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ARCHAEOLOGY
BATTERIES
Even
by modern standards, the development of accumulators
between 1888 and 1919 had produced a large number of
designs, as manufacturers competed to supply cells that
were easy to maintain and could offer cost effective
operation.
We
live in the disposable age and cannot imagine taking a
battery apart for servicing.
Whereas, it was commonplace to lift out the lead
plates and remove the sediment of dislodged lead
particles, to extend the operating life of individual
cells. Solder
repairs to broken terminals came under the heading of
regular maintenance.
Servicing
cells
Cells
were arranged in banks on wooden supports to form
batteries of cells.
That is where the term battery comes from. The casing of cells were of sturdy glass. Each
glass case would be balanced on pairs of mushroom shaped
glass discs, to give a clear airspace between casing and
timbers.
It
was not usual for a country estate to run generating machinery night and day. This was why a battery store was required.
During the day, the generating motors would
provide electricity directly to customers
Glass
supports
and
also charge the batteries. During the night, when the
engines were
stopped,
lighting current was provided silently by the battery
store. Less
electricity is used at night, so this system worked
well. For
example, at Bateman’s, Burwash E. Sussex, Rudyard
Kipling installed a small water-turbine powered dynamo,
which charged a battery store in 1902 sufficient to
supply 10 light bulbs. Kipling
used the limited electricity capacity only for
his private night
lighting.
Hart
battery in wooden trays
The
cost of each unit of electricity supplied in this way
had to include for the depreciation and maintenance
of the accumulators.
Whereas, with modern power stations,
it is more
cost effective
to run through the night using low cost inducement to
U.K. customers; excess power being offloaded across the
Channel to Europe.
Glass
supports found on site
Herstmonceux
Electricity Generating Works Circa. 1900 -
1936 Links:
Introduction
| Instructions
| ISBN
| Batteries
| Boiler
Room | Floor
Plan | Ron
Saunders
Industrial
Revolution
| Lime
Park | Machinery
| Map
| Power
House | Argus
1999
Public
Supply
| Roof
Construction | Rural
Supply | Sussex
Express 1913 |
Conclusion
Archaeology
South East
| East
Sussex CC | English
Heritage | SIAS
| Sx
Exp 1999
Memories
of Herstmonceux by Margaret Pollard
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