high-speed engines. ”

“ In any other system we have the problem of splicing and cutting of cables, which, at its best, is bad work. What we desire is not such a high insulation as good mechanical protection. As long as we can hold a moderate insulation with good mechanical protection, that is all we want. ”

“ It is only thus that we can hope to obtain a business and establish ourselves on the commercial basis which gas light companies have placed themselves in the past years, and thereby secure to our stockholders the returns for which they have invested their capital. ”

“ Tests made at the Brooklyn station have shown that the engines have actually come up to the guarantee made on them, and that the plant there is showing, as compared with single cylinder engines, an economy of coal per unit of output of from 25 to 30 per cent, better. In a station of this kind, the actual coal consumed per unit of output at the dynamos is considerably larger than is shown in a direct test where we charge the engines only with the coal it uses directly. ”

“ In any system of cables drawn in we have the selection of a large class of conduits, but to my mind all we need and desire, as I have before stated, is mechanical protection for these cables, and the cheapest conduit that will afford this protection is all that is necessary. ”

“ Owing to better workmanship^ better designing and building than formerly, the prejudice which largely existed among old engineers against this type of engine is rapidly wearing away. With the single cylinder engine under variable load, we often obtain poor economy, but, as compared with the Corliss, under similar conditions, allowing for the discrepancy in price, the result is not so disparaging. ”

“ We have to-day brought before us in the underground systems the consideration of what is to most of the companies their most serious problem, in the proper solution of which the best talent is being devoted. ”

“ The immediate points to be considered and carefully weighed in the designing of central power plant for a large city are many, and they should receive careful survey before any work is proceeded with. ”

“ When we come to construction of the boiler plant on expensive city property, where we are cramped for space, we are almost limited at once to some one of the types of sectional water-tube boilers. In the Brooklyn station we are practically limited to the consideration of this class, and have not only 125nbsp;pounds but 150 pounds boiler pressure, and even higher. We have also the advantage of quick steaming under heavy changes in load. ”

“ It is this power work that wants attention, and the securing of which means the bringing up of this average load during the daytime to a good paying basis. The curve for the evening hour indicates a good, broad, solid load, which shows the combination of six o'clock business with the addition of a good solid evening load. ”

“ The largest problems that we know of in underground work are the proposed new extension of the Edison Company in New York, and the underground system of feeders proposed to be installed for the West End Railway, of Boston. ”

“ In the Edison underground system we have what is generally recognized as the most practical solution for circuits of less than 400 to 500 volts. We here obtain at a premium of cost the most flexible system and local distribution from house to house, which has no equal It enables you to take off services for local distribution from every twenty feet without in any way affecting the insulation on the main line, and being able at any time to disconnect these services and restore the main to its original condition. ”

“ Where we have plenty and cheap real estate, poorer attendance and moderate steam pressure, this class, in general, fills the bill. We find, however, that they are now even building them to work up as high as 125 pounds boiler pressure. ”