At present electricity is generated by two methods, and both of these
are _second powers_. Metals are smelted by luminous combustion as a
first power, and then oxidized by non-luminous combustion as a _second
power_, and coal is consumed by luminous combustion, by which steam is
generated as a first power, to drive a dynamo-generator whereby
electricity is obtained as a _second power_. Now, of the two methods,
the latter is much the cheaper, and as I have shown that the best
compound condensing engines only utilize 8.94, and a fair average
single cylinder condensing engine only utilizes 5.42 per cent. of the
energy of the fuel consumed, and as at the best not over 70 per cent.
of the foot pounds obtained from the engine can be utilized as
electricity, from which we must deduct loss by friction, etc., it will
be readily seen that not more than 5 per cent. of the energy of the
fuel can be developed by the dynamo-generator as electricity by the
present method.
The great want of the present age is a process by which the static
caloric of carbon or a hydrocarbon maybe set free by non-luminous
combustion; or, in other words, a process by which coal or oil may be
oxidized at a low degree, within an insulated vessel; if this can be
accomplished (and I can see no reason why we should not look for such
invention), we would be able to produce from twelve to fifteen million
foot pounds of energy (electricity) from one pound of petroleum, or
from ten to twelve million foot pounds from one pound of good coal,
which would be a saving of from 90 to 95 per cent.
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