TIME CONSTANTS OF ELECTROMAGNETS.

I may here refer to some determinations made by M. Vaschy,[1]

respecting the coefficients of self-induction of the electromagnets of

a number of pieces of telegraphic apparatus. Of these I must only

quote one result, which is very significant. It relates to the

electromagnet of a Morse receiver of the pattern habitually used on

the French telegraph lines.

L, in quadrants.

Bobbins, separately, without iron cores. 0.233 and 0.265

Bobbins, separately, with iron cores. 1.65 and 1.71

Bobbins, with cores joined by yoke,

coils in series 6.37

Bobbins, with armature resting on poles. 10.68

[Footnote 1: "Bulletin de la Societe Internationale des Electriciens,"

1886.]

It is interesting to note how the perfecting of the magnetic circuit

increases the self-induction.

Thanks to the kindness of Mr. Preece, I have been furnished with some

most valuable information about the coefficients of self-induction,

and the resistance of the standard pattern of relays, and other

instruments which are used in the British postal telegraph service,

from which data one is able to say exactly what the time constants of

those instruments will be on a given circuit, and how long in their

case the current will take to rise to any given fraction of its final

value. Here let me refer to a very capital paper by Mr. Preece in an

old number of the "Journal of the Society of Telegraph Engineers," a

paper "On Shunts," in which he treats this question, not as perfectly

as it could now be treated with the fuller knowledge we have in 1890

about the coefficients of self-induction, but in a very useful and

practical way. He showed most completely that the more perfect the

magnetic circuit is--though of course you are getting more magnetism

from your current--the more is that current retarded. Mr. Preece'e

mode of experiment was extremely simple. He observed the throw of the

galvanometer when the circuit which contained the battery and the

electromagnet was opened by a key which at the same moment connected

the electromagnet wires to the galvanometer. The throw of the

galvanometer was assumed to represent the extra current which flowed

out. Fig. 56 represents a few of the results of Mr. Preece's paper.

+==========+

|=| |=| |=| |=| |=|

\======= \======= =======/ ======= =======

| | | | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | | | |

| | | |--| | | | | |

======= ======= ======= /======= =======\

|=| |=| |=| |=| |=|

+===========+ +==========+ +===== ======+

|=| |=| |=| |=| |=| |=|

======= =======/ B\======= =======/A A\======= =======/B

| | | | | | | | | | | |

| | | | | | | | | | | |

| |--| | | | | | | | | |

======= ======= A======= =======B =======B =======A

|=| |=| |=| |=| |=| |=|

+==========+ +==========+ +====== =====+

Scientific American Supplement, No. 787, January 31, 1891 · 第 37 / 71 题