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THE NATIONAL PHYSICAL LABORATORY.

1st July 1919, Page 13
1st July 1919
Page 13
Page 13, 1st July 1919 — THE NATIONAL PHYSICAL LABORATORY.
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Keywords : Cables, Wire

A Visit to an Interesting Institution. Some New Ideas.

AVERY WELCOME resumption, after the interregnum of the war period, is that of the annual reception by the General Board of the National Physical Laboratory. Sir J. J. Thomson, 0.M., the chairman of the board, on Tuesday last in the aero-dynamics building of the laboratory, received a number of visitors prominent in science and in industry, including Sir Chas. A. Parsons, Sir A. F. Yarrow, Lieut.-Col. T. B. Browne, Col. Crompton, Mr. T._ Clarkson, Mr. G. W. Watson, Mr. Basil Joy, and Mr. Sidney Straker.

The visitors were conducted over the laboratory, and shown a large number of experiments and much of the apparatus in the various departments. In the engineering department one saw, among other details, the Lanchester machine for testing worm gears for efficiency losses, and an interesting apparatus for determining the viscosities of liquids at high pressures. The aeronautics department, perhaps, attracted more attention than any other. The wind channels had already grown from 3 ft. to 7 ft., and there is now being built one 14 ft. wide for carrying out more detailed work call ing for larger models. , In the metallurgy department a rolling mill was rolling high-tension aluminium alloys to a thickness suitable for covering plane surfaces in place of fabric.

The W. Freud° National Tank was shown, and a number of visitors were taken for a "sea trip," in this case-a ride on the carriage from which a model seaplane float was suspended to determine its resistance, running angle and longitudinal stability when planing on the water.

In the gauge room themost interesting instruments were the minimeters for indicating differences of one millionth of an inch by an amplifying method. An instrument that should come in for considerable application has been de signed and was demonstrated by Mr. E. A. Griffiths for indicating at any reasonable distance the depth of petrol in the fuel tank of an aircraft or motor vehicle. We suggest that it would serve a very useful pnrpose at a garage. In the apparatus two wires are mounted in parallel tubes immersed in the liquid, one tube being closed and the other open at the bottom, so that the wire in it is in contact with the fluid. The temperature of the former wire is equal to that of the atmosphere, whilst that of the latter wire is reduced by centact with the fluid and proportionately, to the amount of the. wire immersed. .A current is passed through the wires, and the difference in the resistance of the two wires is shown by the position of the pointer moving over a scale which is calibrated in inches of depth or gallons. The apparatus should not be expensive to instal.


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