On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
In Sm.PLEMENT, No. 629, issued this week, we print a paper with the above title by the well known electrician, Mr Willard E. Case. It gives the details of an investigation of a platiuum-carbon battery. Carbon in various forms was experimented with as a positive plate of a voltaic couple, while platinum was used as the negative element. An oxidizing solution, formed by mixing chlorate of potash and sulphuric acid, was used as exciter and solvent for the carbon, and a current was obtained. The active agent in the solution was ascertained to be CIO2, or peroxide of chlorine. Various changes in the carbon electrode and in the solution gave different electromotive forces, a range from -08 to 1-35 volt being obtained. These results were obtained without any heat, and in them the investigator sees a possibility of evading the second law of thermodynamics. As the carbon is burned without heat, and the energy set free is converted directly into mechanical energy, he hopes to obtain a far higher return for carbon consumed than is possible with the steam or heat engine and dynamo, where, at most, but fifteen per cent of the heat of the carbon can be converted into mechanical energy, and where a further loss is encountered in the conversion of this into electric energy. So far the investigation has not assumed a practical form, but it will be a triumph of theory if we are able to effect this direct conversion of the heat energy of carbon combining with oxygen into electricity. Many points are not touched upon by the author. He does not say whether his platinum was completely protected by the carbon, or whether bubbles of carbonic acid gas escaped from the dissolving carbon. The investigation indicates a most interesting line of experiment and one which we can but hope will be carried out to some result that will have a bearing on practice. The solutions used are too expensive to give the present experiments more than a scientific interest. But at least they open a door for future work that may yet produce a carbon-consuming battery that will supplant the present type. Incidentally another point is strongly brought out. It is that the expense of working a battery is not only due to the consumption of the positive element, which is generally zinc, but that the cost of the solution may have just as much to do with it. It shows that there is room for vast improvements on primary batteries: Electricians may yet find themselves wrong in so generally considering the subject of the economical use of primary batteries in competition with dynamos a wild and impracticable theme for work and study.
