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REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON INDUSTRIAL

APPLICATIONS OF ELECTRICITY

The Technical and Hydro-Electric Section appointed this Committee with the intention of attracting its large membership to the study of the commercial applications of electricity in order to assist the member companies in their commercial developments.

It was thought anomalous that an association of companies, which, unlike most other industries, depend essentially for their growth upon the technical solution of new problems, new processes and new applications, should not derive any direct benefit from the discussion of these problems by its technical members as represented by the Technical and Hydro-Electric Section, which constitutes the majority of the membership.

Upon closer investigation of the situation it was found that the field of useful co-operation open to members of the Technical and Hydro-Electric Section was considerably restricted, because the Commercial Section had already numerous existing Committees and Sub-Committees covering the subjects of industrial applications of electricity. On this account it was thought inadvisable to duplicate the work covered by these existing Committees within the Association, or by other societies on the outside, such as the Electric Power Committee of the A. I. E. E.

As a result of the survey, it appeared that there might, however, be an open field of usefulness for this new Committee along two lines: First in gathering, studying and disseminating technological information upon new or untried processes and applications of possible interest to central stations; and, Second, in giving professional engineers, through joint society and committee meetings, papers and discussions, a better and fuller understanding of the economic relation of the central station to the industrial developments in the territory served.

These two lines of activity are full of possibilities of good for the industry, but, at the same time, are attended by difficulties and even dangers. For instance; the first line, the question of disseminating information on entirely new problems which enter into the commercial activity of the central station companies, on many of the newest developments we are not at liberty

(FOR DISCUSSION SEE PAGE 854)

to disclose the information we possess, for the reason that the processes are either secret or that our customers who are using them have spent considerable time and money in pertecting the process and its applications and are not willing that the central station supplying electricity for their operation shall exploit these processes which would then besome public property to the detriment of the customer who has made the development

In the second instance, a poor or faulty presentation of the case of the central station in an engineering discussion may create a wrong impression, which it will take long and hard work to rectify

These very difficulties, enphazise two important obstacles in the way to the freer development of the business of many member companies As the Commercial Section of the Associa tion as mostly interested in these subjects, the Committee t'ult t'at it should make this presentat» n before your meeting in the 1. one of bringing out a general discussion upon su h vital points as to whether or not and how the members of the Techqual ar.! Hydro Electric Section shall help in fostering the i. distrial applications of electricity

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ELECTR

REPORT OF THE INDUSTRIAL ELECTRIC

HEATING BUREAU

General

Inasmuch as this is the first report of a committee representing a newly recognized branch of the central station industry, it is considered advisable to discuss at some length certain things which might otherwise be omitted. Thus, the scope of the activities of this branch should be defined. The reasons underlying the development of the branch should also be given.

Definition

Industrial electric heating includes all industrial applications of electric energy in which direct conversion into heat energy is the desired result. It thus includes such small and such low temperature apparatus as soldering irons and it properly includes such large and such high temperature devices as electric steel furnaces. It includes all sorts of electric welders, all sorts of electrically heated ovens and furnaces, all sorts of electrically heated driers, and all sorts of special applications such as sherardizing and calorizing.

Development of Industrial Electric Heating

The direct and complete conversion of electric energy into heat energy was discovered long before there was any electric industry, but little use was made of this method of obtaining heat energy for the very obvious reason that it was prohibitively expensive. As the industry developed, certain special applications for heating purposes were made, but high energy cost was generally considered to set very definite and narrow limitations to such activities.

Electrical heating in the home is largely a matter of convenience and not so much a matter of comparative cost. Electrical heating in the industries is, and must be, entirely a matter of comparative cost; the cheapest method must be the proper method when the word "cheapest" is properly interpreted.

Properly interpreted the cheapest method is that which gives a satisfactory product at the lowest cost, when all items entering into the cost are considered.

Until very recently there has been a tendency to compare

(FOR DISCUSSION SEE PAGE 863)

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