HOLYOKE

Hydrodynamic Experiments,

MADE BY THE

HOLYOKE WATER POWER CO.,

HOLYOKE, MASS.,

1879-80.

SPRINGFIELD, MASS.:

WEAVER, SHIPMAN AND COMPANY, PRINTERS.

1880.

HOLYOKE WATER POWER CO.

In connection with the following reports, it is but a simple act of justice for me to call attention to the liberality of the company in aid of efforts made for the benefit of manufacturing interests.

It is but a few years since that experiments in hydraulics or dynamics, having relation to milling matters, were made in a sort of close-communion spirit, and, if published, done at such price and in the guise of such profundity and tediousness, that the average manufacturer preferred to trust to his own skill for success. Information was needed in relation to turbines, and a few months' experience convinced me that such information might be obtained at a reasonable cost. The testing of three Swain wheels, by the Messrs. Francis and Mills, occupied a considerable portion of the time from May until the next April, the expense reaching up into the thousands -the charge for the water used being $500, creating the impression that a large supply of water would invariably be used, so that the easiest terms that I could get at Lowell were $25 per wheel for use of water-that price to be paid if the water was let on to the wheel, though only used an hour-four days to be the greatest length of time for any one wheel, and only small wheels to be tested at that rate. The supply was insufficient, and, after testing there two seasons, a better locality was sought.

The late Stuart Chase, agent Holyoke Water Power Co., met me in the most liberal spirit: "The testing of turbines is the only way to perfect them, and that is a matter of vast importance. Move your works to Holyoke, and use all the water necessary for the purpose in welcome, free of charge," was his generous offer. And while building the flume, his assistance, through his acquaintance with the surroundings, was freely given. Such liberality allowed the price of testing to be much reduced, and such improvements to be made that a turbine could be tested at one per cent. of the cost at which it could be done ten years previously, and tested far more accurately than was possible at any cost at that time. I had but to mention the plan for a public test to the present agent, Wm. A. Chase, to be met with the generous offer of the company to make it free to all sending wheels. Invitations were sent to other water power companies and societies interested in such matters, to assist in conducting the experiments free of expense. Every wheel furnished was tested until the owner was satisfied; suggestions were made, wheels taken to machine shop, altered, reset, and again tested. If the second test merely repeated the results obtained the first time, they were not published, but every other test, without exception, was reported. The draft tube, gear and belt tests were made with the greatest possible care, without regard to time or expense, and though no pretensions were made in reporting the loss of power in transmission through gears that such loss is invariably the same, for very different results may be found reported in this work. As the conditions were as favorable as the average to be found where gears are used, it is reasonably certain that the loss, as reported, is not exceptional. Under other circumstances, the loss may be more or less.