SCIENTISTS AT WORK

Hokitika Guardian, 28 May 1932, Page 6

SCIENTISTS AT WORK

NATIONAL PHYSICAL LABORATORY.

REVEALING NATURE’S SECRETS

LONDON, May 23

There is no publicity department to let the world know what is being done at the National Physical Laboratory. The great manufacturing firms throughout the Empire are no doubt fully aware of the benfits to be derived from this great institution, but the work that is done there merits the wider attention of the public. For one reason, this knowledge would counteract the tendency to decry Britain’s commercial enterprise since the war. For another reason, the workers in the Dominions, whether primary producers or manufacturers, should know that they have the privilege of applying to the National Laboratory for the elucidation of almost any trade problem which needs the application of a scientific and mathematical training and adequate apparatus. If the question can be answered from data already in the possession of the laboratory the information is supplied free of cost. If new tests have to be made the applicant must pay for them. New Zealand is directly interested in two important investigations which are being carried out by the Laboratory—the earriange of lamb carcases and the retention of_,the bloom ; and the standardisation of glass apparatus for testing in the dairying industry.

The great blocks of brick buildings in which a staff of 600 is employed have sprung up in the vicinity of Bushy House; an historical mansion. The mansion itself looks out over Busliy Park and is surrounded by some of the most magnificent trees to he found in England. An introduction to these majestic giants immediately sets up a desire to know more about the locality before immersing oneself in al. that pertains to the most modern in industrial development.

Pushy Park, of 1100 acres, was part of the Hampton Court Palace estate. Bushy House, which is now the residence of the Director, is an early eighteenth century house, the construction of which was commenced by Charles, first Earl of Halifax, President of the Royal Society, and a pupil of Newton, shortly before his death in 1715. In 1797, the Duke of Clarence afterwards William IV., was appointee’ ranger of Busliy Park, and occupie. the house until lie ascended the throne in 1830. The House later became the residence of his widow, Queen Adelaide. A further interesting phase jn the history of Bushy House was its occupation by certain members of the French Royal family during their exile.

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.

In 1900, Queen Victoria grnnte Bushy House to the Royal Society, and the National Physical Laboratory was founded for the purposes of establishing and maintaining precise standards of measurement and making tests of instruments and materials. In 1918, it was taken over by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, the Royal Society, at the re quest of the Department, continuing to control and advise on the work irom its scientific aspect. The Laboratory now comprises seven main departments —physics, electricity. metrology, engineering, metal lurgy. aerodynamics, and the William Fronde Laboratory. The research work in progress includes general physics, heat and refrigeration, optics, sound, radiology, electrical standards, and clottrotechnics, photometry, wireless, metrology, engineering, metallurgy, aeronoutics, and ship design. I may be here, mentioned that Loro Rutherford was chairman of the General Hoard for five years, and lie is still a member of the Research Committee.

Dr E. Griffiths, who with two other scientists, visited New Zealand in conilection with meat research, has completed his report. It will ho remembered that the investigation comprised a scrutiny of the conditins in Zealand and the transport arrangements overseas, a study of the weight losses, and temperatures and humidities prevailing during the transprn and storage of the meat in Great Britain. One of the Principal objects of the investigation was to ascertain the reason for the loss of “bloom” on a certain proportion of lamb carcases under present conditions. The report, which is now in print, will doubtless pass through official channels before it receives publicity.

Dr Griffiths has also carried out experiments in his department to determine the porosity to water vapo.ui of various materials which might be tried for wrapping the meat, the design of an apparatus for measuring the distortion of carcases under load at low temperatures; and at the present time he has a quantity ol pumice from New Zealand which he is test-, ing and comparing with other insulating material. Although pumice is not so good as cork it is cheaper.

DAIRY INST HUM E N TS. \

St mlardisation in instruments and methods throughout the Umpire ninv save millions of pounds. It is a slow process, as seen in the comparatively unimportant ellort to standardise the glass testing instruments used in the manufacture of butter and cheese. At Llie Imperial Conference ol 1926 it. was agreed that some effort should he made to obtain greater nnilnrmity in such glassware so that the manufacturers could work to a standard. From the point of view of the daiiy

factory manager, the size and proportions of these instruments are immaterial, but it would save a great' deal of trouble and money, if certain standards of manufacture could be set up. Mr V. H. Stott M.Sc., as chairman of a committee, undertook this work some years ago. It meant communicating with Governments and factories in all parts of the Empire. The next stage was to propose standard measurements, anu 'after that to obtain the approval of Governments and factories throughout the Empire. All this takes years, but in the end factories will be able to quote one of a few N.P.A. types, and manufacturers who will work to these standards "‘ill be able to supply them without difficulty. The saving is obvious. In other directions glass manufacturers are working to N.P.A. sizes and qualities and find it most convenient and economical.

MODELS OF SHIPS

A most interesting department is the William Froude Laboratory, .n 1908 the institution received a gift of £20,000 from Sir Alfred Yarrow for. the construction of a tank for experiments on models of ships, to be at the service of the nation for research directed to the improvement of ship design and propulsion. The first tank built was over 550 ft long and 30f‘ wide. Another recently completed is 678 ft long, 20ft wide, with a deptn of 10ft.

.Models of ships are built of wax, anu affixed to a travelling-carriage; Instruments record resistance and other condition*;. Research work has shown that, und e r the same conditions of propulsion, the manoeuvring qualities of a twin-screw ship may vary as much as 30 per cent, with different shapes of rudder. The figures for the past few years are interesting. In 1927 out ol 48 ships tested, 25 were improved so as to do away with from 20 to 30 per cent, of the propelling force. In 1928, out of 59 ships, 34 were so improved, lq 1929, out of 51 ships, 30 were r ' r ed ; in 1931 there wer e 25 out of 30 ; and in 1931 there were 20 out of 28. Giving each of the ships ’ o improved on the original model a life of only ten years it is easy to realise how very many thousands of pounds in. fuel are saved by these experiment?. Al the laws of resistance. to mot-on through air and water are closely, allied, it is possible and convenient to determine the force exerted by wind on the deck erections upside down through water, the models being attached to a flat-bottomed raft. Research on these lines has resulted in the designing in the tank of new arrangements of typical deck erection —such as bridge, engine and boiler-room, casings and funnels—which reduce the powers expended in driving ships against strong winds.

WIND TUNNELS

..A-large staff finds continuous work in the Aerodynamics Department. The most spectacular tests from the layman's point of view are those carried on in the wind tunels. Models of aeroplanes 7ft in breadth are hung by wire from the roof of the tunnel upside down and the lifting quahtiq- and other forces and reactions can thus be measured ! w\lien the wind is forced ill rough. The air current in th e tunnel is produced by an airscrew which draws the air through the tunnel and discharges it into the room again. Two new tunnels are being built which will have maximum wind speeds of 125 ft a second and, 190 ft a -second respectively. The latest addition to the..equipment of the department is a .compressed air tunnel. The tunnel is inside a steel boiler 17ft in diameter and 40ft long, "nside the. boiler the air may be arranged at the high pressure of 25 atmospheres. In this wayrthe-scale model may be 'in air which is also equivalent in scale. A model in ordinary atmosphere is dealing with atoms of air noimal for the full siz e aeroplane, and certain inaccuracies may arFe in the tests. With the compressed air tunnel scale effects are eliminated, and the results of the experiments are immediately applicable to the full-scale machine or component.

SUPER WATCHES

Mysterious and marvellous instruments, the accuracy of which staggers the imagination, are to b e seen m the metrology department. Watches are there which vary no more than onetenth of a second a day. Dr D. W . Dye, D.Sc., A.C.G.1., F.R.S., who died last year at the age- of 44, accomplished what must be considered the world record in accuracy. He made a tune machine that varied no more than a hundred millionth of a second in a day. The preparation of the apparatus by means of which it is hoped to establish the wave-length of a visible radiation as au ultimate standard of length is now completed. In future it will not be necessary to check the. yard measure bv one in the Tower of London hr wherever it is kept. A yard will bspoken of as so many wave lengths of a certain type of red light. These are. but a few of the hundreds of subjects which are being studied the National Physical Laboratory. i"«l the results of investigations are for thbenefit of the Empire.