“MR. ROBOT”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 914, 6 March 1930, Page 13

“MR. ROBOT”

EFFICIENT “ENGINEER” AT KING’S WHARF KEEPS PERPETUAL WATCH Thousands of the Auckland Electric-Power Board’s consumers living ir. the area east of Queen Street and as far out as Parnell are indebted to Mr. Robot for the smooth running of their supoiy. This Mr. Robot, one of the famous family of Robots, is a highly efficient electrical engineer. He is on the job 24 hours a day, seven days a week. He never worries about football or cricket matches or his grandmother’s funeral. His business is strictly the keeping of the

current supply in its place. Direct and alternating current are mere terms to the man in the street, but in electrical engineering they denote methods of current generation that are fundamentally different. The original Auckland station was installed on direct current methods, then the standard style. Later development has perfected the alternating current method, and now Arapuni and Horahora are of this pattern. However, the area that is Auckland City proper and Parnell is still supplied on direct current and the alternating supply from the rushing Waikaho has to he converted to direct current at the King’s Wharf station and at Hobson Street station, which control the City east and west respectively. The King’s Wharf station is under the automatic control of Mr. Robot, while Hobson Street is under human control. The otherwise parallel systems afford a most interesting comparison of the merits of the two types of control, with the honouz’s in speed and low cost going to Mr. Robot. When a “shut down,” as engineers realistically term an interruption to the current supply, occurs, Mi*. Robot can bring his plant back into complete operation in a few seconds under one minute. The human control at Hobson Street takes four to five minutes. In that time he makes nearly 100 different movements or actions. ELECTRIC CONTROL At King’s Wharf station are three ’.OOO kilowatts sets, about 9,000 norseower. When a “shut down” nas to -e dealt with and current is again on tile main lines front Arapuni, Robot “kicks in” all three sets. If the load does not need that amount of power, he cuts out one unit, or if the load is not sufficient for the economical use of the remaining power sets, another is cut out. Should a mechanical or electrical fault develop in one of the units that is running, Robot immediately cuts it out of action and at the same time starts up another to take its place in holding up the load. This automatic control is really a form of electrically operated superintendence. As soon as the main line supply is broken different electromagnetic devices stand ready for the first rush of current when the fault is remedied. This* energises a relay •that brings in other devices operated by battery current held in reserve for that purpose. Action after action follows in rapid succession and a master switch is thrown in to close the main circuits, and the l-otary converters are started up. The cutting down of the power used to that just required at any moment is intricate and intriguing. The elimination of the human element cuts out l-Isk of error and reduces both the time and cost of the operation. Not only is there automatic Control in the big station but the same system will operate in the traction current substations in Remuera and Point Chevalier, and is operating in service szibstations at Newmarket, Beresford Street and The Drive. Every move of the machinery or switches in these places is immediately recorded in the main control centre at King’s Wharf. The whole system is a fascinating example of the application t>f electric cozztrol of electricity.